The Blog
Victoria Death Care Event: The Doing Death Different Community Marketplace
Looking for end-of-life resources, grief support, or death care options in Victoria? On Sunday, October 4, from 1–4pm at the Royal Canadian Legion (411 Gorge Rd East), we’re gathering again for the 3rd Annual Doing Death Different Community Marketplace—a space to explore death, dying, and grief in creative, honest, and even playful ways. Discover Doing…
How to Raise Independent Kids: Parenting Lessons from a Funeral Director
How do you raise independent kids? By giving them the chance to stand on their own feet while they’re still under your roof. Independence grows when children learn to take responsibility, solve problems, and make mistakes without a parent rushing in to fix everything. I’ve gained that perspective in part by years of working with…
Death as a Rite of Passage: What it Means to Die Well
Death is the final stage of life. It deserves the same honour and preparation we give to birth, graduation, marriage, and other big life transitions. Definition: a rite of passage is a meaningful ritual that marks a significant transition from one stage of life to another. Death is universal and unavoidable but for some reason,…
Little White Crosses: Why Roadside Memorials Matter
Every summer I look forward to road tripping to Alberta with my boys to visit family and friends, and every drive I spot them: those little roadside memorials. White crosses. Silk flowers. A photo tucked under glass. Sometimes a name. Sometimes just a worn teddy bear or a fading ribbon fluttering in the wind. Someone’s…
After Death Home Care – What Happens When We Stay?
Liminal space: that in-between place where a person is transitioning from life into death. It’s long past the point of encouragement that things will get better. Now it’s time for brave words: “This is what dying feels like. It’s OK. Your body knows what to do. Relax and let go.” Just like labouring to birth…
Eco-Friendly Burial Options in Canada: Why B.C. Needs More Options
In British Columbia, we have two legal options when it comes to body disposition: burial and cremation. That’s it. Burial in BC: Traditional vs. Green Burial Traditional burial is what most people picture when they think of a cemetery: caskets, flat lawns, and headstones. The grave is dug, a concrete liner (basically a big concrete…
The Cost of Convenience: Has Honouring the Dead Become Optional?
I’ll admit it, I enjoy the conveniences of technology: online shopping, self-serve checkouts and the many tools at my fingertips on my smart phone. Technology has evolved exponentially fast in a few short decades, but somewhere along the way, we’ve lost something important: our emotional connection to each other. It feels like convenience has become…
Leave Love, Not Stress: The Power of Planning Ahead
Ok, I get it – thinking about the end of your life isn’t exactly the first thing on your to-do list. But taking time to get your affairs in order now can make a world of difference for the people you care about most. You can start by organizing your finances. No need to overhaul…
Embracing Swedish Death Cleaning as an Intentional Act of Love
Have you ever opened a closet to find one item, only to feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff inside? Over a lifetime, we accumulate possessions that hold sentimental value or seem too useful to discard. Swedish Death Cleaning, or döstädning, offers a thoughtful way to declutter, simplify life, and ease the burden on…
Doing Death Different: Special Event October 27th
On October 27th, 2024 The Victoria Holistic Death Care Community is hosting our second annual Doing Death Different event! This is a community marketplace event held at the Royal Canadian Legion (411 Gorge Rd East) from 1 – 4pm. A year ago, a handful of death-caring folks, myself included, got a table at a trade…