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IGR visit to Hospice Waterloo Region

  • 3 days ago
  • 3 min read

This month's Interfaith Grand River meeting was hosted by Hospice Waterloo Region. It is a beautiful facility in the northern part of Waterloo, and very thoughtfully designed by the architect, Neo Architecture.


The site of the hospice, which was built in 2021, is a former barn, so the architectural inspiration was a barn and silo. The building is made from durable natural materials. The building is divided into sections: a programs, services, and palliative care wing, an education and administration wing, a family section, the hospice section, and a beautiful chapel in the shape of a silo at the heart of the building. There is a beautiful reflection garden at the centre of the building.


Each of the hospice rooms opens to a semi-private garden, and beds can be wheeled outside. The kitchen provides meals for families who are staying with their loved ones. There is also a separate entrance for families into the family section of the facility, so that families do not need to struggle with the traffic on the main road. Each hospice room has beautiful quilts made by local quilters.


The whole facility is immaculately maintained and has a lovely warm, calming atmosphere. As you will see from the photos below, all the colours and furnishings are warm and comforting. It was very inspiring. The facility has excellent relationships with the Indigenous community, and is welcoming to 2SLGBTQIA people.



Hospice Waterloo Region holds as a core value that death is a natural conclusion of life and that hospice palliative care neither prolongs nor hastens a natural death. The model of care that is delivered by Hospice Waterloo Region is based on recognition that hospice palliative care is “Whole Person” care focused on supporting and improving the quality of life for persons who are living with or dying from advanced illness, and for those who are bereaved by the loss of a loved one.

I took a few photos as we toured the building, in the hope of conveying the beautiful calm atmosphere of the experience.


The reception space as you enter the building. Three hexagonal tables and comfortable armchairs with floral patterns, and a view of the central courtyard garden in the background.
The reception space as you enter the building
Interfaith Grand River members on the tour. Don, Jay, Bryce, Fauzia, Sandy, Cheryl, Norm, August.
Interfaith Grand River members on the tour. Don, Jay, Bryce, Fauzia, Sandy, Cheryl, Norm, August.
Progress Pride flag and Indigenous medicine wheel symbol in the hallway.
Progress Pride flag and Indigenous medicine wheel symbol in the hallway
A beautiful quilt in the palliative care, programs, and services wing. The central panel is a Scots pine and the border is various shades of mossy green and bark-brown.
A beautiful quilt in the palliative care, programs, and services wing
Indigenous art by Richard Bedwash (1937-2007) in the palliative care, programs, and services wing. (1) A bird and a beaver. (2) Two birds and a fish. (3) A green creature with big yellow eyes. (4) A moose in the snow.
Indigenous art by Richard Bedwash (1937-2007) in the palliative care, programs, and services wing
A view of the courtyard garden in the centre of the facility, with the silo and the lake on the left, the garden in the centre, and the reception area on the right.
A view of the courtyard garden in the centre of the facility, with the silo on the left, and the reception area on the right.
A drum, sage, abalone shell, and sweetgrass from a recent Indigenous blessing of the hospice
A drum, sage, abalone shell, and sweetgrass in the Oasis Room, from a recent Indigenous blessing of the hospice
One of the gardens for hospice patients seen from the room it is attached to. A trellis and a screen give it privacy.
One of the gardens for hospice patients seen from the room it is attached to
The window of the multi-faith chapel (the silo) at the heart of the facility is aligned on the summer solstice. It is a narrow window in a wood-panelled wall. A fig tree in a pot stands in front of it.
The window of the multi-faith chapel (the silo) at the heart of the facility is aligned on the summer solstice.
Children's play room with shelves of books, craft activities, plushies for the children to play with or cuddle, and a comfy couch.
Children's play room
View over the lake and balcony from the communal dining area. On the left inside the dining area is a couch; on the right, a dining table. Outside is a balcony with outdoor dining options, and beyond that, a lake and some trees.
View over the lake and balcony from the communal dining area.
Fireplace in the communal dining room, with candles and an abstract painting
Fireplace in the communal dining room
Pillar candles in the family meeting room. Teal-coloured candles in turned pine-wood holders.
Pillar candles in the family meeting room
“You matter because you are you – and you matter right to the end of your life. We will do all we can not only to help you die peacefully, but also to live until you die.” ~ Dame Cicely Saunders Nurse, Physician, Writer, and Founder of Hospice Movement

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