Alberta dad learns about son’s death in Victoria after Googling his name, finding obituary | 24CA News
Glen Grier, from Stony Plain, Alta., needed to ship his son a birthday message. Scott Grier, 36, had been residing on the streets in Victoria, B.C., and his dad hadn’t heard from him shortly.
He made a discovery that’s maybe a mum or dad’s worst concern: discovering out by a Google search final week that his baby was useless — and has been for the previous eight months.
“It got me thinking, nobody notified me so maybe it’s not him, maybe it’s somebody else,” Grier mentioned.
“Things start to go through your head.”
Scott had a tough life. He struggled with addictions and skilled homelessness. He moved from Edmonton to Victoria in 2019, however checked in with household each few months.
Grier mentioned Scott didn’t all the time have a cellphone, so household had a tough time reaching him generally and waited on Scott to contact them.
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Last week, Grier famous it had been too lengthy since he’d final heard from his son. He needed to name so Scott might speak to his seven-year-old daughter, who’s in Grier and his spouse Michelle’s care.
Grier, who at instances grew to become overwhelmed with emotion when talking with Global News, described his son as a free spirit and enjoyable individual.
“He was a wonderful kid, very happy, full of energy. Very loving.”
On Jan. 18 – Scott’s birthday – Grier searched his son’s title on-line, like he’s performed earlier than when attempting to make contact.
“Right on the top was the missing persons (report) that we did in 2020, where they successfully found him … and right under that is his obituary,” Grier mentioned.
Grier mentioned the posting was clean aside from a reputation, date of start and that Scott had died May 16, 2022.
Through speaking to police, the coroner and funeral residence the following day, Grier discovered finger prints confirmed it was his son, who was cremated and buried eight months in the past in Victoria’s Hatley Memorial Gardens cemetery.
Grier mentioned no effort was made to contact Scott’s household.
When an individual with no mounted deal with dies in B.C., the Public and Guardian Trust (PGT) is notified.
If the deceased was below the age of 65 and was receiving advantages from B.C.’s ministry of social improvement and poverty discount (MSDPR), that ministry offers with the individual’s funeral preparations.
For those that weren’t an MSDPR consumer, the PGT mentioned it determines if the deceased had sufficient property to pay for funeral prices and PGT charges. If the individual didn’t have sufficient property, PGT is not going to search extensively for subsequent of kin.
According to a spokesperson from the MSDPR, the coroner in Victoria contacted the PGT about Scott’s loss of life, who decided there was no property to handle, so the ministry took over and paid to have Scott cremated and his ashes buried.
The funeral residence posted Scott’s obituary on-line as a courtesy, in hopes a member of the family would come throughout it. They usually are not legally required to take action.
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Grier had filed a lacking individuals report with Victoria police for Scott in 2020, and Scott’s full title and birthday was on the obituary web page.
Since the authorities knew Scott’s id, Grier mentioned the ministry should not have regarded very laborious if it couldn’t join him to his son.
“They could have just asked the Victoria Police Department because it was me that filed the missing persons report. They have my name and my number,” he mentioned.
“How did they have his proper name and his proper birthday for them to put (the obituary) up? Somebody had to know something.”
Grier mentioned he understands there are homeless individuals whose subsequent of kin is difficult or not possible to search out, however that wasn’t the case right here.
“Do they not put the effort into it? I don’t understand why.”
Grier mentioned he thought this had solely occurred to his household, however mentioned he began listening to from different those that’s how they discovered concerning the deaths of family members too.
Now, he and his spouse are warning different households they could must look on-line in the event that they haven’t heard from a cherished one shortly.
“If you’re missing someone, maybe Google them, as weird as that sounds,” Michelle mentioned.
Glen and Michelle Grier from Stony Plain, Alta., say they weren’t notified when their son, Scott, died in Victoria in May 2022.
Global News
Even although he’s left with a lot ache and plenty of questions, Grier hopes sharing his expertise will assist result in change.
He’s talking out in hopes different households received’t discover out a few cherished one’s loss of life in the identical approach.
“You don’t want to see it happen to other people.
“It’s such a hard way.”
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