Organ and Body Donation in British Columbia: What Families Should Know

Organ donation and body donation are two of the most generous decisions a person can make — one saves lives directly, the other shapes the education of the doctors and health care professionals who will care for generations to come. Yet many families aren't sure how either process works, or what it means for funeral arrangements.

This guide explains both options as they work in British Columbia, and what families can expect.

How Organ Donation Works in BC

British Columbia uses an opt-in system, meaning you must actively register your decision to be an organ donor. Registration is managed through BC Transplant, the provincial organisation responsible for organ donation and transplantation.

You can register your decision online at the BC Transplant website. The process is quick, secure, and free. Once registered, your decision is recorded in the provincial health database and can be accessed by medical teams when the time comes.

It's worth noting that even if you've registered, your family will still be consulted at the time of death. This is why having a conversation with your loved ones about your wishes is just as important as registering — perhaps even more so. If your family doesn't know what you wanted, the process can become much more difficult during an already painful time.

Who Can Be a Donor

There is no age limit for organ donation. People of all ages — from newborns to those in their nineties — have been organ and tissue donors. Medical professionals assess the suitability of each organ on a case-by-case basis at the time of donation, so a pre-existing medical condition does not automatically disqualify you.

Most organ donation occurs after a person has been declared brain dead while on life support in a hospital, though donation after cardiac death is also possible in some circumstances. The medical team caring for the patient is always separate from the transplant team — the priority is always the patient's care first.

What Can Be Donated

Organs that can be donated include the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, pancreas, and small intestine. Tissue donation — which can take place up to 24 hours after death — includes corneas, skin, bone, heart valves, and tendons.

When you register with BC Transplant, you can choose to donate all organs and tissues, or you can specify which you're willing to donate. Your wishes will be respected.

Does Organ Donation Affect Funeral Arrangements?

This is one of the most common questions families ask — and the answer, in most cases, is reassuring.

Organ donation does not prevent a family from having a funeral, memorial service, or Celebration of Life. The donation process is handled with care and respect, and the body is treated with dignity throughout. Once donation is complete, the body is released to the funeral home, and arrangements proceed as they normally would.

There may be a brief delay — typically a matter of hours — while the donation takes place, but this rarely causes significant disruption to funeral planning. Your funeral director will coordinate the timing with the hospital and the transplant team to ensure everything goes smoothly.

Organ donation is also fully compatible with cremation. If your family has chosen cremation, the donation can take place beforehand, and the cremation proceeds once the body has been released.

An open-casket viewing is possible after organ donation in most cases, though tissue donation may affect this. If a viewing is important to your family, discuss this with the transplant coordinator and your funeral director so everyone is on the same page.

How to Register in BC

Registering as an organ donor in British Columbia takes just a few minutes:

Online: Visit register.transplant.bc.ca to register your decision. You'll need your Personal Health Number (found on your BC Services Card).

Once registered, tell your family. The registration ensures your wishes are on record, but the conversation is what makes sure they're honoured.

Talking to Your Family

This is the step that matters most — and the one most people skip. Many families have never discussed organ donation, and when the question arises in a hospital setting, the emotional pressure of making that decision without knowing their loved one's wishes can be overwhelming.

You don't need a formal conversation. A simple statement — "I've registered as an organ donor, and I want you to know that's important to me" — gives your family the clarity they need to honour your decision with confidence.

If you have specific preferences — certain organs you do or don't wish to donate, or feelings about tissue donation — share those as well. The more your family knows, the easier the process will be for them.

Body Donation: The UBC Body Donation Program

Organ donation and body donation are different things — and it's important to understand the distinction. Organ donation involves the transplant of specific organs to living recipients, typically in a hospital setting immediately after death. Body donation involves giving your entire body to a medical school for anatomical education, surgical training, and research.

