The Town of Newmarket hopes to help locals find comfort and cope with grief and loss with the installation of a new wind phone on the Tom Taylor Trail.
The municipality is preparing to install and unveil the wind phone July 11, in partnership with Oasis: A Centre for Bereavement and Healing. The concept, which originated in Japan, is meant to help those grieving through an unconnected phone that carries messages into the wind.
“This joint initiative aims to provide open access to a unique tool for individuals coping with grief and loss,” the municipality said in a news release. “The wind phone stands as a symbol of resilience, offering a serene space for reflection, remembrance, and healing."
Wind phones have popped up in recent years throughout Ontario, including Keswick in 2023. Oasis has partnered and worked to bring wind phones throughout the area, with Newmarket’s wind phone to be made out of a recycled rotary telephone crafted by volunteers Vern Cunningham and Brain North. Oasis plans to install more wind phones throughout the region.
"Oasis’s mission is to help all members of the York Region community navigate their grief journey by providing a central network of safe and valuable resources and support," the municipality said in a news release.
The municipality is installing the wind phone on Tom Taylor Trail between Andrew Street and William Street. It will take place July 11 at 1 p.m., with remarks from Oasis representative and Newmarket Mayor John Taylor.
