The Weight Lifted – A moment just to be daughters again
A room had opened at Hospice Halifax. And for the first time in months, we exhaled.
Finding the Right Words
Do you ever struggle to find the words for how you feel? I do. Especially when it comes to trying to tell you just how grateful I am that my dear wife, Shirley Joan Bagnell, spent her last weeks at Hospice Halifax.
In Memory of Pushpa Singh
In my home, family is always there for you. When my Mom’s health declined, my Dad and my sister supported her home care, alongside visits from healthcare providers.
In Memory of Rob Keith
Sometimes, I miss Hospice Halifax. My daughter Avery, who is nine years old, asks me if it’s normal for her to feel the same way.
Welcoming a New Chapter Together
On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to continue this mission with you and introduce Rachel Boehm as the next Executive Director of Hospice Halifax, effective May 21, 2024.
What does 31 days mean to you?
To me, it’s the number of days I spent at Hospice Halifax with my husband, Norm. 31 days of being just his wife, not his caregiver. 31 days of feeling like family. 31 days of truly living until Norm died. Norm was diagnosed with colorectal cancer on New Year’s Eve of 2020. He was a […]
Light Up a Life: In memory of Robyn McLaughlin
In memory of Robyn McLaughlin1978 – 2000Shared by her sister, Dawn McLaughlin My sister, Robyn, was a smarta**… There was this legendary eyebrow incident back in high school before Prom, where she and her friend decided to give each other a makeover. Robyn volunteered to be the guinea pig for eyebrow plucking. Picture this: she […]
Nora’s Story (Melanie)
This story was written by Melanie Kerr: When I heard Pat was going to be sharing her experience at Hospice Halifax with you, I knew I had to do the same. Ever since my mommy, Nora, died at Hospice Halifax I have been meaning to praise and share my gratitude for our experience. My mommy […]
Nora’s Story (Pat)
This story was written by Pat Dingle: Home — a word we all know and use, but one that holds a different meaning to each of us. It often brings a sense of comfort or a place of warmth. For Nora and I, home was where the two of us were together. We spent our […]
What is grief to you? Where does it live?
Often times we (as a society) think of grief as a way of thinking, or something that affects our behaviour. But, have you stopped to think about the physical ways in which grief can surface? Grief can cause our bodies to enter the process of stress or physical pain, all beginning at the nervous system. […]
Hike for Hospice 8 Fundraising Tips and Tricks
To maximize your fundraising efforts, we’ve gathered some valuable tips and tricks that will help you go the extra mile. By implementing these strategies, you’ll inspire others and surpass your fundraising goals, ensuring a meaningful contribution to this worthy cause. 1. Be a Trend Setter: Lead the Way with Your Donation Be the catalyst for […]
Cheers to Shirley
Our mom has been here for a few weeks now, but we still remember the moment we got the phone call that a bed was open for her – we were happy, glad, and relieved. We never thought we’d say we were happy that Mom was going to hospice, but we knew that at Hospice […]
Volunteer Week at Hospice Halifax
Volunteer Appreciation Week is an annual week-long celebration in Canada and internationally that recognizes the important contributions that volunteers make to our communities. At Hospice Halifax, we are fortunate to have an amazing team of dedicated volunteers who play a vital role in our mission to provide compassionate end-of-life care and support to patients and […]
Q&A with The Compassionate Closet
At Hospice Halifax, we’re committed to supporting patients and their families during at end of life. One way we do this is through our social enterprise, The Compassionate Closet. The Compassionate Closet is a unique thrift store that not only provides affordable clothing and household items but also supports the work of Hospice Halifax. We asked […]
SNEAK PEEK: Feeling the Love 2023
At Hospice Halifax we are passionate about bringing comfort and joy to our community. That’s why we are so excited to announce our signature event, Feeling the Love is back. At Feeling the Love, there will be something for everyone. We will have a variety of activities, including music performances, silent auctions, games and more. […]
What We Are Reading, Listening to and Watching
What we are Reading, Watching and Listening to We believe knowledge strengthens our community. Education and awareness about end of life care options can help give patients, families, volunteers, community members, and donors peace of mind surrounding death. Each quarter of 2023 various members of our team will be sharing any grief related content they […]
Canadian Love Map Podcast
This week our team was featured on the Canadian Love Map podcast. Canadian Love Map is a podcast that shares the untold stories of discovery, loss, curiosity and love. It is hosted by Nancy Regan. On this weeks episode they discuss how Hospice Halifax’s approach to palliative or end-of-life care encompasses not just the physical, […]
