These actions are commenced under special "wrongful death" statutes because under the common law, there is no right of action for survivors for their own loss as a result of someone else's death.
The Canadian equivalent of the wrongful death legislation is generally known as the "fatal accidents act" (eg. Alberta's is at canlii.org/ab/laws/sta/f-8/index.html).
In England, it is known as Lord Campbell's Act.