Hospice Halifax

10/13/2026

Talking about death, dying, and grief can leave us feeling unsure of what to say or where to begin. Grief Matters is helping make these conversations a little easier with their latest project: Picturing Grief, a comic artwork exhibition.

By seeing grief visible in a different way, visitors may recognize parts of their own grief in the art. This recognition can gently make space for people to bring pieces of their story into conversations as they share their thoughts and reflections on the exhibition.

We look forward to visiting the exhibition ourselves and are proud to be an official supporter of this project!

In The Sunroom: Picturing Grief is now on display from October 11 – November 21, 2026 in The Sunroom at Central Library, Picturing Grief by Susan MacLeod and Savannah Tries.

About the Exhibit
What does grief look like to you?

We each experience grief in our own ways. It comes in many shapes and sizes. We can grieve human or animal deaths, as well as changes in health, roles, jobs, our climate, and dreams. Perhaps that is why grief is so often misunderstood. When grief is misunderstood, we can do harm to ourselves, and to other grievers.

Grief literacy is a grass-roots movement that is working to reduce the possibilities of this harm by helping community members to better understand their own and other people’s experience of grief.

Picturing Grief is an exhibition of comics and visual storytelling that presents works from Co-Cartoonists-in-Residence at Grief Matters: Susan MacLeod and Savannah Tries. By using comics to support grief literacy they aim to make grief visible - inviting conversations that normalize and broaden our experiences of grief to shape, teach and connect us all.

Grief Matters is a Canadian charitable organization that aims to improve how we understand and make room for grief, using creative, community-based activities. More information can be found at griefmatters.ca.

We would like to acknowledge Hospice Halifax, Sparrow Hair Inc., and Propeller Brewing Co for their generous support of this exhibition.

We respectfully recognize and acknowledge the relationship that the First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada have with the land and each territory.

The Sunroom is made possible by the generosity of Margot and Layne Spafford.

10/13/2026

Music has a way of reaching us when words aren’t enough. At Hospice Halifax, we see how meaningful music can be for children participating in our free grief music therapy programming.

Our belief in the difference music care can make in supporting people through grief, is one of the reasons we’re proud to sponsor Room 217 Foundation's upcoming Music Care Conference on November 9 at Dalhousie University.

At the conference, you’ll learn from experts in the field and explore the connections between music, neuroscience, grief, wellness, mental health, and recreation.

🎟️ Get your tickets online: www.musiccareconference.com
We hope to see you there!

10/09/2026

Katherine was fully herself at Hospice Halifax. She joined in on music sessions in the residence lounge, and brought plenty of jokes and laughter with her.

Over time, though, Katherine started missing the activities she loved, because she was often too cold to leave her room.

We asked her what would help her feel more comfortable. Katherine thought for a moment before answering, “George Clooney.”

Before we could ask questions, she delivered the punchline: she could start leaving her room if George Clooney was there to keep her warm. Because “he’s hot, hot, HOT!”

Our staff loves a good bit, so we got creative.

With a special delivery of a custom made blanket, Katherine was wrapped in George Clooney, laughing her way back to every music session.

The blanket was silly, personal, and perfectly Katherine.
Comfort looks different for everyone.

At Hospice Halifax, your support helps make free personalized end-of-life care like Katherine’s possible.

Give today to help create more moments of comfort that allow patients and their families to feel like themselves during a difficult time.

www.hospicehalifax.ca/leslie

And since you’re here: if you could have anything to keep you warm, what would it be?
Katherine chose George Clooney.

10/06/2026

We were gifted some sunshine yesterday during the rain! Thank you to My Mother's Bloomers for stopping by with one of their beautiful flower bouquets to help brighten the residence.

The flowers were actually so grand that they didn't fit in our usual spot for flowers at the front door! We brought them up to the Great Room where you can see they had enough space to bloom for everyone to enjoy.

10/05/2026

Each person and family at Hospice Halifax is woven into our story and blanket of care. This threading begins during their stay with us, and just like the important people and memories in your life, they remain there as part of our organization’s fabric.

At this year’s Memorial Gathering, we gifted each family member from the past year a small piece of fabric to keep and hold during our ceremony.

Kaitlin, our Social Work Manager, guided us on a journey through the labyrinth of grief, inviting everyone to follow and trace their piece of fabric.

Along the way, she spoke about the people we love and how they’re like threads that stay entwined in the fabric of our lives.

They are dynamic, layered, and continue to reappear even when they are hard to see.

