Walk of Memories to honour experiences of loss

Over the past few years, a huge, collective grief has been experienced by our communities with the pandemic, toxic drug crisis, and more recently, the wildfires in B.C. Many of us have been shaken by feelings of a lack of safety and security, and some have experienced sudden losses. During the pandemic, we were unable to gather and hold funerals or memorial services for our lost loved ones; we couldn't receive the much-needed emotional support that comes from being together in times of loss.

Bringing the subject of grief into the public is helpful for people to process these heavy and often helpless feelings. Being able to gather to share memories and gain information about grief is powerful for healing and moving forward in life.

But grief is not only experienced following a death; we grieve losses of many kinds. The uncertainly during the recent wildfires has added layers of grief, as individuals and collectively as communities. Homes have been lost, lives have been disrupted, and most of us in the Interior region of B.C. have experienced anxiety and stress combined with grief.

Rev. Corinne Crockett, assistant minister at the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, is one of the original founders of the Walk of Memories event happening in Kelowna on Sept. 24. A former IH nurse, adjunct professor at UBCO, and member of the KGH Spiritual Care team, Rev. Corinne has a deep passion for supporting people on their grief journey.

Everyone who has experienced loss is invited to participate in the Walk of Memories held at Waterfront Park in Kelowna on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. This is an interactive and ceremonial 1 km walk with four stations for participants to stop and reflect on the life of their loved one, or other losses they may have experienced. The event concludes with refreshments, music, inspirational speakers and a closing ceremony. The event is free and wheelchair accessible. Volunteers will be available as walking partners.

View the event poster

The idea for this project came about in 2011, and the first Walk of Memories was held in Kelowna on May 27, 2012.

It was created when a newly formed Spiritual Advisory Team met under the leadership of the KGH spiritual director, Becky Vink. At that time, membership included Hospice House Hospice Association, Cottonwoods Care Centre, and spiritual leaders from the Kelowna community. Interior Health, BC Cancer Agency, and the Central Okanagan Hospice Association (COHA) and IH Palliative Care Program were the sponsors. Invitations were extended to people who had lost a loved one in KGH, Hospice House or Cottonwoods facilities in the year before (this is no longer done due to changes in confidentiality protocols).

Rev. Corinne Crockett, assistant minister at the Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna, had been offering the monthly Celebration of Lives at Hospice House for many years, and recognized the need for information about grief and the supports available.

“Because grief is not just an emotion of sadness and it affects every level of our being, people often feel confused, alone and not knowing what is happening to them when they’re grieving.” says Rev. Corinne. “In sharing this information, people expressed gratitude for gaining a better understanding of some of the lesser-known ways grief presents following the experience of a loss.”

The need to increase people’s knowledge about grief and offer support was identified by the Spiritual Advisory Team. “We sat and visioned in the old chapel at KGH, and the concept of the Walk of Memories was born, and remains the same today,” says Rev. Corinne.  

The Walk of Memories was hosted in 2012 and 2013. It went on hiatus when Becky left in 2014, and resumed in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019 under the leadership of Derek Koch. The intention was to offer it again in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic. The return of the event was planned for September 2023.

This year's Walk of Memories is sponsored by Interior Health, the KGH Foundation, Springfield Funeral Home, Centre for Spiritual Living Kelowna and McDonalds. For more information, please contact KGH Spiritual Care at 250-862-4114.

• Walk of Memories poster
• Palliative & End of Life Care (interiorhealth.ca)
• After a Death: Get Support When Someone Dies (gov.bc.ca)
• Coping with Grief (HealthLinkBC)