Camp Widow Toronto
Friday
Camp Widow Opening Session (9:00 AM - 10:00 AM)
Join Jodi Skeates, the founding Director of Soaring Spirits Canada and the Chair of its Board of Directors for opening remarks. Read More
Block 1 (10:15am - 11:45am)
Moderator: MarneyMalabar
Our Newly Widowed workshop track has been designed for widowed people whose widowhood began within the past twelve months. Read More
Moderator:Markell Morris
Our Recently Widowed workshop track has been designed for widowed people who were widowed anywhere from one to three years ago. Read More
Moderator: Marny Williams
This track is designed to meet the needs of people widowed between three and five years. Read More
Moderator: AllisonFleming
There are many common misconceptions about the length of time widowed people will need the support of their community. Read More
Lunch (11:45am - 1:00pm)
Block 2 (1:00pm - 2:30pm)
Join speaker, bestselling author, certified health coach, and widow Marie Scott as she takes her audience through the life and health transformation possible using her 7 Steps to Healing After Loss. Marie’s humorous and heartwarming story of navigating grief and her proven method of healing the mind, body, and spirit gives the audience the roadmap […] Read More
Have you been on the receiving end of questions that are repetitive, hurtful or just plain unwelcome, such as “How did they die?” Did they have life insurance? or “Now that your wife is dead, are you going to date men again?” In this interactive session, we’ll start by discussing how to deal with unwanted or hurtful comments […] Read More
Discovering Y.O.U.™ in an Unscripted Chapter of Life.When the ‘unthinkable’ happens and life as you knew it is altered forever, where can you create meaning from your loss and rediscover who you are on your own? In this interactive workshop, we will explore a silver lining mindset to help steer us in the direction of […] Read More
When your loved one dies you may feel that you’ll never be functional again! In this workshop we will explore how to deal with the logistics of loss with a broken brain, utilizing organizing and productivity hacks. You CAN get your mind and space organized. Read More
Moderator: Greg Mais
This workshop is focused on the needs of our widowers, and offered just for the men at camp. We will explore a variety of topics relating to being male and widowed. Read More
Block 3 (2:45pm - 4:00pm)
Anger is an emotion that often comes with grief. It is identified as one of the five stages of grief by Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. Many mistakenly feel badly about feeling angry, not knowing that it is a necessary path along the grief journey towards healing. Some people do not realize that they are angry or even […] Read More
Dance both moves our bodies and frees our souls. In this workshop Allison will be providing basic moves and terminology for several ultra beginner line dances. While we learn to dance we will also be learning the importance of self-care and being introduced to great ways of including movement in our daily lives. Join us […] Read More
Do you feel like a widowed imposter? Have you questioned whether you belong in the “worst club in the world?” Are you keeping secrets about how your person lived or died? When we lose the one we love, we are forced to reckon with who our person was, how they lived (and maybe how they […] Read More
This workshop will offer support for widowed people whose partners died by suicide. We will discuss coping strategies, offer psycho-educational information and provide time and support for participants to meet and interact with others in similar situations. Read More
Prolonged grief disorder (colloquially referred to as “complex grief”) was only recognized in 2022 with the publication of the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health). It is estimated that 10% of all grievers from natural causes and 49% of all grievers from unnatural losses experience Prolonged Grief. This workshop will discuss recent developments […] Read More
We Have a Widowed Person for That (4:15pm - 5:30pm)
Every widowed experience is different, and yet the way the person you love died may influence how you grieve. At Soaring Spirits we’ve discovered that connecting with other people whose loved one died in the same way as yours offers a unique and powerful comfort as you move through your grief. We Have a Widowed […] Read More
Evening Reception (5:30pm - 7:30pm)
Saturday
Morning Yoga Session (7:00am - 8:00am)
Keynote Address (9:00am - 10:00am)
Join The Hummingbird Centre for Hope Executive Director and CoFounder, Marny Williams for our keynote address. Read More
Block 1 (10:15am - 11:30am)
We have all experienced the immediate rejection of our widowed life. The objective is to have participants explore ways to mitigate the worst parts of their widowhood experience and to have people come away with the hope that they can find genuine happiness living a widowed life. Read More
In this workshop, we explore the complexities of grief experienced by individuals with non-traditional losses. Participants from diverse backgrounds join us to challenge societal norms, discuss diverse forms of love and loss, and navigate support systems. By the end, attendees gain a deeper understanding of disenfranchised grief, validation for their experiences, and a renewed connection […] Read More
It’s not about how your person died, it’s about the ongoing traumatic effect that death continues to have on your life. Join Jodi as she expands your definitions of trauma and PTSD and how they impact on your brain and body, as well as tips and tricks to help your identify triggers and journey forward […] Read More
Being widowed is an isolating experience and can be further exacerbated by living in an empty home, all alone. We will be discussing the unique challenges faced by widowed members of our community who do not have the gift of a living legacy of their loved one – children. This workshop is for you whether you were […] Read More
