The threat posed by the novel coronavirus suddenly felt more real when Brett Denning gathered funeral home staff in mid-March to talk about upcoming changes to their practices.

Denning, who is the general manager of Dennings Ltd., a southwestern Ontario funeral home chain, told staff at the Strathroy, Ont. location they would be allowing fewer people into their funeral homes at one time.

As he heard about other businesses being forced to close , he knew the closures wouldnt apply to his business. Funeral homes would not only be operating during the pandemic, but also adjusting quickly to understand changing rules, regulations and best practices.

We had to really scramble to make sure that our staff were comfortable with the new reality ... so that we can be that pillar of strength when someones suffered a loss in their family in such an already troubling time, Denning told HuffPost Canada by phone from his car, his remote office right now.