By Patty Mintz

Six years ago, Loraine Johnson hosted the first local Voices for Hospice event at her yoga studio in Port Williams.

“And we’ve maintained the tradition,” says Dale Sanford, development coordinator for the Valley Hospice Foundation. “This is the third (Voices for Hospice) that Valley Hospice has participated in,” she says, referring to “Memories” a celebration in voice and music to be held at Wolfville’s Al Whittle Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 8 p.m.

The evening will feature the poetry and music of t@b (Ariana Nasr and Andy Flinn), Sophie Berube, Caroline and Thomas Burton and Rachel Lutes, the Three Mezzos, Emma and Tessa Etienne, Mary Ganong and Paul Lauzon.

Berube will read a story that takes place in 17th Century France.

“It’s the story of an apprentice midwife, about 11 years old, who goes to her first birth with her mother and grandmother to learn the trade.”

Berube believes a story about birth has a place at a hospice celebration.

“Birth and death are the bookends of the greatest mystery of life,” she says. “There are a lot of similarities between being at a birth and at a death – in being there for that person. You can’t stop the process. You’re there as a witness and to soothe and take care of the person.”

Berube’s personal experiences include giving birth at home to her three children and assisting a friend who died at home.

Of the death she says, “It was such an amazing experience. She had cancer and decided not to do more treatments, to stay home and she asked some of us for support.”

“I think (the evening) is going to be great,” says volunteer organizer Jill Davies, an academic support coordinator at Acadia University.

“We’re celebrating in the spirit of World Hospice Day and Voices for Hospice for those we’ve lost and in support of the Valley Hospice Foundation.”

She says performers range in age from 12 to 91.

Teens Emma and Tess Etienne will talk about their memories of singing at the bedside of their great-grandmother who died in hospice.

Hosted by Judith Gates, the evening is being dedicated to Ladney Richmond and Eileen Wells, both of whom passed away recently. “They are two women who were committed to community involvement,” says Davies.

Tickets ($20) are available at Box of Delights in Wolfville and by phoning Jill Davies at 585-1127.

Last May, The Valley Hospice Foundation and Annapolis Valley Health announced their partnership to build an eight-bed hospice in the Annapolis Valley Health District. The hospice will be physically linked to Valley Regional Hospital in Kentville.

The overwhelming need to provide better end-of-life care in all settings and the numbers of palliative care patients who currently occupy beds in AVH inpatient facilities led to the plan, a news released noted.

Today, work on the project continues quietly behind the scenes and no new details are being released at this time.

What is important, says Sandford, “is that after all these years we are going to get our long-awaited hospice because of our partnership with Annapolis Valley Health.”

Contact: www.valleyhospice.ca