History

The Grand Montreal Funeral Cooperative (Coopérative funéraire du Grand Montréal) was formed through the merger of the Montreal South Shore Funeral Cooperative (Coopérative funéraire de la Rive-Sud de Montréal), the Laval Funeral Cooperative (Coopérative funéraire de Laval), and the Montreal Island Funeral Cooperative (Coopérative funéraire de l'Île de Montréal).

To view the list of founding members of the three funeral cooperatives:

Founding Members – Montreal Island Funeral Cooperative  

The 1970s

  • November 1976: First information meeting held in La Prairie for a funeral cooperative project on Montreal's South Shore. Additional meetings followed in Beloeil and Saint-Hubert.
Dépliant 1977

Brochure promoting the establishment of a funeral cooperative on Montreal's South Shore – 1977

  • April 1978: Founding assembly of the Montreal South Shore Funeral Cooperative.
  • August 1978: A blue-gray 1978 Chevrolet Bel Air was converted into a hearse.
  • September 1, 1978: The Montreal South Shore Funeral Cooperative began operations. The head office was located at 3150 Montée Saint-Hubert in Saint-Hubert, serving Beloeil, Longueuil and Saint-Hubert. 
  • October 1978: First funeral service held.
By 1980, the Montreal South Shore Funeral Cooperative had 1,085 members.
Journal 1979

Article published in the Journal de Montréal on January 16, 1979

The 1980s

  • April 1980: Agreement reached with the Saint-Hyacinthe cooperative to provide embalming services, marking the beginning of inter-cooperation.
  • May 1981: Launch of Le Coopérateur, an informational and promotional newsletter.
  • July 1982: The cooperative hired its first permanent full-time employee, who served as manager and embalmer.
Siège social 1985

Head office located at 1850 Sainte-Hélène Street, Longueuil – 1985

  • 1985: Relocation of the head office to 1850 Sainte-Hélène Street in Longueuil.
  • November 1988: First Open House held to celebrate the cooperative's 10th anniversary.
Corbillard 1987

Cooperative hearse, Cadillac Miller-Meteor 73 – 1987

The 1990s

  • Growing management challenges led to administration by the Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec in the late 1990s.​
  • Increased competition resulting from foreign investment entering Québec's funeral services sector accelerated the organization of the cooperative movement.
  • 1997: A total of 1,583 funerals had been conducted since 1978.
Article 2000

Article published in the Courrier du Sud on November 5, 2000

The 2000s

  • October 2000: Opening of the head office at 635 Curé-Poirier Ouest Boulevard (former Hydro-Québec building).
Travaux 1999

View of the main entrance to the Curé-Poirier Funeral Home during construction – 1999

  • September 2002: Art exhibition and music concert held, marking the cooperative's first cultural event.
  • November 2005: Construction of a crematorium.

The 2010s​

Inauguration Laval 2013

Opening of the Laval Funeral Home (2000 Cunard Avenue, Laval) – 2013

  • June 2011: Opening of the Saint-Hubert Funeral Home.
  • April 2012: Merger of the Laval and South Shore cooperatives.
  • November 2013: Adoption of the name Coopérative funéraire du Grand Montréal.​
Changement de nom 2013

  • December 2013: Opening of the Laval Funeral Home.
  • August 2014: Merger with the Montreal Island Funeral Cooperative.
  • 2015: Milestone of 10,000 funerals served since 1978.
  • October 2015: Adoption of a sustainable development policy.
  • June 2018: The Grand Montreal Funeral Cooperative hosted the annual convention of the Fédération des coopératives funéraires du Québec (40th anniversary).

The 2020s

  • May 2021: The Grand Montreal Funeral Cooperative reached 25,000 members.
  • February 2023: Membership reached 30,000.
  • June 13, 2025: The head office relocated to 900 Parent Street, Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville.