The DEATH of a conference
It began with a circle conversation at the Victoria Holistic Death Care Community, “what if there was a community conference to learn about dying a better death?” and then, what would that look like?
My co visionary, Shauna Janz, and I set about creating a one day community conference that would bring together people and services to share, learn and connect about Death and Dying; showcasing emerging voices and perspectives not readily found within the mainstream dialogue.
We were blown away by the success of that sold out conference and with the many folks who thanked us for opening a much-needed conversation in a safe, comfortable, and welcoming space. We learned, and laughed and talked death all day, it filled us up! Year two, 2020 was held during the pandemic, in a time that no longer allowed us to gather, so we held our conference online and once again, met our community on screens, in the comfort of their own spaces, and the response echoed our inaugural year. Folks want to talk about the end of life, to reclaim it, and bring it back home.
With Shauna focused on her grief work and my life changing in new and exciting ways, and with the planet still entrenched in a pandemic, I decided not to host a third event, but to concentrate instead on the changes in my own family, that were leading us back to the land and to each other, and to building our new home, designed for us to age in place and die.
Fast forward to the Fall of 2022
I am knee deep in conversations around loneliness, creating intentional community, living your best last chapter, becoming an elder, dying with grace, and preparing for end of life. So while it may appear that much has changed, my focus on living my best life, dying a good death, and creating connection and community every step of the way, remains constant and informs my work and my life, and I appreciate you joining me on the journey.
Fast forward to the Spring of 2026
The vision is building and the ideas are flowing and Deathly Matters, 2026 is being created. More to come including date and time by the end of 2025. Stay tuned..