We’re grateful to everyone who joined us at this year’s Memorial Gathering, and are thinking of those who wished to be there but could not make it, or those who connect in different ways.

Each year, this gathering gives us a way to honour the people whose lives we were privileged to be a part of, and remind families that they remain a part of ours.

Once woven into the community, our thread of support will always be there.

10/05/2026

Advance Care Plans help your most important people know the type of health and personal care you want, in life and in death.

Our friends at Nova Scotia Hospice Palliative Care Association are holding a free in-person workshop that will teach you ways to reflect on what matters to you, how to communicate your wishes to loved ones, and where to find resources that make paperwork easy.

Talking about the end-of-life care you want, or asking a loved one what their wishes are, is a tender conversation. We hope this workshop will be a helpful guide to know where to start together.

📣 Take Charge of Your Future — Make Your Wishes Known

Have you thought about what matters most to you if a time comes when you’re unable to make your own healthcare decisions?

Join us for a free Advance Care Planning Workshop designed to help you think about your wishes, talk with the people who matter to you, and make sure your choices are understood and respected.

📅 Wednesday, October 14
⏰ 1:00–2:30 p.m.
📍 647 Bedford Highway, Halifax

💛 Open to all community members

During the workshop, we’ll explore Advance Care Planning, how to communicate your wishes with loved ones and healthcare providers, and the tools available to help you document your preferences.

We encourage you to register in advance and reserve your spot.

👉 Register here: NSHPCA Community Events: https://nshpca.ca/community-events/

Registration at the door is also welcome.

Planning ahead isn’t only about healthcare decisions — it’s about making sure the people you love know what matters to you.

Please share this event with family, friends and anyone in your community who could benefit.

10/03/2026

The weather is turning colder but with this coat, Butterball isn’t worried at all. Plus, he’s happy to visit our residence to share the warm fuzzies inside.

Hospice was graced with Two visits from this Comfort Cat, thanks to his accommodating mom, Heather, and Therapeutic Paws of Canada

Butterball is a special guy and we’re so appreciative to have him as a cat ambassador for all the patients and families who prefer the company of a cat 🐾

09/30/2026

Grief and loss can mean many things. Today, we recognize and support the layers of grief that lift open for many people on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Its surface begins with the devastating deaths of the children who never returned home from Residential Schools, and is followed by other ongoing layers of grief: the loss of cultural traditions, knowledge, relationships, and the areas of life forever touched by trauma.

This grief is deep and deserves to be spoken aloud.

For Indigenous community members who need support, the Mental Health and Wellness resources at MNFC are here to help. Hospice Halifax also offers free community grief support services.

Additionally, below are free Indigenous-focused resources to help connect with community and receive understanding support:

Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419
Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 or chat online
Eskasoni Mental Health Services Crisis Line: 1-855-379-2099
MMIWG Support Call Line: 1-844-413-6649

For non-Indigenous Canadians, facing the truth of our history often brings discomfort.

This feeling, too, is a form of loss, as we grieve the image of Canada we were raised with. By feeling this grief and discomfort, rather than resisting it, we can begin to listen and join Indigenous peoples at the table of reconciliation.

We encourage non-Indigenous Canadians to visit the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to learn more.

09/28/2026

The part of Hospice we hear about the most isn’t even inside the building. Patients and families often tell us how comforting it is to step outside and spend a few quiet moments in the Hospice Garden, feeling the sun or a cool breeze.🌳

A heartfelt thank you to JA Snow Funeral Home by Dignity Memorial for generously donating plants and mulch, and for putting in the time and hard work to freshen up the garden and create more space for those moments.

A special thank you to Mike for the incredible care he put into the garden, and to his sweet dog, Pudding, who had the very important job of keeping the residence company while he worked.

It looks absolutely beautiful. Thank you!

09/16/2026

We made an interesting phone call, hoping to bring a little joy to one of our patient’s days.

While caring for him, our team learned how much he loved historic and vintage cars. So we reached out to Steele Wheels Museum to ask how we could drive that passion right to our door.

The first beautiful vintage car surprised him. The rest of us were surprised too when three more arrived!

Thanks to Steele Auto Groupand Steele Wheels, our parking lot became a little pop-up museum. The patient got to take a close look and even sit inside models he had never seen in person before.

Two other patients and their families also came outside to enjoy the visit.

Thank you to Steele Wheels and Steele Auto Group for sharing a piece of what someone loves. Our interests and passions matter at every stage of our lives.