BC Hospice Palliative Care

04/16/2026

🌿 Speaker Spotlight: Bronte Pike 🌿

Join us for Day 4 – Session 2 of BCHPCA’s 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
🎤 Session Title: Taking Hospice Care on the Road: Expanding Access and Community Impact Through Mobile Outreach

As part of our Impact Narratives: Securing Funding Through Real Hospice Outcomes theme, this session highlights an innovative approach to expanding access to hospice services in the community.

Bronte Pike from Nanaimo Community Hospice will share how a mobile outreach program, featuring a converted counselling vehicle, is bringing grief and bereavement support directly to children, youth, and families. By meeting people where they are, this model helps reduce barriers to care and responds to growing community need.

Participants will learn how partnerships with schools, community organizations, and local service providers have been key to the program’s success. The session will also explore program design, referral pathways, and lessons learned from implementing this creative and impactful model.

This session offers a powerful example of how innovation in service delivery can expand reach, improve accessibility, and strengthen the role of hospice within community-based mental health and support systems.

🔗 Learn more or register: https://bchpca.org/page-1075593

04/16/2026

🌿 Speaker Spotlight: Houston Hospice Society🌿

Join us for Day 4 Session 1 of BCHPCA’s 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Thursday, April 30, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
🎤 Session Title: From Community Vision to Hospice Home: A Rural Community’s Journey to Creating End-of-Life Care in Houston, BC

As part of our Impact Narratives: Securing Funding Through Real Hospice Outcomes theme, this session shares the inspiring story of how the Houston Hospice Society transformed a community vision into a functioning hospice home in rural northern BC.

Facing limited infrastructure and minimal funding, the community came together, through grassroots fundraising, volunteer effort, and local leadership, to create a compassionate space where individuals can remain close to home at end of life.

Presenters will explore the journey from vision to implementation, including navigating licensing processes, building sustainable funding pathways, and fostering partnerships. The session will also highlight opportunities for collaboration with Indigenous communities and the importance of culturally welcoming care environments in rural regions.

Participants will gain practical insights into how community-driven models can strengthen access to hospice care, especially in rural and remote communities, and leave with ideas to support advocacy and partnership-building in their own contexts.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Understand the process of developing a rural hospice home through community leadership
✅ Identify challenges and opportunities in funding, partnerships, and licensing
✅ Explore how grassroots efforts can strengthen access to hospice care
✅ Gain practical insights and inspiration for advocacy in your own community

🔗 Learn more or register: https://www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

04/15/2026

🌿Speaker Spotlight: Emily Gibson🌿

Join us for Day 3 of our 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
🎤 Session Title: Communicating with Care: Trauma-Informed Advocacy in Action

Emily Gibson will lead an important and reflective session on the role of trauma-informed practice in hospice advocacy and communications. While storytelling is central to raising awareness and demonstrating impact, it often involves narratives of illness, grief, and vulnerability, requiring thoughtful, ethical approaches to avoid unintended harm.

This session introduces core principles of trauma-informed practice and explores how they apply to advocacy and communications. Participants will examine how language, consent, and power influence storytelling, and identify common risks in public messaging.

Through a guided exercise, participants will compare trauma-informed and non–trauma-informed approaches, strengthening their ability to recognize key differences. A practical checklist will also be shared to help assess current communications, advocacy efforts, and organizational policies.

Participants will leave feeling more confident in reviewing and refining their practices to ensure they reflect trauma-informed principles, uphold dignity, and support respectful, ethical engagement with the communities they serve.

📌 Optional: Participants are encouraged to bring their organization’s communications or advocacy policies for reflection during the session.

To learn more and to secure your spot today, visit: www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

04/14/2026

🌿 Speaker Spotlight: Indigenous Services Canada 🌿

Join us for Day 2 Session 2 of BCHPCA’s 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
🎤 Session Title: Supporting Community Wellness in First Nations Communities: The Role of Band Social Development Workers and the ISC Assisted Living Program

This session introduces the Indigenous Services Canada Assisted Living Program and the important role of Band Social Development Workers (BSDWs) in supporting individuals, families, and Elders within First Nations communities.

