Chilliwack Hospice Society invites community members to join in a time of remembrance and reflection at its annual Memorial Celebration on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at the Chilliwack Museum and Archives (45820 Spadina Ave.). The event begins at 6 p.m., with doors opening at 5:30 p.m.

Held on the third Tuesday of November, the date coincides with National Grief and Bereavement Day, recognized by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and organizations like Chilliwack Hospice Society. The awareness day aims to increase Canadians’ grief literacy and encourage open conversations about grief, loss and support.

The Memorial Celebration offers an opportunity for individuals and families to honour their loved ones, find comfort in community and experience the quiet strength of shared understanding. The event is open to anyone who is grieving — whether the death occurred recently or many years ago.

“Our Memorial Celebration provides a safe and meaningful space for people to come together, honour their loved ones and feel supported by others who understand what they’re going through,” said Sue Knott, Executive Director of Chilliwack Hospice Society. “Moments like this remind us that grief is a shared human experience, and no one needs to face it alone.”

This year’s program features guest speaker Cristal Biela, and a musical performance by singer-songwriter Jennifer Victor. Guests are encouraged to bring a framed photo of their loved one to display during the evening. Light refreshments will be served.

Guest speaker – Cristal Biela, M.A., RCC
Biela is a wife and mother of four adult children who lives on an off-grid homestead. She works as a community health specialist with Fraser Health in Chilliwack, focusing on enhancing resilience and reducing the impact of adverse childhood experiences for children, youth and families. She will share reflections on her personal and professional experiences with grief and how she has found comfort by intentionally weaving moments of joy into her days.

Musical guest – Jennifer Victor
Victor is a Chilliwack-based singer-songwriter who launched her YouTube channel in 2016 and has since reached more than nine million streams on Spotify. She collaborates with musicians worldwide and is passionate about mental-health awareness, using music as a source of comfort and connection.

Guests are asked to RSVP by calling (604) 795-4660. Street parking and elevator access are available. There is no smoking on the premises.

All Chilliwack Hospice Society programs and services are offered free of cost thanks to the generosity of local donors and businesses.

For more information about memorial events at Chilliwack Hospice Society, please contact Deanna Fedorkew, Community Education Manager, at (604) 795-4660 or deanna@chilliwackhospice.org.

Chilliwack Hospice Society is a community-based organization that helps individuals and families dealing with death and dying through support, education, and programs that provide wellness and healthy grieving.

Entryway to Cascade Hospice Residence where Chilliwack Hospice Society provide free bereavement and palliative care support services to patients and their families.

Facilitated by Jennifer Dacre, Manager of Bereavement and Palliative Services, group participants met two to three times weekly through the month of September for a total of 35 hours required. Through lectures, videos, group activities, panel discussions, and guest speakers, participants learned about the history of hospice palliative care, types of grief and grieving styles, compassionate communication, and boundaries, working within family dynamics, psychosocial and spiritual care, perspectives on medical assistance in dying and pain management, supporting bereaved children and youth, complementary bereavement therapies, and prioritizing self-care.

The kitchen at Cascade Hospice Residence where patients, their families, and volunteers can get a cup of coffee or a freshly baked item.

Upon completion of Basic Hospice Training and a post-interview, 12 new individuals have begun job-shadowing existing volunteers at Cascade with the hope they will become regular client and patient volunteers themselves. Hospice volunteers are specially selected and trained individuals who have the maturity and experience to be a caring listener to a terminally ill or bereaved person or family member. Hospice volunteers are compassionate observers who bring a caring heart and an understanding approach to a stressful situation. Often our volunteers can be found sitting by the bedside of someone who is dying or bringing a cup of tea to one of their family members.

One of ten guest rooms at Cascade Hospice Residence. A beautiful quilt, handmade and donated by a member of one of several quilting guilds in Chilliwack, features prominently on the bed. We are appreciative of these incredible donations which become cherished keepsakes of family members after their loved one has died.

Chilliwack Hospice Society does not own or operate the Cascade Hospice Residence. Instead, hospice volunteers complement and work alongside the palliative health care team. Outside of the family support system, our volunteers are often the only other consistent presence in a patient’s final days. Hospice palliative care aims to relieve suffering and improve a patient’s quality of living until death.

Garden fountain and covered courtyard for Cascade Hospice Residence patients and families to relax in a quiet, outdoor space.

To learn more about Basic Hospice Training and to join the waitlist for the next course, go to www.chilliwackhospice.org/education