Darte Wellness Centre
From Grief to Growth
Welcome to the Darte Wellness Centre
At the Darte Wellness Centre, we empower our community to honour their grief, find meaning in their loss, and embark on a path towards healing and renewal. We aim to inspire and guide our community towards a culture of healing and wellness. We are here for you when you’re ready.
The following are some of the tools available at no cost to assist you in your healing journey. If you’re still having trouble locating information or finding what you need, contact us to find other resources to help support you from grief to growth.
On-Staff Bereavement Specialist
Susan Kalchman, our on-staff Bereavement Specialist works closely with the George Darte Funeral Home through the Darte Wellness Centre to provide our clients with a variety of different types of grief support.
Grief Recovery Outreach Program
Our Grief Recovery Outreach Program since 1979 was created to be an accessible form of grief support which focuses on the specific needs of the families we serve.
We focus on the steps you can take to heal from both the big and small aspects of your loss. You will learn what actions are required for healing. You will have an opportunity to talk privately about your own pain and you will hear others talk about theirs.
In group sessions, classes will meet for two hours a week for six weeks, focusing on the strategies needed to heal from any loss. Each week focuses on a different area of grief that will help an individual navigate their loss.
For Further Details:
Parental Loss Support Program
Our Parental Loss Support Program offers parents support and healing strategies to help with the loss of a child. Individuals can share their experience, give and receive emotional support and learn healing tips in a safe and non-judgemental environment.
Specialized Infant Support
The loss of a child is extremely difficult. Our specialized staff are here to assist families through the loss of an infant.
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Therapy Tails
Our “Paws for Comfort” program is run in collaboration with the volunteer not-for-profit charity Therapy Tails Ontario. We have worked diligently to offer families at our funeral home the opportunity to have specially trained therapy dogs and their handlers present during time spent at our facility. Whether it be a gathering period, celebration of life, or any other needed duration, these dogs are available at our families’ request.
Therapy dogs have the innate ability to sense a person’s emotional needs, and then react with unconditional love. Interacting with dogs can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, helping to relax and bring a moment of relief to some of life’s hardest moments.
Words aren’t required. All it takes is the nudge of a cold, wet nose, the raising of a paw to say hello or simply, the gentle look into a dog’s eyes to feel their love. Therapy dogs are the perfect companions in the funeral home as they provide a calm, non-judgmental presence to those experiencing loss.
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Aftercare Support
Our Aftercare Support service is a useful resource for families following the death of a loved one. This service provides families with assistance completing administrative duties that arise when a death has taken place. Our Aftercare Specialist will contact you following your loved one’s services are complete to set up an appointment to assist you. Where applicable, some of the following items are examples of what our Aftercare Specialist will assist and provide guidance on:
- Notifying the Ministry of Health
- CPP – Death Benefit Application
- CPP – Survivor’s Pension Application
- Certify Marriage Certificate & Return It To Family
- Advice On Closing Credit/Rewards/Membership Cards
- Offer Education & Assistance With Pre-Arranging Of The Survivors Funeral Needs
For Further Details:
Children’s Grief Support Room
Children experience grief differently than adults. We are equipped with a Children’s Grief Support Room curated specifically to help young ones through the grieving process. The room provides children with a safe space to feel supported and explore their feelings in loss. Inside, children will find the important tools, including educational books and toys, to help them through their grief journey. Our comfort bear, Ozzie, also lives inside the Children’s Grief Support Room as well as our Tree of Hope. Participating in therapeutic activities can offer a sense of release and catharsis, allowing children to process emotions in a supportive environment.
For Further Details:
Ozzie
Ozzie is our comfort bear here at the Darte Wellness Centre and George Darte Funeral Home & Cremation Centre. Children who have lost someone close to them are given an Ozzie bear to adopt and keep close to them during their grief journey. Ozzie is named after our owner’s father Osgoode Darte.
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Lending Library
Our Lending Library can also be found at our Darte Wellness Centre. The library is filled with books on how to navigate the grief process for all ages. Come by to borrow a book!
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Forging Friendships through Grief Support
Meet Liz Zwierschke (right) and Sonja Bucknam (left). Liz lost her husband on November, 21, 2023. Two months later on January 22, 2024, Sonja’s husband also passed away. Although the two were strangers, they experienced grief on a similar timeline.
After being faced with loss, their paths crossed at a Darte Wellness Centre Grief Recovery Outreach Program.
Liz and Sonja quickly became friends, finding comfort in speaking openly about their grief with one another.
While Liz and Sonja continue to take part in the Darte Wellness Centre Grief Recovery Outreach Program, they also often meet up for walks or to have lunch together.
The program has been a “lifeline” for the two thanks to its facilitator, Susan Kalchman, the Darte Wellness Centres Grief Counsellor.
Without the program and Kalchman’s support, “I feel like I would be in a boat just swirling around with no direction and no hope, going nowhere,” said Liz.
“God Bless George Darte for bringing in this program, truly. I hope it continues to grow,” she added.
❤️ Thank you so much to Liz and Sonja for sharing their story with us.
We’re here to provide comfort, guidance, and meaningful support for those navigating loss.
To learn more about the Darte Wellness Centre and the wide variety of grief support and resources we offer, call or email Susan directly. Donations to any of the grief programs run through our Darte Wellness Centre are welcome and appreciated!
Emails will be answered within 24 hours.
If it is an emergency, please call (905) 937-4444
