News

Montreal, Quebec – September 29, 2025

The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association joins colleagues across Canada and around the world in mourning the passing of Dr. Balfour Mount, the "father of palliative care."

In 1975, he founded the Royal Victoria Hospital Palliative Care Service and McGill's Program in Integrated Whole Person Care and organized the first International Congresses on Care of the Terminally Ill, leaving a lasting impact on how healthcare addresses the physical, psychological, social, and existential suffering of seriously ill patients

Dr. Mount’s leadership, compassion, and scholarship shaped the practice of palliative care and continue to guide our work today. His contributions have brought comfort and dignity to countless individuals and families.

We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, colleagues, and all those grieving his loss. His extraordinary legacy will continue to inspire us.

️ May he rest in peace.

On Tuesday, November 18, 2025, we marked National Grief and Bereavement Day with intention and impact at the BC Legislature.

Representing the hospice palliative care sector were:
️Amanda McNally, Executive Director, Peace Arch Hospice Society
️Donna Flood, Executive Director, Prince George Hospice Society
️Teri Henderson, CEO, Victoria Hospice Society
Pablita Thomas, Executive Director, BC Hospice Palliative Care Association

Together, we carried the voices of community hospice societies across BC into the province’s political corridors.

Hospice societies and their work in grief and bereavement were formally acknowledged on the record in the Legislative Gallery, a moving moment of visibility for our sector and the families we serve.

During Question Period, issues around the Comox Valley 50 % hospice bed reductions were raised, igniting broader discussion on end-of-life care, grief supports, and seniors care. Remarkably, nearly 30% of Question Period focused on our sector services, including seniors care, end of life care, a community care, just to name a few,  an unprecedented recognition of its role in BC’s health system.

We held productive, solution focused meetings with:

• Ministry of Health senior officials
• MLAs from BC Conservatives, including Health and Seniors Critics and party leader.
• All three Health Parliamentary Secretaries, representing Mental Health, Rural Health, and Seniors & Long-Term Care

Our message was clear:

✅ Hospice societies are essential, community-based partners in BC’s health system.

✅ Grief and bereavement supports must be fully integrated into planning and funding.

✅ Community-led, low barrier hospice care is not only compassionate, it’s fiscally responsible, and critical to reducing system strain.

We’re building on this momentum with:

• A Strategic Grief and Bereavement Framework for provincial grief and bereavement integration (2026)
• A toolkit for MLA champions and government ambassadors
• A public facing awareness campaign
• A revitalized working group to support cross sector leadership

We’re grateful for the support, interest, and genuine dialogue at the Legislature, and for every hospice society, staff member, and volunteer making this work possible. Your commitment to care, compassion, and dignity was carried with us into every room.

Let’s continue to walk this path .... together.

#GriefAndBereavementDay #HospicePalliativeCare #EndOfLifeCare #HealthSystemIntegration  #CompassionateCommunities #Advocacy #BCHPCA

On November 19, the Palliative Care Coalition of Canada (PCCC) hosted its annual Breakfast on the Hill at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The event brought together Members of Parliament, Senators, and federal policy staff for an interactive experience designed to highlight what palliative care looks like in practice, why it matters, and where Canada must act to improve access.

The Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) was pleased to participate as a member of the PCCC. Representatives from across the palliative care community volunteered their time to share expert insights and speak directly with federal decisionmakers. The room was designed as a series of museum-style stations, each showcasing a different part of the palliative care experience. These included:

• About Palliative Care
• Palliative Care at Home
• Palliative Care in a Hospice Residence
• The Future of Palliative Care in Canada

This format created space for conversation, learning, and connection. Many attendees were new to Parliament following the recent federal election, which made the event an important opportunity to build awareness and strengthen understanding of how palliative care improves quality of life for patients, caregivers, and communities.

A key message shared throughout the morning was the importance of sustained federal leadership in implementing the Framework on Palliative Care in Canada. Improving access requires continued investment, collaboration with the sector, and a commitment to culturally safer, equitable care for people in every region of the country.

