When Winter Returns, We Still Walk

There’s something about walking together that feels different.

Not just moving forward… 

but moving forward with purpose. 

Last weekend, our team had the honour of joining the Pilgrims Hospice Society for their annual Hike for Hospice fundraiser — alongside families, friends, and members of our community who understand, in their own way, what it means to carry loss. 

And this year… spring hadn’t quite arrived. 

Fresh snow fell heavily. 

The air held onto winter. 

And yet — we walked anyway. 

Because grief doesn’t wait for perfect conditions.

Walking Looks Different for Everyone

For some, it was a quiet walk. 

For others, it was laughter shared between steps. A hand held. A name spoken out loud. 

We saw families we’ve had the privilege of serving. 

We walked beside people who are right in the middle of their grief… 

and others who have learned, slowly and gently, how to carry it. 

We were also joined by members of our Art for the Grieving Heart and Men’s Grief Support communities — people who have already been doing the work of showing up, sharing space, and finding connection in grief. 

Seeing those familiar faces outside of our usual gathering spaces… 

in a different setting, but with the same quiet understanding… 

was something we won’t soon forget. 

There is no one way to walk through grief. 

But there is something powerful about not doing it alone. 

Why This Matters

Events like Hike for Hospice are about more than a single day. 

They directly support the kind of end-of-life care that changes everything — for individuals, for families, for entire support systems. 

Care that allows people to be seen. To be comfortable. To be surrounded by compassion in some of life’s hardest moments. 

And that matters deeply to us. 

Because the work doesn’t end at the service. 

It continues in how we support families… 

how we show up in our community… 

and how we walk alongside people, even after loss. 

A Quiet Kind of Strength

There was a moment — and there always is — where you look around and realize: 

This is what community looks like. 

Not perfect. Not polished. Not untouched by grief. 

But present. Together. Still moving forward. 

Even in the snow.

With Gratitude

We are incredibly grateful to the team at Pilgrims Hospice Society for creating this space year after year. 

And to every person who showed up — to walk, to remember, to support, to honour. 

You made a difference. 



Want to Learn More About the Impact of Hospice Care?

If you’ve ever wondered what hospice care truly looks like — beyond the word itself — we invite you to spend a few moments with a story that helps bring it to life. 

In our Community Spotlight, we share more about the heart behind Pilgrims Hospice Society, the care they provide, and the difference it makes for individuals and families in our community. 

You can read it here: Park Memorial’s Community Spotlight on Pilgrims Hospice 

If You’re Walking Your Own Path Through Grief

You don’t have to do it alone. Whether it’s through community events like this, or quieter spaces of support, there are places — and people — here for you. 

Please click here to visit Park Memorial’s grief support coming events page.