ORANGEVILLE, ON (May 7, 2024) – Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team’s (HOHC OHT) Bereavement Group, in partnership with Headwaters Health Care Centre, unveils the first of many HOHC OHT wind phones across Dufferin County and Town of Caledon, to support bereaved individuals in the community. The wind phone, inspired by a Japanese concept, is a tool for people to communicate with loved ones who have passed away. The wind phones will offer a unique space for individuals to find solace and connect with lost loved ones.
The first HOHC OHT wind phone in Orangeville was unveiled at Headwaters Health Care Centre’s Friendship Gardens during National Hospital Palliative Care Week, observed from May 5 to 11, 2024, to honour and remember lost loved ones, and to serve as a reminder to acknowledge and care for those who are mourning. The wind phones are set to be installed in five initial locations across Dufferin County and Town of Caledon, including:
- Friendship Gardens at Headwaters Health Care Centre, 100 Rolling Hills Dr, Orangeville, ON
- Town of Shelburne Cemetery, 156035 Highway 10, Shelburne, ON
- Hereward Farms, 141051 Sideroad 15, East Garafraxa, ON
- Bethell Hospice, 15835 McLaughlin Rd, Inglewood, ON
- Kay Cee Gardens, 29 Bythia St, Orangeville, ON
More wind phones to be added at additional locations in the coming months.
“The wind phone will support those who have lost a loved one, by providing an outlet for them to communicate with them and help them through their grief journey. HOHC OHT’s Grief and Bereavement Group felt it was important to add these structures in our community to provide bereaved individuals with a safe space to mourn their loved ones,” said Heidi Vanderhorst, HOHC OHT Engagement Lead. “We are extremely grateful to all of our current partners who have agreed to install these structures and look forward to creating more partnerships to increase the number of wind phones available for our community,” added Vanderhorst.
"Headwaters Health Care Centre is committed to caring for patients in their end-of-life journeys and supporting their caregivers. We are honoured to be one of the wind phone sites through this meaningful partnership with our OHT, hospice and health system partners. We extend a welcoming hand to our community’s bereaved individuals,” Kim Delahunt, President & CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre.
For additional grief and bereavement resources in the Dufferin/Caledon community, visit
hillsofheadwaterscollaborative.ca/grief.
Photo caption
L to R: Jennifer Moore, Executive Director, Dufferin Child & Family Services, Councillor Debbie Sherwood, Town of Orangeville, Joanne Jordan, Social Worker, Maureen Riedler, Executive Director, Hospice Dufferin, Orangeville Mayor Lisa Post, Heidi Vanderhorst, Program Manager, Dufferin Area Family Health Team, Kim Delahunt, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre, Juliann McArthur, Patient Experience Manager, Headwaters Health Care Centre, Margaret Paan, Executive Director, Bethell Hospice
- 30 -
Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team (HOHC OHT) is a local partnership consisting of patients, physicians, health, social and municipal agencies with the shared purpose of creating one community, working together to improve the health and well-being of everyone who lives and provides care across Dufferin-Caledon since 2019. HOHC OHT was among the first 24 OHTs in the province to implement a new model of organizing and delivering health care. The OHT was the recipient of a Bright Lights Award from the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario in October 2021 in the category of ‘Demonstrating a Community Response During COVID-19 for going above and beyond to care for the community it serves. HOHC OHT is supported by funding from the Government of Ontario. To learn more about HOHC OHT, visit
hillsofheadwaterscollaborative.ca.
Headwaters Health Care Centre is an innovative hospital located in Orangeville, Ontario dedicated to quality patient-centred care together with our community in Dufferin County-Caledon. In addition to providing acute and complex continuing care with a 24/7 Emergency Department, and extensive Ambulatory Care outpatient services, Headwaters is accredited with Exemplary Standing by Accreditation Canada, certified as a Breast Assessment Centre by the Ontario Breast Screening Program, and will be offering MRI services in 2024. Headwaters is also a proud partner in the Hills of Headwaters Collaborative Ontario Health Team. Learn more visit headwatershealth.ca and support the hospital at hhccfoundation.com
Media Contact:
Michelle Petch Gotuzzo
Hills of Headwaters Collaborative
519-278-5219
mpetchgotuzzo@headwatershealth.ca