The Remembrance Tree: A Growing Tradition on Gabriola

As the Remembrance Tree at the Gabriola Library becomes a cherished December tradition on the Island, it is an honour to reflect on the first years of this People for a Healthy Community (PHC) – Community Care and Home Hospice project.

Our first PHC Hospice Program staff lead in 2019 had a vision — a tender and heartfelt one. She recognized that the holiday season can be difficult for many, a time when we feel the absence of those we’ve lost even more deeply. She wanted to co-create a community project that would celebrate the lives of loved ones no longer with us. From this seed, the Remembrance Tree grew.

In its first year, a small fir tree was placed at the Gabriola Library. More than 50 community members participated, writing the names of friends and loved ones on paper leaves and placing them on the tree. The following year brought new challenges, as gathering indoors was restricted. To keep the idea alive, the Gabriola Auxiliary graciously offered space outside the GABE Shop. That year, an arbutus branch stood firm in the wind — a symbol of the Auxiliary’s steady support.

Wondering how the Remembrance Tree might continue to grow, PHC Hospice Program reached out to the Gabriola Arts Council and the idea was brought to the Woodworkers Guild. PHC championed the project, and soon, a tree was created. This collaboration resulted in a beautiful gift to the community.

The result: an eight-foot-tall Remembrance Tree with dozens of hand-sanded branches and many leaves, ready for community members to write the names of those they wish to honour and remember.

The tree is a symbol and as noted, “It’s a way to know that those who are no longer with us continue to be remembered as we bring out the tree each year.”

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the team at the Gabriola Library for providing an ideal place where both children and adults are invited to write names and place them on the Remembrance Tree.

Finally, a heartfelt thanks to the PHC Community Care and Home Hospice volunteers, who lovingly hand-cut each of the 120 leaves — one for every memory, story, and name to be honoured.

Each and every one can be remembered — again and again.

If you’ve lost a loved one and wish to honour their memory this season, please visit the Gabriola Library during regular hours between November 26, 2025 and January 6, 2026 to place your leaf of remembrance on the Tree.