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