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A Halifax man says he hit a snag while trying to get through airport security en route to Winnipeg — and it had to do with a very special but unconventional item in his carry-on bag.
Vincent Masse was travelling with a small wooden box containing the cremated remains of his beloved dog, a dachshund named Balthazar, when he was stopped by screening officers at Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Masse had put the box through the CT X-ray scanner when it was rejected by the machine.
“What I quickly found out is that even that highest-ranked person on the floor does not have the ability to manually bypass the decision of the machine,” he said.
Masse had travelled the world with Balthazar, who died at the age of 16.
He wanted a way to keep his beloved pet with him and ultimately decided on a cremation tattoo, where a small amount of ashes is incorporated into the tattoo ink.
“I wanted something that was both portable, but that cannot be lost,” he said.
Cremation tattoos aren’t regulated and some tattoo studios have pointed out that Health Canada warns against the process.
Some clients choose to mail in ashes to have them incorporated into ink, but Masse found an artist in Winnipeg who specializes in cremation tattoos and mixes the ink in-person.
So he booked a flight and was at the airport two weeks ago to make the trip when his frustrating encounter with the X-ray machine took place.
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Masse says after the machine rejected his box of ashes, he was told by security he could put it in his checked luggage. However, as a frequent flier, he says he knew that bags can be damaged or lost and didn’t feel comfortable doing so.
Kerri Parnell, the tattoo artist in Winnipeg, recalls receiving a call from Masse.
“He called me from the airport, very upset,” she said.
“My solution was maybe go home and take out a little bit of ashes because we only need a little bit for the tattoo.”
Masse says he received a refund for his flight and booked another for an extra $900.
Under Parnell’s guidance on a video call, he put a small amount of ashes into a Ziplock bag and returned to the airport later that day.
“Thank God the Ziplock passed and everyone was relieved,” he said.
In a statement, the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) says “cremated remains are a dense material that can be difficult to screen.”
CATSA also says it “recommends that passengers consider alternative transportation methods, such as cargo air services” but adds that ashes may pass security if under 350 ml and in a wooden or plastic container.
Masse was able to fly to Winnipeg and meet with Parnell. She completed a tattoo on Masse’s chest in honour of his beloved pet.
As someone who deals with cremated remains, Parnell says she takes the process seriously.
“I have a six-step patent-pending process,” she said. “I re-sterilize the ashes when they come. I turn them into a refined consistency that they can be integrated into the ink 100 per cent.”
Once that’s complete, she carries out the ink mixing process with the client. Parnell said the steps help with grief and noted that many of her clients are spiritual.
“I think that’s really important,” she said of working in-person with those who are grieving. “There are places where you can mail your ashes to get the ink done … I felt like that was a disconnect with the whole wraparound process of grief.
“Before we tattoo, we call in the beloved’s person or animal. So (Masse) called in his dog’s name. We welcomed him in the space and it was very beautiful.”
Both Masse and Parnell want CATSA to return to manual screening as needed when it comes to cremated remains.
“Loved ones need to be able to travel with their whole loved ones in cabin,” said Parnell.
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