Hospice Society

A Quiet Gap in a Caring City

New Westminster, BC is known as a Compassionate City. It was the first in British Columbia to carry that title. Yet there is one thing missing here: a hospice.

When someone in New West reaches the final stage of life, they often must leave their community. Families cross bridges to Port Moody or Delta. They search for beds in unfamiliar places. And many residents are surprised to learn this only when it is too late.

That surprise is exactly what the New West Hospice Society hopes to change.

The Story Behind the Mission

The New West Hospice Society has been serving the community for nearly 10 years. Its volunteers step in when families need support most. They sit with people who are dying. They help with small chores. They offer companionship during long days.

This group is called the Compassionate City Crew.

Referrals often come through the palliative care team at Royal Columbian Hospital. Volunteers go into homes across New Westminster to provide comfort. Sometimes that means listening. Sometimes it means holding a hand.

But the larger dream remains clear: to build a hospice right here in New West.

There have been conversations with Fraser Health. Local MLAs and MPs are aware. Proposals have been drafted. Developers have been approached. There is even a unit at Legion Manor being prepared for end-of-life care.

Progress is happening. Slowly.

Fundraising, however, has been difficult since COVID. Plans for a thrift store were paused. Donations slowed. Like many charities, the Society felt the strain.

Still, the need has not gone away.

What Hospice Care Really Means

Hospice care is not just medical support. It is a peaceful space. A place where families gather. Where pain is managed. Where final conversations happen without the rush of hospital halls.

Right now, New Westminster families must leave their city for that kind of setting. And there may be waitlists.

The Society’s leaders often hear the same reaction: “I didn’t know we didn’t have one.”

Most people don’t know—until someone they love needs it. And at that moment, there is no time to build what is missing.

Changing the Conversation in New West

Part of the Society’s mission is bigger than bricks and mortar. It is about normalizing conversations around death and dying.

Each November, they host a Dialogue on Death and Dying at Century House. It is a safe place to talk. To ask questions. To reduce stigma.

As one volunteer shared, the goal is simple: “Let’s not let people suffer in silence.”

New Westminster has embraced the idea of being a Compassionate City. That means talking openly. It means supporting grieving families. It means planning ahead.

Because every family will face this chapter someday.

A Philosophy of Preparation

There is a quiet truth behind this work.

When hospice care is needed, it is urgent. There is no time for advocacy. No time to raise funds. No time to start conversations.

That is why the Society gently encourages residents to think ahead.

If you have aging parents. If a partner is ill. If someone in your circle may one day need hospice care—this is the moment to learn, to volunteer, or to support the cause.

As one board member explained, when the time comes, “you’re out of time.”

Preparation is an act of love.

How You Can Help

Awareness is the first step. Talk about hospice with friends. Share the fact that New Westminster still does not have one.

Volunteer with the Compassionate City Crew. Attend the Dialogue on Death and Dying. Reach out to local representatives and ask about progress.

And save the date: May 3 at 11:00 a.m., the River Walk returns at the Quay. Residents carry decorated rocks in memory of loved ones and place them in a rock garden. It is a simple, powerful act of remembrance.

From heartfelt companionship to a bold vision for a local hospice, the New West Hospice Society continues to stand beside families in New Westminster, BC.

The question now is simple.

When the time comes for someone you love, will our city be ready?

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