Residents of the Elk Valley have a new way to connect with lost loved ones, with the installation of three wind phones in local parks.
The Elk Valley and Area Hospice Society, alongside the District of Elkford, officially opened the first of the three phones with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 28 at Boivin Peace Park.
The other phones are located in Lions Park in Sparwood and Annex Park in Fernie.
Wind phones are symbolic telephones that are not connected to any network, offering a private space for people to speak to those they’ve lost.
The idea is aimed at helping visitors process grief and find comfort by expressing thoughts and emotions that may otherwise go unspoken.
The project was created through support from the Columbia Basin Trust’s ReDi Grant program and Stellar Vista Credit Union.
The booths were designed by Erika Hornquist of eHQ Design and constructed by Sparwood Secondary School students De Jaun (DJ) Williamson and Yeha Jang.
The initiative was a collaborative effort with the Districts of Elkford and Sparwood and the City of Fernie.
