Hill & Robinson Funeral Home & Cremation Centre

09/26/2025

09/25/2025

View Chuck Rowe's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

09/22/2025

Grief: Navigating the First Year

I wish I could tell you that after a year of grieving you will be free from the emotional pain of your loss. What I can tell you is that grief has its own timeline based on the relationship you had with the deceased, how that person died, and how you navigate the emotions that surface. Generally, most grievers feel a natural softening of their emotional pain as the days turn into weeks and then months and lead into years.

Though grief is a universal experience, it is also an individual journey, so learning to adjust to your own path is important as you process your loss. Set your own pace and do not get caught up in the timelines of others.

The early days of grief are often met with the griever trying to understand their new reality that no longer includes the physical presence of their beloved. As they mourn, they try to make sense of this shift in their life. Sometimes the griever will refuse to acknowledge the death at some level, and numb their emotions.

It is important to remember that the brain takes time to adjust and will naturally shift to a state of knowing. The brain and the body yearn for the deceased and will often bargain for this loss not to be true. The weight of living a life without the deceased forever seems unimaginable. This knowing brings with it emotions like anger, fear and anxiety.

Eventually, there is a natural shift in emotions as the brain and body come to accept a new permanent reality without a loved one. Often the griever experiences sadness, guilt, and depression. This is followed by acceptance of a new reality and a signalling to the brain and body of the permanence of the death of their beloved, allowing the rebuilding process to begin.

While most grievers generally experience the above journey in the first year of grief, this process is by no means linear; some emotions will resurface and at times they may be quite intense. The timeline of adjustment is complicated and filled with change, transitions, acceptance, and navigating the emotional pain associated with loss. Sometimes the griever will feel they are moving forward, other times they will experience setbacks.

There are many firsts the griever will experience. There is the deceased’s birthday, anniversaries and the one year mark of the loved one’s death. These are times when the absence the deceased is deeply felt. For most people, their life plan and the trajectory of how it will unfold includes hopes and dreams for a future that included the deceased. Grief forces those who grieve to make significant changes to their life expectations.

Over time the griever will begin to rebuild a life where they start to make new memories with those who are living, and the deceased is honoured through stories and reflections from the past. And as they learn to adjust to their loss and absence, their emotional pain eases.

Finding a support system that includes peers who have also experienced a similar loss can be helpful in navigating the first year of grieving. Also, spending time and sharing memories with loved ones can be vital to this adjustment. If this type of support is not available, an experienced grief counsellor can provide education and coaching to help process the experiences of the first year.

Margaret Lorrie Beaton, MA, C. Hyp
Bereavement Counsellor

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

09/18/2025

View James Anderson's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

09/17/2025

Paying Respects “In Person”

The live streaming of funeral services increased significantly during the pandemic, allowing more people to attend these services virtually at a time when protocols that limited the sizes of gatherings were in place. At our funeral home, we continue to offer live streaming to provide on-line access to those who are unable to attend in person.

With the relaxing of masking and social distancing protocols, as a society, we once again are interacting with one another in person. Movies theatres, bingo halls and large audience events are once again open, with attendees sharing experiences, shoulder to shoulder.

The importance of attending a funeral service in person cannot be understated, as the mourning family is experiencing a significant loss, their beloved. If a service is being held locally and you are able to attend “in person” your support is sure to be noticed and appreciated.

These are times when a hug to comfort or direct eye-to-eye contact is ever so important.

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

09/11/2025

The good times and the sad times

09/07/2025

Happy Grandparent’s Day!

The special bonds that grandparents and their grandchildren share are heartwarming. Grandmothers know how to make that favourite dessert and let you lick the spoon if you are good. Grandfathers can tell a bedtime story better than anyone else and know so much about the old days.

Most of the time they aren’t much for rules… it’s about having fun and enjoying each another’s company. Today we celebrate these wonderful people in our families. Your patience, wisdom and love are a blessing.

To grandparents who are no longer with us, our memories of you are always filled with love.

09/03/2025

Preplanning
Tips for Better Choices

When prearranging a funeral, good decision-making practices include a number of actions that will lead to a better decision.

1. Write down your wish list. What does the funeral service need to include so that it becomes a personal reflection of who you are?
2. Consult with family members. Seek input from those you are close to. What will make the service meaningful to them?
3. Talk with a funeral director. They will provide insights on what is feasible and what works well.
4. Make comparisons and then decisions if possible, so that these can be recorded and acted on in the future.
5. Consider prefunding your funeral. This will provide cost savings over time.

If you have questions on funeral planning, please contact us. We’re here to help.

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

09/02/2025

View Stephen Boyce's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

08/25/2025

Who Am I and Where Did I Come From?

It’s fun to discover who is in your family tree, and what influence they may have had on your life. In the past, historians would search for documents as obscure as old ship manifests in efforts to trace family roots. That is still done today, but with the internet, finding out about one’s family history is now easier than ever.

Those interested in exploring their past often turn to popular websites such as Ancestry.ca or familysearch.org. Family members are also consulted and clues are shared about distant relatives. Sometimes a professional genealogist is hired. Genealogy truly can become an exercise in solving the mystery of one’s origins.

Genealogy is important because while people don’t live forever, their stories and their legacies can. Whether it’s a hobby for the researcher, or there’s a specific purpose, learning about one’s roots keeps the memory of those that have passed on, alive… and it helps us to discover where we came from. Why not search out your family tree and present your findings at the next family reunion? This is sure to peak the curiosities of your relatives and perhaps some great stories will emerge.

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

08/20/2025

For Music Lovers who Choose Cremation

UK business, ‘And Vinyly’ has created another option for those who have made the decision to cremate. With their process, a small amount of cremated remains are sprinkled onto a raw piece of vinyl before it is pressed by the plates. The music content of the album can range from standard music hits to specially-composed tracks or even an audio file of the deceased person’s voice.

Given the cremated remains are on the disc as it pressed, some grooves will not be 100% free from dust when pressing, resulting in some crackles and pops, much in the same way an old overplayed album often contains static noises. Audiophiles will appreciate these sounds which have a vintage type feel.

Given this is extremely customized work which utilizes a vinyl press, the process is not cheap. Pricing ranges from 1-3,000 British Pounds, depending on the option chosen. With this form of disposition the metaphor, “Swan Song” seems quite fitting.

For further information, please click this link:

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

And Vinyly will press your ashes or those of a loved one into a vinyl record and create an audio visual memorial your family will cherish for generations.