Vancouver Community Deathcare Project

Advance Care Planning Workshop in Cantonese/Mandarin
2024-10-07 10:00 - 12:00 (America/Vancouver) | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
7 Oct, Monday | 10月7日，周一
10:00 am – 12:00 pm | 上午10点至中午12点
Theatre @ Carnegie CC Main Floor | 卡拿基社区中心一楼剧场
请来了解如何预先安排您的医护计划，特别当您无法和别人沟通或自己做决定时。这个计划将确保您的愿望受到尊重也能在困难时期减轻您家人的决策负担。需报名，请连联络林小姐 604-307-7920

Advance Care Planning Workshop
2024-09-26 14:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
26 Sept, Thursday
2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Theatre @ Carnegie CC Main Floor
Advance Care Planning involves making decisions about your future medical care and preferences should you become unable to communicate. Learn about the process, how it can ease the decision-making burden on your family during difficult times and ensure your wishes are honoured.
Register in-person at the Carnegie Library or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0 from 5 Sept. Please provide your name and contact info so we can remind you.

Community Grief Sharing
2024-09-25 17:30 - 19:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Last Wednesday of the Month
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm (Door closes at 6 pm during the sharing session, kindly arrive at 5:30)
Learning Centre @ Carnegie CC 3rd Floor
Drop-ins are welcome!
Let’s create a safe and supportive space dedicated to healing, understanding and shared experience. Let your story be heard, listen with an open heart and find solace in the knowledge that you are not alone. Together, we will stand united in our collective experience of grief and loss.

Compassionate Community Choir
2024-09-16 13:30 - 16:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
First & Third Mondays of the Month
1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Classroom II @ Carnegie CC 3rd Floor
Dedicated to supporting those navigating the journey of grief and loss. Whether you are seeking a moment of peace, a connection with others who understand your journey, or simply a place to express your feelings, you are warmly invited to join us. Drop-ins are welcome!

Gentle Restorative Evening
2024-09-12 16:00 - 18:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Starting September 12th (Every Second Thursday of the Month)
4:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Theatre @ Carnegie CC Main Floor
Join us for an evening of tranquility. Let the soothing harmonies of a sound bath and the restorative practice of yoga guide you to a deep relaxation where you can release the heavy feelings in your heart. Drop-ins

Community Grief Workshop
2024-09-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
4 Sept, Wednesday
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Learning Centre @ Carnegie CC 3rd Floor
Designed to provide valuable insights into what grief is and how it can manifest in our lives. Join us as we explore the nuances of grief and learn how to offer meaningful care and understanding during times of loss to one another in the community. DTES support workers are welcome to join!
Register in-person at the Carnegie Library or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0 from 14 Aug. Please provide your name and contact info so we can remind you.

Death Conversation Game
2024-08-29 14:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
29 Aug, Thursday
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Theatre @ Carnegie CC Main Floor
This game provides a safe and supportive environment to facilitate open and meaningful discussions about death. Through thought-provoking questions and scenarios, join us in breaking down barriers and deepening our own understanding of life’s most profound experience.
Register in-person at the Carnegie Library or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0 from 14 Aug. Please provide your name and a contact info so that we can give you a reminder.

Death and Reflection Film Series
2024-08-24 14:00 - 17:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
24 Aug, Saturday
Bimonthly on Every Fourth Saturday
Starting at 2:00 pm
Death and Reflection Film Series
Theatre @ Carnegie CC Main Floor
Through a collection of thoughtfully curated films by the VPL, let’s embark on a cinematic journey to examine not only the end of life but also celebrates its lasting impact and meaning. Drop-ins are welcome!

Compassionate Community Choir
2024-08-19 13:30 - 16:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Starting from 19 Aug First & Third Monday of the Month 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm Classroom II @ Carnegie CC 3rd Floor Dedicated to supporting those navigating the journey of grief and loss. Whether you are seeking a moment of peace, a connection with others who understand your journey, or simply a place to express your feelings, you are warmly invited to join us. Drop-ins are welcome!