This workshop will create a safe environment using everyday art materials and the basics of colour theory to help express your individual journey and aid in identifying the back and forth emotions we all so commonly have. This is a fun hands on workshop – with no artistic skills required. Based on her own life and […] Read More
Block 2 (11:45am - 1:00pm)
We find ourselves united by something far greater than our pain – the invisible scars that bind us. Together through breathwork, mindfulness and restorative yoga poses we can speak to the resilience that resides within us. Let’s together shine light and hope through our invisible scars. Read More
Grieving takes grit. Life needs vitality. Grieving people often struggle to tackle daily tasks and face the world that presents a new and unwelcome reality. With purposeful effort, we can find the strength to get through the rough days and move forward with our lives while grieving. This session will offer strategies to build grit […] Read More
Moderator: CatherineStem
Can you imagine yourself on a date? Do you even want to start dating again? What will your family and friends say when you decide to start dating again? Does it matter? Read More
Parenting is hard enough when there were two of you but to find yourself a grieving solo parent of grieving children feels just about impossible! How do we raise, support and care for our child(ren) after the death of their parent? Where do we find the words to help them navigate their grieve? How do we differentiate […] Read More
Lunch (1:00pm - 2:30pm)
Block 3 (2:45pm - 4:00pm)
Join Marie for an interactive transformative workshop leveraging the power of food as medicine. Learn easy healthy habits for getting back in the kitchen again even when preparing meals for one. Hear Marie’s health transformation on how she got off every single prescription medication, lost 30 pounds and got ready to embrace life, Part 2, […] Read More
For people who want help envisioning a new future, re-establishing their personal and professional identity and discovering career possibilities that integrate what is most meaningful to them. After losing a spouse you may have to go back to work or decide you want to change careers. However, the idea of relaunching your career after loss […] Read More
This workshop will offer support for members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, and Queer community and consists of small group discussions among those with similar situations. Through a series of rotations, you will find others who you share parts of your unique grief with such as type of loss, time in grief, and type […] Read More
Movement matters. Awaken your body and strengthen your mind while learning the basics of hula hooping in this playful movement class. Hula hooping is powerful movement medicine and can feel like pure joy. Discover this low-impact cardio activity and let your inner-child and dancer play. Let’s creatively move together with great music in a safe […] Read More
Losing a spouse can be one of the most challenging experiences in life, and social support can play a critical role in the healing process. We will explore the science behind the health benefits of friendship for widowed people, including how it can lower the risk of depression, alleviate loneliness, and promote overall well being. We will […] Read More
Planners make lists, we like plans and we like to plan but when your husband dies with only 8 weeks notice suddenly the plan, the really big plans no longer apply. Join in a planning session to discuss how to grieve the plan you lost and work to start planning a new “possible” plan. Read More
Block 4 (4:15pm - 5:30pm)
An interactive approach and discussion of happiness with techniques to a happier life, while respecting grief and the obstacles it presents in the aftermath of losing one’s partner. Read More
Need a laugh for your widowed soul – come laugh at the widowed life. This session includes improvisation games, comedy and participation. Remember what it was like to laugh? No? We forgot too but over time we learned to laugh again. Come share a laugh and have some fun using improv techniques used at the Second City with […] Read More
Loss is a universal and yet unique experience. Learn how to take the lessons of loss and use them to propel you from a life in which you merely survive into one in which you thrive and create new purpose and meaning. Read More
Dating as a widowed person is hard. How do you start? Are you even ready to start? What do you need to know? How do you navigate this new world while still loving your person? How do you date with kids around? So many questions and so many answers. This workshop covers everything dating and […] Read More
Banquet (7:00pm - 11:00pm)
Sunday
Closing Session Breakouts (8:30am - 9:30am)
Please join your Newly Widowed community for a discussion of the weekends’ offerings from the point of view of those who are widowed less than one year. We will also be providing information on how you can stay connected with your widowed community through Soaring Spirits’ programs. Read More
Please join your Recently Widowed community for a discussion of the weekends’ offerings from the point of view of those who are widowed from one to three years. We will also be providing information on how you can stay connected with your widowed community through Soaring Spirits’ programs. Read More
Please join your Middle Widowed Community for a discussion of the weekend’s offerings and to reconnect around the joys and challenges of being widowed three to five years. We will also be providing information on how you can stay connected with your widowed community through Soaring Spirits’ programs. Read More
Please join your Seasoned Widowed Community for a discussion of the weekend’s offerings and to reconnect around the joys and challenges of being widowed five years or more. We will also be providing information on how you can stay connected with your widowed community through Soaring Spirits’ programs. Read More