Often serving as a first point of contact, BSDWs provide critical support during key life transitions, including aging, caregiving, disability, and times of loss. Through the Assisted Living Program, they help coordinate non-medical services that enable individuals to remain safely and comfortably within their communities.

Participants will gain insight into how the program operates, the types of supports available, and how BSDWs collaborate with leadership, service providers, and health partners. The session will also explore opportunities for hospice and palliative care organizations to build respectful, meaningful partnerships with First Nations communities, grounded in culturally informed, community-based care.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Understand the role of BSDWs and the Assisted Living Program
✅ Explore how non-medical supports contribute to aging in community and caregiving
✅ Identify opportunities for collaboration between hospice and First Nations partners
✅ Gain insight into culturally grounded approaches to care and support

🔗 Learn more or register: https://www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

04/14/2026

🌿 Speaker Highlight: Pablita Thomas & Daniel Ordonez Mantilla🌿

Join us for Day 2 session 1 of our 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
🎤 Session Title: Hospice Societies as Essential Infrastructure: Evidence, ROI, and System Contribution

Pablita Thomas and Daniel Ordonez Mantilla will lead a compelling, data-driven session highlighting the critical role hospice societies play across British Columbia. From grief and bereavement to caregiver and palliative supports, hospice services are foundational to both the health and mental health systems, yet often remain under-recognized in funding and policy decisions.

Introducing an evidence-informed System Value framework, this session brings together provincial data and national research to quantify hospice impact through both qualitative and quantitative measures. Participants will explore how hospice services contribute to cost avoidance, system efficiency, and stronger community well-being, including findings that estimate $141 million in annual system value and a 14:1 return on investment.

Beyond the numbers, this session will focus on practical application, equipping participants with tools to strengthen advocacy, support funding requests, and effectively communicate hospice’s essential role in their communities.

Key Takeaways:
✅ Understand the System Value framework
✅ Explore how hospice services support system sustainability through prevention and community-based care
✅ Interpret key data, including ROI and system value findings
✅ Learn how to use qualitative and quantitative data together to demonstrate impact
✅ Apply evidence to advocacy and funding conversations
✅ Strengthen proposals using outcomes and impact narratives
✅ Position hospice as essential infrastructure within health and mental health systems

To learn more and to secure your spot today, visit: www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

04/13/2026

🌿 Speaker Highlight: Carmel Tanaka 🌿

Join us for Day 1 of our 2026 Spring Lunch & Learn series:

📅 Date: Monday, April 27, 2026
⏰ Time: 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
🎤 Session Title: Equity Matters to Jewish Q***r and Trans People
Carmel Tanaka will lead an insightful and timely session exploring the unique challenges faced by Jewish Q***r and Trans (JQT) seniors in accessing inclusive and affirming healthcare. Grounded in lived experience, historical context, and statistical evidence, this workshop examines the intersecting impacts of antisemitism and queerphobia, and how these barriers continue to shape care experiences in BC today.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of what JQT seniors are experiencing, alongside practical tools and resources, including the BC Jewish Q***r & Trans Seniors Resource Guide and JQT Affirming Care Toolkit, to support more inclusive, compassionate care environments.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Identify barriers JQT seniors face in accessing healthcare
✅ Recognize challenges service providers encounter in delivering affirming care
✅ Understand the historical context of antisemitism and 2SLGBTQIA+ discrimination in BC
✅ Learn what JQT seniors are asking for from healthcare providers
✅ Apply practical strategies and resources to create inclusive, affirming care settings
To learn more and to secure your spot today, visit: www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

04/10/2026

Join us this spring for BCHPCA’s Spring Lunch & Learn Series

This year's theme is on “Voices Forward: Hospice advocacy strategies for impact, policy, funding, & Equity”, which focuses on strengthening hospice advocacy and advancing equitable, community-centered care.

📅 April 27 – May 1, 2026
⏰ 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM (PT)
💻 Virtual

Over five engaging sessions, we’ll explore:
✨ Equity Matters to Jewish Q***r and Trans People
✨ Defining Impact: Hospice Societies as Essential Infrastructure
✨ Equity in Every Process: Policy Review Through a Compassionate Lens
✨ Impact Narratives: Securing Funding Through Real Hospice Outcomes
✨ Amplifying Hospice Voices: Practical Advocacy Strategies

This series brings together leaders, advocates, and community voices to break barriers, share strategies, and strengthen the role of hospice in shaping a more inclusive and sustainable future.