Day of the Dead Celebration
2022-11-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
“Day of the dead, a celebration of memory and a ritual that privileges remembrance over oblivion.”
The Day of the Dead is one of the most deeply rooted Latin traditions. And it is spreading to more and more countries around the world due to the great curiosity and interest it generates. Moreover, this tradition was considered as Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2003.
This year we invite you to enjoy this celebration with us at the Carnegie Theatre. Where we have prepared for you on November 2nd, artistic events, traditional music, in addition to tasting our bread of the dead, tamales and hot chocolate. We will also have our traditional Day of the Dead altar (ofrenda).
We look forward to seeing you all and wish you a happy Day of the Dead.
This activity is open to the general public on Wednesday November 2, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
No registration required.

Day of the Dead Decorations Workshop
2022-10-27 13:00 - 15:00, 2022-10-20 13:00 - 15:00, 2022-10-13 13:00 - 15:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
“One time a year, our departed come back to celebrate with us”
With the approaching celebration of the Day of the Dead, the Carnegie community promote their creativity and imagination with the elaboration of different decorations alluding to this tradition through craft workshops.
These great activities will be carried out continuously until November 2. As part of the teaching, participants from the Carnegie community, supported by instructors, will design and make decorations with paper materials, which they will personalize with colors and figures allusive to this beautiful celebration of the Day of the Dead.
These decorations will be used to decorate five altars located in Watari, Oppenheimer Park, Vandu, Listening Post and Carnegie.
This activity is open to the general public on Thursdays October 13, 20 and 27 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Community Center.
No registration required.

Film Screening of Death Makes Life Possible
2022-09-24 15:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Death Makes Life Possible follows cultural anthropologist and scientist Marilyn Schlitz, Ph.D., as she explores the mysteries of life and death from a variety of perspectives and world traditions. Sparked by her own near death experience as a teenager, Schlitz has been delving into the nature of consciousness and death for the past three decades.

Death Conversation Game with Angela Fama
2022-09-22 17:00 - 19:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Using the Death Conversation Game, creator/artist Angela Fama will be hosting an interactive collaborative conversation on death which you are invited to join! The subject’s discussed will be defined through our shared conversation, inspired by questions presented through game (and how you chose to interpret the questions). This isn’t a standardized game, where there’s a winner or loser, this is instead a co-created space for exploring ideas, sharing, and listening – as it is, in the moment.

Film Screening: Documentary Short Films
2022-07-30 15:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Join in watching four short documentaries about life and death! The first, Boo Hoo, is about a cemetery owner with stories to tell. The second, Home Cooked Music, tells the story of a man whose near-death experience prompted him to follow his passion of inventing instruments. The third, Why Me, is a humorous cartoon about someone coming to terms with a terminal diagnosis. Lastly, Death for a Unicorn is a short about a child’s ghostly encounter.

This is Assisted Dying: Author reading by Dr. Stefanie Green & Q+A
2022-07-28 18:00 - 19:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Dr. Stefanie Green’s memoir, This Is Assisted Dying will change the way people think about their choices at the end of life, an important topic as our population confronts issues of wellness, integrity, agency and community, and how to live a connected, meaningful life. Dr. Green aims to show readers that assisted dying is less about death than about how we wish to live.
Drop-in. No registration required.

Film Screening: From Harling Point
2022-06-25 15:00 - 16:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Film Description:
This documentary tells the story of a Chinese cemetery in BC that became a National Heritage site. For Chinese pioneers who died in Canada, Victoria’s Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point was a temporary resting place until their bones could be returned home. This film traces the rich history of the Vancouver Island cemetery from controversy and neglect to its revival as a historic site.
Drop-in. No registration required.

Eulogy Writing: Memory is a Living Being
2022-06-23 15:00 - 17:15 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Speaker: Hari Alluri
Program Description:
For those of us who have lost someone, the eulogy can be a way to reconnect. In this workshop, we will gather language, tune into our own memories and understanding, and make offerings with our words, either writing a eulogy for those we carry with us or drafting our own as a gift to our loved ones.
Venue: The Learning Centre @ Carnegie Community Centre
To register for Community Death Care Project events, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0. Priority will be given to DTES community members.