The event also supported the launch of the PCCC’s parliamentary petition, which calls for renewed federal investment of $29.8 million to advance the Framework and strengthen palliative care across Canada. The petition remains open to the public in both official languages.

• English: https://www.ourcommons.ca/petitions/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6904
• French: https://www.noscommunes.ca/petitions/fr/Petition/Details?Petition=e-6904

This advocacy work aligns with CHPCA’s strategic goals to influence public policy, raise awareness, support education, and collaborate with partners to ensure that everyone in Canada has equitable access to quality hospice palliative care.

The energy in the room demonstrated the strength and commitment of Canada’s palliative care community. CHPCA thanks the PCCC for convening this important event and is proud to continue contributing to national conversations that help advance compassionate, person-centred care for all Canadians.

Learn More

Cycle 6 of BC-CPC's Seed Grants Program is here—an exciting opportunity to spark compassion and connection in communities across BC! The BC-CPC is inviting local organizations to create welcoming hubs where people can find information, navigate care, and receive emotional, social, practical, spiritual, or grief support.

These grants help bring the Compassionate Communities approach to life, supporting innovative, community-driven programs that make a real difference for those facing aging, serious illness, caregiving, or loss.

Apply now to turn your ideas into action and help make compassion part of  your community.

Applications are now open. Deadline: December 31, 2025

Seed Grant Cycle 6

Information sessions

Need more information or some support on your Seed Grants application? Attend one of our information sessions.

• November 19, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST via Zoom
• December 3, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm PST via Zoom

The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is expressing deep concern following the temporary closure of three hospice beds at Aitken Community Hospice in the Comox Valley, owned and operated by Golden Life Management.

The decision, made after the discontinuation of temporary Ministry of Health funding for contract nurses on October 31, represents a 50% reduction in local hospice capacity. For families in the Comox Valley, this means fewer options for compassionate, end-of-life care close to home.

“This isn’t just a local issue in the Comox Valley, it’s a signal of a broader provincial risk,” said Pablita Thomas, Executive Director of BCHPCA. “When temporary funding ends, communities lose access to hospice beds that families depend on at the end of life. These are not interchangeable systems.”

A system stretched thin

The closures drop Aitken Community Hospice from six beds to three, reducing local access from 7.7 to 3.9 beds per 100,000 people, well below national best practice guidelines.

Across BC, there are approximately 318 hospice beds, with an estimated 60–80 co-located within long-term-care (LTC) facilities.
In many communities, local hospice societies raise funds, provide speciality training to  volunteers, and provide psychosocial and bereavement supports for residents receiving end-of-life care in these settings.

Hospice beds differ fundamentally from LTC beds: they are purpose designed for comfort, dignity, and symptom management in the final days or weeks of life. While short-term funding may stabilize hospitals or care homes, it cannot replace the specialized hospice model that integrates medical, emotional, and spiritual support.

The call for dedicated hospice funding

“We invest heavily in health systems that support birth and recovery,” Thomas added. “But as a society, we must also care for people at the end of life with the same attention and dignity. Hospice care is not a luxury, it’s a vital service.”

BCHPCA is calling for a dedicated and stable funding model within the Ministry of Health to protect hospice capacity, prevent erosion during system pressures, and ensure that hospice beds are not repurposed to fill other gaps in the health system.

“Communities like Comox shouldn’t lose access to hospice care every time temporary funding runs out,” Thomas said. “These programs have been built over decades by volunteers, families, and donors who believe everyone deserves a peaceful place to die.”

About the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association

The BC Hospice Palliative Care Association (BCHPCA) is the united voice for more than 70 hospice societies across BC and the Yukon. BCHPCA advocates for equitable, community-based access to hospice palliative care, grief support, and caregiver services, providing system level leadership, data, and education to strengthen end-of-life care.

Media Inquires:
Pablita Thomas
Executive Director
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
(604) 267-7024
pablita.thomas@bchpca.org

No Fixed Address: The White Cart Memorial Film Screening

We invite you to join the BC Centre for Palliative Care, Kelowna Homelessness Research Centre, and Community Action Initiative for a free screening of the BC based documentary No Fixed Address: The White Cart Memorial, including a live discussion with the directors/producers on the themes of the film. 

