The community is invited to join parents and families who’ve suffered the tragic loss of a pregnancy or a baby through early death at the Little Spirits Garden ceremony on Saturday at the Royal Oak Burial Park.
Little Spirits Garden’s annual Ceremony of Remembrance comes in observation of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (Oct. 15).
“There is a stigma around grieving the loss of a pregnancy or a stillbirth, but we are fortunate that our community was dedicated to creating a place to grieve and remember this form of loss.” says Royal Oak Burial Park’s executive director Stephen Olson.
Little Spirits Garden was created two years ago through fundraising and volunteers.
The Ceremony of Remembrance remembers babies in a non-denominational, supportive environment through readings, songs, stories from parents, messages of inspiration and candle lighting.
As many as one in five pregnancies end in miscarriage in Canada and there are approximately six stillbirths per 1,000 births.
Little Spirits Garden is located on a high point in the park amid a stand of native arbutus and fir trees.
The Little Spirits Garden is available to every family, no matter where they live, what their financial means are, or where or when they experienced their loss.
The Ceremony of Remembrance will start at noon in the Little Spirits Garden at Royal Oak Burial Park, 4673 Falaise Dr.
Following the ceremony, volunteers and burial park staff will be on hand to assist parents and visitors to tour and place memorials at the Little Spirits Garden. In the event of rain, the ceremony will move indoors to the Burial Park Garden Chapel.
Visit facebook.com/littlespiritsgarden for more information.