🔗 To learn more and to secure your spot today, visit: www.bchpca.org/page-1075630

03/13/2026

What does BC Budget 2026 mean for hospice, palliative, and community care in our communities?

Across the province, hospice societies and community providers are navigating growing demand, fiscal pressures, and changing expectations around care closer to home. This webinar creates space to reflect on what the budget signals for the future of community based care.

Join Hospice Palliative Care Association for a one-hour sector conversation featuring a brief budget overview and perspectives from hospice leaders working on the ground in both rural and urban settings.

📅 March 25
🕘 9:30 to 10:30 AM PST
🔗 Register here: https://bchpca.org/Calendar






Hospice Society and
Valley & Area Hospice

Email from BC Hospice Palliative Care Association   BC Budget 2026: What It Means for Hospice & Palliative Care     A sector briefing and panel discussion unpacking the provincial budget and exploring

12/18/2025

As the year comes to a close, we extend our heartfelt thanks to hospice societies, partners, volunteers, and supporters across British Columbia and the Yukon.

Your dedication to compassionate care, grief support, and community connection continues to strengthen individuals, families, and communities every day. We are grateful for the leadership, resilience, and care you bring to this work.

We wish you a restful holiday season filled with peace, connection, and renewal, and we look forward to continuing this work together in the year ahead.

Please note that the BCHPCA office will be closed from December 22 - 26 and December 31 - January 2.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and a warm holiday season!

11/14/2025

Children’s Grief Awareness Day | November 20, 2025

Today we honour Children’s Grief Awareness Day, a reminder of the profound impact that loss has on children and youth, and the importance of ensuring they are not left to navigate it alone.

In just one year, more than 203,000 of Canada’s 7.5 million children under 18 will experience the death of someone in their extended family, and 1 in 14 will experience the death of a parent or sibling who lives in their home.

The death of a parent, sibling, or close family member is one of the most stressful life events a child can experience. It is vital that children receive age-appropriate grief support, space to express their feelings, and understanding from the adults around them.

Across BC and the Yukon, hospice societies provide specialized grief programs for children, youth, and families, helping them find comfort, connection, and hope after loss. You can find these supports through the BCHPCA Member Directory and organizations such as Grief & Bereavement Care Society, which focus specifically on children’s grief.

💙 Let’s continue to build a province and territory where every grieving child feels seen, supported, and understood.

Visit our Campaign page:
https://bchpca.org/sys/website/?pageId=1075589

11/11/2025

November 18 marks National Grief and Bereavement Day

Every year, grief touches millions of Canadians, yet many feel alone, misunderstood, or unsupported.
In BC and the Yukon, local hospice societies walk alongside over 85,000 people each year through grief, bereavement, and anticipatory grief support. These community led programs are free, accessible, and essential to health and mental wellness.

Let’s close Canada’s gap by making space for honest conversations about loss and ensuring every community has access to skilled grief support.

📅 National Grief and Bereavement Day | November 18, 2025


🔗 Learn more from Hospice Palliative Care Association and
Join us in closing the gap, here: https://bchpca.org/News-and-Updates/13561533

Resources at https://bchpca.org/Bereaved

11/10/2025

🌺 Honouring Remembrance Day 🌺

Today, we pause to remember and honour all who have served, and the families and communities forever changed by their sacrifice. We reflect on the courage, loss, and legacy carried forward through generations.

We especially honour the Indigenous and racialized Canadians who served and sacrificed for a country that did not always see or treat them equally. Their contributions remind us that remembrance must also include truth, reconciliation, and gratitude for those who fought, even when they were not fully recognized.

In hospice and palliative care, we understand the importance of memory, storytelling, and supporting those who grieve. Across BC and Yukon, hospices provide compassionate spaces for individuals and families to reflect, remember, and find comfort in connection and community.

As we honour the lives of those who served, we also acknowledge the ongoing experiences of grief and remembrance carried by loved ones today. Their stories continue to shape us.

🍁 Lest we forget.

Our office is closed today in observance of Remembrance Day. We will reopen on November 12.