Hospice Year in Review
A year at a glance at Hospice Halifax
Light Up a Life featured in CBC News
Our first annual Light Up a Life event was featured on CBC news. Hospice’s Jeffrey Chant, CEO, and Mackenzie Moye, Fund Development Manager were asked to share their thoughts on the event and its impact on the community. “I hope people walk away feeling like they were able to sort of acknowledge, as a community, the life of somebody that […]
CBC News Features Oscar the Cat
CBC Nova Scotia recently featured our local celebrity Oscar the Cat “Oscar the cat keeps coming back to comfort patients at a Halifax hospice.” Read the Full Article
T’s Jokes
Care at Hospice Halifax is more than just clinical end-of-life care. It is also creating meaningful moments for patients and families to enjoy every last day. One patient this month, we will call him T, was always in such a great mood. They passed the time by completing puzzles and telling jokes. T told so […]
Early Blooms
Thank you for another month of giving and enabling compassionate end-of-life care in your community! As we enter May, we’re looking forward to spring and all the sunshine, warmth, and outdoor activities that come with it, including more opportunities to engage with you! Spring and sunshine have been the overarching theme for patients, visitors, and […]
A Visit From Our NEIGHbour
This month we saw the liveliness the spring air brought to our residence and celebrated with a special visit from one of our neighbours from the Halifax Lancers. Ben and an enthusiastic group from the local Halifax Lancers stopped by to visit an old friend who was staying at hospice and spread his joy with […]
D’s Pop-Up Cinema
Several months ago, the staff at Hospice Halifax went all-in on planning an incredible ‘night at the cinema’ in our Centre for Training and Education (CTE) on the top floor of our residence. We filled the room with Candy, popcorn, cozy seats, big projection screen – the works! We even joked about spilling some pop […]
What to Do When Grief Overshadows Holiday Cheer
Happiness, togetherness, celebration – these are words often associated with this time of year, when many holidays are celebrated around the world. We see and hear this on our television screens, phones and radios, reminding us that this is a time of year for cheer.
Your Will Can Make a Difference
Hospice Halifax has partnered with Will Power, a national movement to educate Canadians on the power they have to make a difference through their Wills. Can I Really Make a Difference with My Will? Common Myths that Get in the Way of Your Will Power: In short, yes. By leaving a gift to Hospice Halifax in your […]
A Note from Gordon
I am writing to let you know that I will retire as CEO of Hospice Halifax in November 2021. My time as CEO has been exciting and rewarding, and I am so proud to have played a role in building, opening and running the province’s first hospice. The timing is right for both me and […]
Deborah Coleman reflects on her family’s experience at Hospice Halifax
One year ago on April 17th we had our grand opening. Today marks the one year anniversary of the first patient we admitted to Hospice Halifax. Since that day, we have welcomed 127 patients and their families, from ages 26 to 99. The average length of stay for patients has been 21 days. We have […]
Feeling the Love – Sneak Peek 2020
Our Feeling the Love event is quickly approaching! We have received some amazing support from our community, and we are pleased to provide a sneak peek a some of the amazing packages at this year’s Silent Auction…but don’t tell anyone…
$1-Million Gift from J & W Murphy Foundation
On behalf of our staff, board members, volunteers, donor partners, and future hospice patients and families, I express sincere gratitude to the Murphy family, and the J & W Murphy Foundation, for their generous contribution of $1-million to Hospice Halifax. Their gift will cover the costs of the hospice residence’s architectural design, which focuses on […]
Audrey Parker: Honouring a Lifetime
Welcome. Please see below a penned letter from Audrey Parker to Hospice Halifax and her full obituary, published in The Chronicle Herald on November 2, 2018. A penned letter from Audrey Parker: Why is it that we believe that our first breath is so much more important than our last? I think society has it […]
Hospice Houses Reveal Their Past
Hospice Halifax’s one-on-one interview with Dr. Margaret Casey, also the focus of CBC Nova Scotia’s article published on August 22, 2017: Almost century-old Christmas cards found in Halifax Hospice house. During July’s soft demo of the two buildings on Francklyn Street, we made the exciting discovery of some Christmas cards, a few calling cards, and a small […]
Hospice Halifax Shares Updated Plans
Board members, staff and volunteers of Hospice Halifax shared updated draft design concepts for Halifax’s first hospice being created to provide end-of-life care and family support.
A Special Thanks
We’re extending a special thanks to the Rotary Clubs of Metro Halifax, QEII Palliative Care, and the QEII Foundation for their amazing pledged support of combined matching donations of $300,000 over three years!