The film is a powerful and intimate documentary that sheds light on a deeply overlooked aspect of the homelessness crisis: people's grief following the death of someone they care about. Through the voices and stories of individuals living with unstable housing, the film explores what it means to grieve without a house, and how loss echoes through a community already struggling to survive. Dedicated to the memories of all unhoused lives lost—and those who carry their grief forward—the film urges us to rethink how we hold space for mourning in public, and how we can come together to build more compassionate, inclusive systems of care. Film trailer available at: https://vimeo.com/1115956034.

November 13th screening:

• Join us on Thursday, November 13, 6:00 - 8:30pm at the Sandman Hotel Vancouver Downtown (180 West Georgia Street Vancouver, BC V6B 4P4).

• This free community event is open to the public.

• Learn more and RSVP here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/no-fixed-address-the-white-cart-memorial-film-screening-tickets-1778222514409

Grief is a natural response to loss, yet too often, it is faced in silence.

In BC , local hospice societies walk alongside more than 85,000 people each year through grief, bereavement, and anticipatory grief support. These programs are free, accessible, and deeply rooted in community, yet most rely on short-term grants, donations, and volunteer efforts rather than sustained health system funding.

This creates an uneven and inequitable landscape of grief care, especially in rural and remote communities,  where access depends too often on where a person lives, rather than on need. Despite these challenges, hospice societies continue to fill critical service gaps, providing frontline mental health and wellness along with emotional support to thousands of British Columbians  every year.

On this day, BCHPCA joins the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association (CHPCA) along with other organizations like Canadian Grief Alliance, Canadian Alliance for Children's Grief, in calling for national action to close Canada’s #GriefLiteracy gap and establish stable, equitable funding pathways for grief and bereavement care for all!

Why It Matters

• Everyone will face loss at some point in their lives.
• Most Canadians lack the knowledge or support to cope with grief.
• Community based grief programs reduce isolation, strengthen resilience, and prevent mental health crises.

Take Action

• Talk openly about grief and loss.
• Share open source resources that will help people cope and feel supported during their time of need. Visit your local hospice societies for resources as a great starting point.
• Contact your MP or MLA to make grief literacy and bereavement supports a health priority.

BCHPCA’s Action

• Meeting with MLAs and government leaders at the BC Legislature on November 18 to close the #GriefLiteracy gap and bring awareness to strengthen access of grief and bereavement care across the province.

• Bringing together hospice societies from across BC for the first time to co-develop a Provincial Grief and Bereavement Framework, a coordinated plan to sustain and expand community-based grief and bereavement care.

• Continuing the only national conference that unites the grief, bereavement, and mental health sectors under one roof;
  The Grief, Bereavement & Mental Health Summit, creating space to learn, share resources, and advance national collaboration

• Being part of the Provincial Improvement Action Plan of BC Centre of Palliative Care (BC-CPC) and the Next Steps Grief Action Plan, by Canadian Grief Alliance.

Let’s work toward a future where every person in grief feels seen, supported, and understood.

#Grief #GriefLiteracy #MakeGriefAPriority #HospiceCare #BereavementSupport #CommunityHealing #BCHPCA

It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Senator Dr. David Hunt, KCJSJ, on October 30, in the loving arms of his family.

David was invested into the Order as a member of the Vancouver Commandery in 2009. From the outset, he generously contributed his medical expertise as a palliative care physician and his deep passion for the delivery of compassionate end-of-life care. He was an early and committed member of the St. John Hospice development team and, following the Hospice’s opening in 2013, continued to support the Vancouver Commandery’s work in advancing palliative care throughout British Columbia.

David served on the Almoner Committee for many years, including as Chair from 2017 to 2018. During his tenure, he applied his professional insight to thoughtfully identify and advance applications that would have the greatest impact in supporting hospice palliative care. In 2020, David became Commander of the Vancouver Commandery, continuing his commitment to improving palliative care delivery. His engaging personality and good humour inspired members to become more involved. Many will remember his regular phone calls, checking in to see how each of us was doing and asking how he might offer support.

