By Joel van der Veen
DAVIDSON — For generations, the Hansons have served families in Davidson and area, helping them to say goodbye and honour the memory of their loved ones.
Now, funeral director Todd Lockwood is taking on a second responsibility along similar lines — providing caskets to funeral homes throughout Saskatchewan.
He and his uncle, Brian Hanson, will serve as provincial agents for Northern Casket, a manufacturing and sales firm based in Lindsay, Ont.
Lockwood and his fiancee, Erin Rohs, have purchased the former Reflections building on Washington Avenue in Davidson and are turning it into a warehouse operation with enough room to stock upwards of 150 caskets.
“We’re going to start distribution here probably by the end of the month, hopefully,” said Lockwood.
The company was looking for a central location in Saskatchewan after not having had a presence in the province for several years, he said, adding that Northern Casket wanted to work with a funeral home and reached out to Hanson.
“It was pretty lucky for us that they just pointed out Davidson on the map,” said Lockwood.
Gord Ferguson, president and CEO of Northern Casket, said Thursday that the company had previously distributed its products in the province through Colonial Caskets, based in Winnipeg, but has not been in the market here for six or seven years.
As a family-owned business, he said Northern is a good fit for Saskatchewan and particularly its rural funeral homes, many of which are also family-owned.
“There’s a certain amount of appeal there,” said Ferguson, adding that the company was also aware of the Hansons’ decades in the business, and particularly Brian’s “long and storied career” in the funeral services industry.
“We’re quite excited to be there,” he said. “We look forward to a long association with Todd, Brian and the rest of the family.”
Ferguson explained that funeral homes can save money by purchasing caskets directly from the manufacturer, rather than through a third-party distributor.
Northern Casket, established in 1926, produces its caskets individually and sells them across the country; its distribution chain extends from Fort Langley, B.C., to Moncton, N.B.
Lockwood said the warehouse will be run separately from the funeral home, and with a minimal staff for now. The operation is still in its initial stages, but about 80 caskets have already arrived from Ontario.
“Once we develop a customer base or a client base, we’ll realize what the need for employees is going to be,” said Lockwood, adding that the warehouse will not have a storefront and the front windows will be blocked off.
Lockwood and Rohs purchased the building from Don Birch in May. The store itself required little work, but the shed at the rear needed a new roof and siding.
Hanson’s Funeral Services has operated in Davidson since 1951, when Brian Hanson’s father Hank purchased the business from Burton Lytle. Lockwood took over the business in September 2014 as Brian went into semi-retirement.