Out Trip - Koru Cremation | Burials | Ceremony
2022-06-16 14:00 - 15:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Presenters: Emily Bootle & Ngaio Davis
KORU is a locally, women-owned and operated, grass-roots funeral business centered on the value of environmental sustainability. They provide simple and tailored cremation, burial and ceremony services. In life, many of us are concerned with our impact on the environment and the meaningfulness of our connection – so too can we be at death.
To register for Community Death Care Project events, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0. Priority will be given to DTES community members.

GRIEFWAVE
2022-05-26 18:00 - 19:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
GRIEFWAVE is an elegiac response to the life and death of Nikki Reimer’s brother, Chris Reimer (1986-2012), a Calgary-based indie musician. It is also a meditation on the oscillating nature of loss and grief, and the ways in which mourning changes when it takes place in public, digital spheres.
NIKKI REIMER (she/they) is a multimedia artist and writer, and chronically ill neurodivergent prairie settler currently living in Calgary / Mohkinstsis. She has been involved with art and writing communities, primarily in Calgary and Vancouver, for over 20 years. They are the author of three books of poetry and multiple essays on grief. GRIEFWAVE, a multimedia, web-based, extended elegy, was published in February 2022. Frequent themes are feminism, the body, the Anthropocene, late capitalism, death, grief, loss, and animal subjectivity.
This program is also offered online. If you would like to attend virtually, contact events@communitydeathcareproject.ca

Tales of a Funeral Director – AMA (Ask Me Anything)
2022-05-19 14:00 - 15:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Speaker: Emily Bootle, Death Educator and Advocate

Program Description:
A funeral director, also known as an undertaker or mortician, is a professional involved in carrying out funeral rites, which often entails body care and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the arrangements for the funeral ceremony. Ever wonder what happens to your body when you die? What rights do you have in determining your care after death? Ask Funeral Director, Emily Bootle from KORU Cremation | Burial | Ceremony, anything to demystify death.

Venue:
Carnegie Community Centre Theatre

遺囑及遺產規劃(粵語) Wills and Estates (in Cantonese)
2022-04-30 10:00 - 23:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Presenter:
Annie Leung (with Family Services of Greater Vancouver’s Financial Empowerment Team)
Program Description:
“寫遺囑”是否在你的待辦事項清單上已經很久了？你有興趣了解更多有關撰寫遺囑的內容嗎？擁有遺囑可確保你的遺產（您擁有和欠下的）在你去世時按照你的意願分配，這對每個人都很重要的。快來了解更多關於何時應該立遺囑、遺囑包含哪些內容以及對遺囑的要求等。講員梁玉珍是大溫哥華家庭協會的財務賦權計劃 (Financial Empowerment Program)一位經驗豐富的導師，具有教育和培訓的專業背景。她熱衷於為客戶提供個人生活理財知識技能，以管理他們的日常生活財務並改善他們的財務狀況。
與Family Services of Greater Vancouver合辦。Has “writing a will” been on your to do list for a long time? Interested in learning more about what is involved in writing a will? Having a will ensures your estate (what you own and owe) will be distributed according to your wishes when you die, and is important for everyone.
Come and learn more about when you should make a will, what to include and the requirements for your will.
Instructor Annie Leung (with Family Services of Greater Vancouver’s Financial Empowerment Team) is an experienced financial coach and facilitator who has a professional background in education and training. She is passionate about empowering clients with financial literacy skills to manage their finances and improve their financial well-being.
Program will be conducted in partnership with Family Services of Greater Vancouver.

Venue:
Carnegie Community Centre – Theatre / Zoom. (In Person / Online)
Registration:
To register for a space in the Carnegie Theatre or online, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0. To RSVP online, visit our Facebook page or email us at events@communityDeathCareProject.ca

