Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

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Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

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Lumara is a charitable organization that helps children, youth, adults & families cope with serious illness, grief, and bereavement. "Home of Camp Kerry"

We bring light to grief and sorrow, nurturing healing and hope within the strength of community.

10/30/2026

There is still space in our upcoming Writing Our Grief Adult Support Group, beginning Monday, November 2.

Writing can offer a way to reflect on loss, remember the people we love, and give space to thoughts and feelings that may not always be easy to share. In this six-week online group, participants are invited to respond to writing prompts, honour the people who have died, and connect with others who understand.

Mondays, November 2 to December 7, 2026
5:30–7:00 PM in BC / 7:30–9:00 PM in Ontario
Online | 6 weeks | $124

A note about the time: our BC start time remains 5:30 PM. Because BC does not observe the seasonal time change, participants in Ontario will join at 7:30 PM for this series.

If this feels like a group that might support you, we warmly invite you to join us.

For more information and to register:
https://lumarasociety.org/program/writing-our-grief-online-adult-grief-support-group/

10/29/2026

PLEASE SHARE this 19+ Fundraiser for Camp Kerry Ontario!

To learn more about how we support grieving families, go to https://lumarasociety.org/program/camp-kerry/

For more information about this event, email [email protected].

SEE YOU NOVEMBER 13 2026.

10/29/2026

Grief often begins before a loss occurs. When a parent, grandparent, or significant person is facing serious illness, children and youth may experience profound changes that are not always recognized as grief.

Join Laura Jin, Certified Child Life Specialist at Kemp Care Network Dr. Bob Kemp Hospice, for The Grief Before The Loss: The Importance of Supporting Children of Adult Palliative Patients.

Drawing on her clinical experience supporting children and families through anticipatory grief and bereavement, Laura will explore how children respond to the serious illness of a loved one and how grief may appear through emotions, behaviours, and changes that are often misunderstood.

Participants will gain practical strategies to recognize anticipatory grief, better understand children’s experiences across developmental stages, and provide meaningful support to children and families navigating the uncertainty of illness and loss.

✨ Tickets are on sale now! Join us for this important professional development opportunity. Can’t attend live? Conference recordings are available until February 2027, so you can continue learning on your own schedule.

Thank you to our leadership partners
Hospice Simcoe Seasons Centre IWK Health Canuck Place Children's Hospice Lighthouse for Grieving Children and Families Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society Philip Aziz Centre / Emily's House

10/19/2026

2 Registration is now open for Writing Our Grief.

Writing can be a meaningful companion in grief, offering space for reflection and expression. This online adult support group offers a welcoming space to slow down, reflect, and connect. Whether you write often or have never thought of yourself as a writer, you are welcome here.

Mondays, Nov 2 to Dec 7, 2026
5:30 to 7:00 PM PST / 8:30 to 10:00 PM EST

For more information and to register:
https://lumarasociety.org/program/writing-our-grief-online-adult-grief-support-group/

10/13/2026

Even the youngest of children experience grief. When a baby dies, older siblings may carry a profound connection, love, and loss that deserves to be recognized and supported.

Join Natasha Zacher, Registered Clinical Counsellor and Certified Expressive Arts Therapist, Counsellor at Canuck Place Children's Hospice, for Big Siblings, Little Grievers: Reflections on Grief Support for Very Young Children and Their Families.

Drawing on her experience supporting families of children with serious and life-limiting illnesses, Natasha will explore the unique grief experiences of young children who lose a baby sibling. Participants will gain insight into how young children understand and express grief, ways to thoughtfully include siblings in end-of-life and grief rituals, and strategies to support families as they navigate life after loss.

✨ Deepen your understanding of early childhood grief and discover compassionate approaches to supporting young children and their families through bereavement. Tickets are on sale now! Join us for this meaningful professional development opportunity. Can’t attend live? Session recordings are available until February 2027, so you can continue learning on your own schedule.

Thank you to our leadership partners Canuck Place Children's Hospice Lighthouse for Grieving Children and Families Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society IWK Health Philip Aziz Centre / Emily's House Hospice Simcoe Seasons Centre

10/07/2026

💙 When a grieving child withdraws, becomes oppositional, or struggles to regulate their emotions, what might be happening beneath the behaviour?