In British Columbia, the only body donation program is the UBC Body Donation Program, operated by the Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. The program has been in service since 1950, and each year it supports the training of more than 1,000 health care students and professionals — future doctors, dentists, surgeons, and rehabilitation therapists who will go on to serve communities across BC and beyond.

How It Works

Individuals who wish to donate their body to UBC must register in advance by completing a consent form (two copies — one for UBC and one for a family member or physician). At the time of death, the executor or next of kin contacts the UBC Body Donation Program, and the team assesses the donor's suitability by speaking with the donor's physician.

The body must be received within 72 hours of death. If a death occurs outside regular business hours (Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm), you should leave a message with the UBC program and then contact Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services at 604-857-5779. Alternatives is the designated contracted funeral home for the UBC Body Donation Program in British Columbia.

If the donation is accepted, UBC covers most of the costs — including local transportation to the university and eventual cremation. For families living outside the Lower Mainland, best to contact UBC directly to determine the costs of transporting their loved one to the Lower Mainland. The body remains in UBC's care for a period of six months to three years, depending on the educational and research needs. Donors may also consent to an indefinite donation, allowing the university to retain some anatomical material for longer-term educational use.

Costs families typically pay include:

Transportation to UBC (from outside the Lower Mainland)
Consumer Protection BC
Death Certificates
Other options, like urns, keepsakes, and so on.

What Happens Afterward

Once the body has served its educational purpose, it is cremated. Each year, UBC medical students organise a memorial service to honour the donors from the previous year. Family members and loved ones are invited to attend. The ceremony includes musical performances, speeches, and a memory table where photos and personal items can be displayed. It's a meaningful and dignified tribute to the people whose generosity made a lasting impact on medical education.

Death certificates for all accepted donors are issued by Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services.

Eligibility and Important Considerations

Not all donations can be accepted. UBC reserves the right to decline a donation if the body is unsuitable for educational use. Conditions that may prevent acceptance include a body mass index higher than 27 or lower than 16, excessive trauma or recent surgery, certain infectious diseases, or other factors determined by the program. UBC makes the determination, and best to contact them directly for any questions.

There is no upper age limit, but donors must be over the age of 30. Individuals who have chosen Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) are still eligible, provided they meet all other criteria.

Because acceptance is not guaranteed, UBC strongly recommends that all registered donors also make alternate funeral arrangements in advance. If the donation cannot proceed, it becomes the responsibility of the executor or next of kin to arrange the funeral — and having a plan in place avoids the stress of making those decisions at the last moment.

If a funeral service is desired, UBC recommends holding a memorial service without the body present, and suggests that arrangements for this type of service be made prior to death.

Contact the UBC Body Donation Program

Website: cps.med.ubc.ca/body-donation-program
Email: body.program@ubc.ca
Address: Department of Cellular & Physiological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, 2350 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3
After hours (at the time of death): Contact Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services at 604-857-5779

A Note About Nova Scotia's Opt-Out System

It's worth mentioning that Nova Scotia became the first province in Canada to adopt an opt-out system in 2021, where all residents are presumed to consent to organ donation unless they explicitly opt out. This approach aims to increase donation rates by making donation the default rather than requiring active registration.

British Columbia currently uses an opt-in model, but the conversation about whether to adopt an opt-out system is ongoing nationally. Regardless of the system in place, the principle remains the same: register your decision and tell your family.

How This Connects to Funeral Planning

At Alternatives Funeral & Cremation Services, we work with families navigating both organ donation and body donation. As the designated funeral provider for the UBC Body Donation Program, we have a unique understanding of how body donation works and can guide families through the process with care and clarity.

Whether you're considering donation as part of your own preplanning, or you're navigating these decisions after a loved one's death, we're here to help you understand your options and make sure everything is handled with the dignity and respect your family deserves.

For more information about organ donation in British Columbia, visit BC Transplant or call 1-800-663-6189. For body donation, visit the UBC Body Donation Program or email body.program@ubc.ca.