Sacred Memorial Shrine Workshop for Front Line Workers
2022-04-29 14:00 - 16:30 | Zoom (online), Canada
Presenter:
Paula Jardine / Marina Szijarto
Program Description:
An online gathering for making simple memorials, using a template provided, to honour those whose deaths have affected our lives.
Guided by artist Marina Szijarto, the workshop is intended to be a refuge from what feels like a relentless wave of loss in the downtown east side.
The finished memorials can be added to a community shrine or personal shrine.
Workshops are limited to 6-8 participants per session, and are open to frontline staff and volunteers serving the public in the DTES
Registrants will be provided with a zoom link, and some suggestions of things to bring to create sacred space, including a candle and a small bowl of water.
In the first part we will introduce the idea, how we’ve come to this work and the intention of this workshop, followed by some basic instructions on constructing the memorials.
Marina will lead us in establishing safe ritual space for creating our individual memorials.
Once everyone has finished we will take a break, to refresh ourselves, then reconvene to share our thoughts and memorials.
The final half hour of the workshop will be an opportunity for Q&A
The workshop will empower the frontline workers and volunteers with resources to help others create their own sacred memorial shrines.
This program will be provided in spoken English.
About the Artist
A former resident of the DTES, and a current artist in residence at Mountain View Cemetery, Marina Szijarto is an artist, theatre designer, community ritualist, shrine maker, festival creator, registered celebrant and ancestral healing guide.

Venue:
Zoom (Online)

Registration:
Contact Beverly Walker to register for a spot.
Email: events@communitydeathcareproject.ca
Phone: 604-665-2213

Sacred Memorial Shrine Workshop for Front Line Workers
2022-04-28 19:00 - 21:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Presenter:
Paula Jardine / Marina Szijarto
Program Description:
An online gathering for making simple memorials, using a template provided, to honour those whose deaths have affected our lives.
Guided by artist Marina Szijarto, the workshop is intended to be a refuge from what feels like a relentless wave of loss in the downtown east side.
The finished memorials can be added to a community shrine or personal shrine.
Workshops are limited to 6-8 participants per session, and are open to frontline staff and volunteers serving the public in the DTES
Registrants will be provided with a zoom link, and some suggestions of things to bring to create sacred space, including a candle and a small bowl of water.
In the first part we will introduce the idea, how we’ve come to this work and the intention of this workshop, followed by some basic instructions on constructing the memorials.
Marina will lead us in establishing safe ritual space for creating our individual memorials.
Once everyone has finished we will take a break, to refresh ourselves, then reconvene to share our thoughts and memorials.
The final half hour of the workshop will be an opportunity for Q&A
The workshop will empower the frontline workers and volunteers with resources to help others create their own sacred memorial shrines.
This program will be provided in spoken English.

Space is available at Carnegie Community Centre to participate in this online project.
About the Artist
A former resident of the DTES, and a current artist in residence at Mountain View Cemetery, Marina Szijarto is an artist, theatre designer, community ritualist, shrine maker, festival creator, registered celebrant and ancestral healing guide.

Venue:
Carnegie Community Centre – The Learning Centre / Zoom (In Person / Online)

Registration:
Contact Beverly Walker to register for a spot.
Email: events@communitydeathcareproject.ca
Phone: 604-665-2213

Sacred Memorial Shrine Workshop for Front Line Workers
2022-04-27 19:00 - 21:30 | Zoom (online), Canada
Presenter:
Paula Jardine / Marina Szijarto
Program Description:
An online gathering for making simple memorials, using a template provided, to honour those whose deaths have affected our lives.
Guided by artist Marina Szijarto, the workshop is intended to be a refuge from what feels like a relentless wave of loss in the downtown east side.
The finished memorials can be added to a community shrine or personal shrine.
Workshops are limited to 6-8 participants per session, and are open to frontline staff and volunteers serving the public in the DTES
Registrants will be provided with a zoom link, and some suggestions of things to bring to create sacred space, including a candle and a small bowl of water.
In the first part we will introduce the idea, how we’ve come to this work and the intention of this workshop, followed by some basic instructions on constructing the memorials.
Marina will lead us in establishing safe ritual space for creating our individual memorials.
Once everyone has finished we will take a break, to refresh ourselves, then reconvene to share our thoughts and memorials.
The final half hour of the workshop will be an opportunity for Q&A
The workshop will empower the frontline workers and volunteers with resources to help others create their own sacred memorial shrines.
This program will be provided in spoken English. Auto Captioning will be provided for this online workshop.
About the Artist
A former resident of the DTES, and a current artist in residence at Mountain View Cemetery, Marina Szijarto is an artist, theatre designer, community ritualist, shrine maker, festival creator, registered celebrant and ancestral healing guide.