Join Corrie Sirota at our 6th annual Canadian Children's Grief Symposium as she leads “What Lies Beneath: Understanding the Basic Needs of Bereaved Children,” an interactive session exploring what children’s behaviour may be communicating when they are experiencing grief and loss.

With a strength-based and compassionate approach, this session will explore how grief can show up in children’s behaviour—including both internalizing and externalizing responses—and how we can respond in ways that support rather than simply manage the behaviour.

Drawing on her extensive experience as a psychotherapist, educator, author, and Clinical Director of Myra's Kids Foundation, Corrie will share practical strategies that can be applied in clinical and caregiving settings.

Through hands-on activities and discussion, participants will build skills to better understand the “why” behind behaviour, identify the underlying needs of bereaved children, and discover ways to create greater emotional safety and support.

Thank you to our leadership partners IWK Health Philip Aziz Centre / Emily's House Lighthouse for Grieving Children and Families Canuck Place Children's Hospice Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

10/06/2026

As families and volunteers return home from Camp Kerry Ontario, we’re holding close one of the messages we sang together throughout camp: you don’t have to carry this alone.
For four days, children, youth, adults, volunteers, and facilitators came together in community to share stories, remember the people they love, make music, create, laugh, cry, and spend time with others who understand something of what grief can hold.
Camp Kerry is possible because of an extraordinary community of people who give their time, care, generosity, and presence. From those who travelled to be with us in person to those who supported the retreat from afar, each of you helped create a place of connection and belonging for grieving families.
To our families, volunteers, facilitators, donors, and supporters: thank you for being part of Camp Kerry Ontario and for reminding one another, again and again, that grief does not have to be carried alone.
If you would like to help us continue this important work and make programs like Camp Kerry possible for more families, we would be deeply grateful for your support.
Donate here: https://lumarasociety.org/donate/

10/04/2026

Registration is now open for Lumara’s fall Minecraft Groups.

Lumaria is Lumara’s dedicated Minecraft world, created to give grieving children and youth a familiar and engaging place to connect with others who understand. Through building, exploring, and playing together, participants can share time in community while making room for grief in ways that feel natural to them.

Ages 7–11
Saturdays, October 17 and December 12, 2026
9:30–11:30 AM PST / 12:30–2:30 PM EST
Ages 12–15
Saturday, November 28, 2026
9:30–11:30 AM PST / 12:30–2:30 PM EST

For more information and to register:
https://lumarasociety.org/program/minecraft-virtual-support-group-for-grieving-kids/

10/03/2026

Registration is now open for our Adult Grief Support Group.

This six-week online group offers adults who are grieving a place to connect with others, share experiences of loss in a supportive environment, honour the people they love, and learn strategies that can assist them in coping as they grieve.

Tuesdays, October 13 to November 17, 2026
5:30 to 7:00 PM PST / 8:30 to 10:00 PM EST
Online via Zoom

For more information and to register:
https://lumarasociety.org/program/connections-online-adult-grief-support-group/

10/02/2026

When a child’s world is shaken by loss, change, or uncertainty, how can we help them find steady ground? Join Alanna Knobben, international speaker, author, grief educator, and Founder of Carry You With Me, for When the Snow Globe Shakes: Finding Steady Ground in Children’s Grief.

Through the Snow Globe framework, Alanna will share a practical, strengths-based approach to understanding children’s grief and supporting emotional regulation, connection, and resilience. Participants will explore how this accessible tool can help families, schools, and communities build shared language around grief and respond to children with compassion and confidence.

✨ Expand your grief support toolkit with practical strategies you can apply across care, education, and community settings. Tickets are on sale now! Join us for this valuable professional development opportunity.

Thank you to our leadership partners
Philip Aziz Centre / Emily's House IWK Health Canuck Place Children's Hospice Hospice Simcoe Seasons Centre Lighthouse for Grieving Children and Families Lumara Grief & Bereavement Care Society

Address

322-198 Island Highway East
Parksville, BC
V9P2G8

Telephone

+18669586272

Website

http://www.lumarasociety.org/

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