Duetto health challenges, David stepped away from the role of Commander in late 2022. Nevertheless, he remained an active and dedicated member and volunteer until his untimely passing. Much of David’s work was carried out quietly and behind the scenes, never seeking recognition or the spotlight, an enduring reflection of his humility. These contributions form a significant part of his legacy.

As a palliative care physician, David was acutely aware of the needs of underserved and vulnerable populations, particularly those living in Vancouver’s Downtown East Side. In response, he became a tireless champion for the creation of an SOSJ hospice in the DTES, advocating passionately for compassionate care for those most in need.

David will be remembered as a Knight who truly embodied service to faith and service to humanity.

This remembrance was thoughtfully prepared by Senator Howie Charters and shared with us by one of our partner organizations.

Last week, I had the honour of moderating a deeply meaningful panel at the 2025 Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association Conference titled “Reframing Value: Integrating Lived Experience, Indigenous Epistemologies, and Global Evidence in Palliative Care, End-of-Life, and Grief Research.”

Together with:

• Dr. Afsan Bhadelia (Purdue University),
• Dr. Natalie Greaves (University of the West Indies), 
• Sandra Fox (Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute), and
• Andreas Pilarinos (Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute)

we explored how diverse ways of knowing, particularly lived experience and Indigenous perspectives, can meaningfully inform and enrich palliative care research and practice.

Our collective message: the people and communities we serve must be seen and heard in every aspect of system design and research. Valuing stories, relationships, and community-led truths is essential for building a more compassionate and just palliative care system.

I invite you to read the article published in Pallinews, “Embracing New Ways of Knowing & Understanding Palliative Care,” which captures the essence of our conversation and highlights key takeaways for researchers, providers, and policy advocates alike:

https://iahpc.org/what-we-do/communication/pallinews/2025/november-20/enriching-research-practices/

Let’s continue to champion approaches that reflect the dignity, values, and voices of those at the heart of palliative and end-of-life care.

Thank you,
Pablita

#HospicePalliativeCare #CHPCA #BCHPCA # IAHPC #EquityInCare #IndigenousKnowledge #LivedExperience #HealthResearch

Released: October 1, 2025 by Statistics Canada

A new national study from Statistics Canada, Living with a Life-Limiting Illness: A 2024 Crowdsourced Study of Experiences and Access to Care, offers a rare glimpse into how Canadians living with life-limiting conditions, and their unpaid caregivers, experience care, access, and support.

The study engaged nearly 1,000 participants across the country between October 2024 and March 2025, including people living with advanced cancer, dementia, and neurological diseases, as well as unpaid family and community caregivers. While not statistically representative, the findings provide meaningful insight into lived experiences and highlight ongoing gaps in palliative and end-of-life care.

Among participants, only 27% reported receiving a high level of palliative care, while 30% experienced low levels of support. 80% said that health services were difficult to access outside regular hours, and over half reported complications due to delayed or insufficient care. Pain and symptom management, specialist referrals, and care coordination were among the hardest services to access.

The study also sheds light on the experiences of unpaid caregivers, 89% reported never receiving an assessment of their support needs. The most requested supports were respite care, improved communication with health-care providers, and access to home care or financial assistance.

These findings reinforce what hospice societies across British Columbia see every day: that timely, community-based palliative and bereavement supports are essential to quality of life and to the sustainability of our health system. BCHPCA commends Statistics Canada, Health Canada, CIHI, and the Public Health Agency of Canada for advancing this critical national conversation, so that provinces and territories, in partnership with care providers, can support people where and when it is needed most.

BCHPCA will use this report in our ongoing advocacy to strengthen the integration of hospice palliative care within the health system and to ensure that hospice societies are recognized as equal partners in the continuum of care across communities.

Read the full release from Statistics Canada here:

Living with a Life-Limiting Illness: A 2024 National Crowdsourced Study of Experiences and Access to Care