Venue:
Zoom (Online)

Registration:
Contact Beverly Walker to register for a spot.
Email: events@communitydeathcareproject.ca
Phone: 604-665-2213

Accessibility:
Online streaming on Zoom (simulcast – happening online at the same time as the in person event) will have live auto captions in English. The chat will be on.

Sacred Memorial Shrine Workshop for Front Line Workers
2022-04-26 14:00 - 16:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Presenter:
Paula Jardine / Marina Szijarto
Program Description:
An online gathering for making simple memorials, using a template provided, to honour those whose deaths have affected our lives.
Guided by artist Marina Szijarto, the workshop is intended to be a refuge from what feels like a relentless wave of loss in the downtown east side.The finished memorials can be added to a community shrine or personal shrine.Workshops are limited to 6-8 participants per session, and are open to frontline staff and volunteers serving the public in the DTESRegistrants will be provided with a zoom link, and some suggestions of things to bring to create sacred space, including a candle and a small bowl of water.
In the first part we will introduce the idea, how we’ve come to this work and the intention of this workshop, followed by some basic instructions on constructing the memorials.
Marina will lead us in establishing safe ritual space for creating our individual memorials.
Once everyone has finished we will take a break, to refresh ourselves, then reconvene to share our thoughts and memorials.
The final half hour of the workshop will be an opportunity for Q&A
The workshop will empower the frontline workers and volunteers with resources to help others create their own sacred memorial shrines.
This program will be provided in spoken English.
Space is available at Carnegie Community Centre to participate in this online project.
About the Artist
A former resident of the DTES, and a current artist in residence at Mountain View Cemetery, Marina Szijarto is an artist, theatre designer, community ritualist, shrine maker, festival creator, registered celebrant and ancestral healing guide.

Venue:
Carnegie Community Centre – Classroom II / Zoom (In Person / Online)

Registration:
Contact Beverly Walker to register for a spot.
Email: events@communitydeathcareproject.ca
Phone: 604-665-2213

What if you could approach the end of life from a place of curiosity, courage, and compassion? Part Two.
2022-04-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Oppenheimer Park, 400 Powell St, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 1G6, Canada
Speaker:
Mono Brown, Death Doula PhD [ they / them ]
Program Description:
This session will introduce the idea of grief work and explore the value of doula support to those grappling with loss. Participants will also learn about the use of grief rituals.
This program will be presented in spoken English. To register for a space in the Carnegie Theatre or online, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0. To RSVP online, visit our Facebook page or email us at events@communityDeathCareProject.ca
Venue:
Oppenheimer Park (In Person)

What if you could approach the end of life from a place of curiosity, courage, and compassion? Part One.
2022-04-12 10:00 - 12:00 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Speaker:
Mono Brown, Death Doula PhD [ they / them ]
Program Description:
In this two-hour session, participants will learn about what a death doula is and some of the ways that death doulas support people and communities facing end of life. The session will also introduce participants to several widely available end-of-life planning resources and engage participants in an activity to explore what death and dying means to them.
This program will be presented in spoken English. To register for a space in the Carnegie Theatre or online, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0. To RSVP online, visit our Facebook page or email us at events@communityDeathCareProject.ca
Venue:
Carnegie Community Centre – Theatre. (In Person)

Out Trip - Mountain View Cemetery
2022-04-10 09:00 - 13:30 | Carnegie Community Centre, 401 Main Street, Vancouver on MST Territory, BC, V6A 2T7, Canada
Presenter:
Cross Cultural Walking Tour
Program Description:
First opened in 1886, Mountain View Cemetery is the final resting place of many of the earliest members of our city’s population, with sections designated for various communities.

Participate in half-hour tours of the Jewish and Japanese sections of the cemetery. A tour of the Chinese section will end with observance of the annual Chingming Festival (also known as Tomb Sweeping Day) at the Chinese altar.

This tour is a collaboration of Chinatown Generations Society (previously Youth Collaborative for Chinatown) and Wongs’ Benevolent Association; Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre; the Jewish Museum & Archives of BC; and Cross Cultural Walking Tours.

Please note that the group will be travelling by public transit to Mountain View Cemetery and the tour requires participants to walk for 2 hours where there is no seating.
Registration:
To register, please contact the VPL Carnegie Library Branch in person or call 604-665-3010 ext. 0.
Priority will be given to DTES community members.
