Supporting you through life-threatening illness and grief

I suspect people think Hospice is a sad place. And that wasn’t our experience.   Barry was the love of my life. I called him Bear. He was handsome, funny, and he loved to sing. We were both part of the choir at Bridgenorth United. Bear was a partner in a way that I haven’t had a partner before. I miss him. Every day. He was a bit older than I am, so we always approached our relationship with our eyes open. Our reality? I would likely outlive him. In 2011, he got a call from his doctor. We walked to the follow-up appointment together. A mass in his kidney. Surgery needed immediately. Bear recovered. Next, it was prostate cancer, then double bypass heart surgery. And in 2013,...

After the sudden loss of her father, Yvonne found a safe place at Hospice to share her grief, and made life-long friends on the process.     Yvonne and dad Eddy They called him “RV Eddy”: a nickname earned – and well deserved – for his far-reaching expertise in all things Recreational Vehicle. “He was the best Recreational Vehicle repair person in North America , people said,” shares Yvonne Hollandy, his eldest daughter. “ It was generally accepted that if he couldn’t source the part or fix the problem, then the part simply didn’t exist or the problem was unfixable.” Edward Hollandy’s brilliance was outmatched only by his generosity – “he would do anything to help...

After a revered career in international public health, the late Connie Swinton bequeathed $10,000 to Hospice Peterborough. Remembering Connie Swinton: internationally esteemed public health nurse and recipient of the Order of Canada. The late Connie Swinton was an internationally esteemed public health nurse and recipient of the Order of Canada. She was also a great supporter of Hospice Peterborough. She volunteered in client care with Hospice for 25 years, fundraised to support the capital campaign and hosted the launch of her memoir ‘From Tofield to the Top of the World’ at our previous Hospice location. Ms. Swinton is known for her phenomenal 45-year international career...

Don shares reflections of his family's time using supports and services. The Herald Family Don (L), Jordon (top center) andMarnie (R) surround Jan. I write this on December 9th, 2022. It would have been her 78th birthday. She died at Hospice Peterborough on December 21st, 2021, just two weeks after our family, close friends and staff celebrated her 77th. We had two other celebrations. Our son’s 50th birthday and our 54th anniversary. And they were certainly parties – there’s no doubt about that! Cakes. Balloons. Banners. Music, Laughter. Sharing of stories. Hugs. Kisses. Photographs. I’m sure you get the idea. The parties were much like our family would have done if Jan had...

After losing both parents, days apart, the Lockyer family shares story of how Hospice supported their family and aims to ensure supports continue to be available to all Susan and Wayne Our parents shared a great love story – one that lasted more than half a century and ended with each of them dying of a broken heart.Many of you might know our father Wayne Lockyer – he co-owned and operated Lockyers’ Garden Centre and was a local minor hockey coach – and our mother Susan Lockyer who worked for many years at the Mapleridge Shoppers Drug Mart and was well-known for her kind soul and spectacular smile.They were happily married for 52 years...