COLD LAKE - Anyone looking to engage with the topic of death and dying in an accessible and respectful space can come to the Cold Lake Public Library North Branch on the first Monday of each month for Death Cafe.
“Death Cafe aims to increase awareness of death with a view of helping people make the most of their (finite) lives and are hosted by volunteers around the world," said Randi Martin. "Death Cafes are not therapy, but rather provide a dedicated space to address the topic of death and dying without any intentions to lead participants to a specific outcome."
Martin heard about Death Cafe when she was living in the Kootenays in British Columbia, but she was unable to attend pre-Covid. Since the arrival of the pandemic, she felt the cafe was even more relevant and she wanted to find a space to explore the topic with others.
Some who have attended describe the Death Cafe a safe and comfortable space with meaningful dialogue about a very important topic, with a welcoming atmosphere.
The group has been meeting since January, at the library. They have explored topics related to grief and loss as well as facing personal mortality and legacy. Topics have arisen from the group members themselves since there is no planned agenda ahead of time.
Martin says there seems to be a sense of relief around having an open and respectful space to discuss the “taboo” topic of death, one of the few inevitabilities that humans have in common.
Cold Lake Starbucks has been donating coffee and tea and the volunteers have been providing cake and sweet treats for the meetings. The fifth meeting will be on May 1 at 6:30 p.m. There is no cost to attend and no registration is required.
