An Ottawa not-for-profit group has launched a recruitment drive in search of 1,000 members for a new funeral co-operative, one they say will offer full-service funerals at a lower cost.

The Funeral Co-operative of Ottawa has 50 members and is still finalizing its business plan this month, said David Shanks, the secretary of the group.

They hope to sell 1,000 $20 memberships in order to attract investors to the not-for-profit.

The group is hoping to follow in the success of La coopérative funéraire de l'Outaouais, which was established in 1979 with 1,000 members. It now has 12,500 members and handles about 70 per cent of all funerals in the Outaouais region of western Quebec.

Funeral co-operatives have also been established in Sudbury, Ont., in Prince Edward Island and other parts of Quebec.

Shanks said as with other co-operatives, the funeral group would give members a voice in how their business is run.

'Like a family'

"The funeral director is working for the members who own that co-operative, so I know he'll have my best interests at heart," said Shanks.

"And it also means that I know that I'm getting good value for my money but that also that person has no other vested interest other than to serve my needs. They will know the people there, they will be like a family," he said.

His group plans to offer everything from full casket funerals to basic memorial services.

Brian McGarry, the CEO of Hulse, Playfair and McGarry funeral homes, said there is always room for more locally owned competition in the industry. But he said the funeral business has high startup expenses.

"There's always room but it's not going to be an easy struggle," said McGarry. "If they serve only the ... least expensive end of the spectrum, then they won't survive."

With files from CBC's Laurie Fagan