S INCE 1902
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N
Laval
A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
O E M RI AL M GARDEN
Laval
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Published by | URGEL BOURGIE / ATHOS PATRICE CHAVEGROS, GENERAL MANAGER
Produced by | EROD AGENCE CRÉATIVE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: MARGOT BOUDREAU ART DIRECTOR: MARIEVE GAGNON PROJECT MANAGER: VALÉRIE LANDRY COPY: MARGOT BOUDREAU TRANSLATION: LYDIA NOCKELS GRAPHIC DESIGN: MARIEVE GAGNON EDITING: JACQUELINE DINSMORE, CASSANDRA THÉRIAULT
SIN CE 1902
3
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
Director’s Note Patrice Chavegros,
General Manager
Places of rest, memory lanes, gardens of remembrance: If a person is looking to find something new in a cemetery, they will be able to find their cultural, historic and religious heritage, whatever that may be. Today, our cemeteries welcome sentimental visitors, survivors, and families searching for personal memories. Our places of remembrance must continue to change and to innovate. We strive to be at the forefront of our industry, and always meet our clients’ needs while respecting their values and traditions. A leading company in the funeral sector for 120 years, Urgel Bourgie / Athos provides unique places of rest, which become guardians of your memories and values. We design our cemeteries with this in mind, and their mission is constantly evolving. From timeless gardens to contemporary spaces, eco spaces and urban parks, each of our places of rest has its own mission. As you flip through these pages, you will discover the core purpose of our memorial gardens — to promote remembrance. A place where the tranquility of nature soothes those who are grieving. A place where grief and poetry collide to pay tribute to life. Enjoy.
4
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Laval Memorial Garden
7
Funeral Rituals in Today’s World
9
Poetry | Sunshine After Cloud (Josephine D. Heard)
11
Nature to Soothe the Soul
13
Poetry | Near the End of April (William Stanley Braithwaite)
17
Dignity of the Deceased
19
Poetry | Age and Death (Emma Lazarus)
21
Horticulture and Remembrance
23
Funerals and Technology
27
SIN CE 1902
5
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
6
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
“in our vast, peaceful spaces, your family can come together to share their memories, in their own way.”
The Laval Memorial Garden LO O K I N G TO T H E F U T U R E , R E S P EC T I N G T H E PA ST
Since 1902, Urgel Bourgie / Athos has been providing personalized memorial services that respect the beliefs and customs of Quebec families. The company’s mission is to shine a light on the importance of funeral rituals, but also to celebrate and honour life. Welcoming and inclusive, the Laval Contemporary Memorial Garden continually adapts to the newest trends without ever forgetting its past. We are truly open to your values and beliefs and commit to respect and integrate them into our practices. We understand that family plays a key role in funerals, and in our extensive peaceful spaces, your family can come together to share their memories, in their own way. Laval Contemporary Memorial Garden looks to the future, while paying tribute to the past. More than simply a burial site, our memorial garden is a space for living. The chapel can, of course, hold funerals, but also weddings and baptisms, because all stages of life deserve to be celebrated!
SIN CE 1902
7
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
“The funeral ceremony is the first step to accepting separation. However, it is not where the grieving process ends. More than ever, memory plays an important role in rituals surrounding death.”
8
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Funeral Rituals in Today’s World Since the dawn of humanity, we’ve buried our dead. Funerals date back to the very roots of our civilization. Regardless of culture or belief, death has always held an important place in our ceremonies and celebrations. In times gone by, rites of passage, such as baptisms, weddings and funerals, were managed by religious institutions. In today’s day and age, many people decide to celebrate these same moments in their own way. And it is up to us to create our own milestones for these significant life events. Funerals are a way of paying tribute to someone we have lost by celebrating the person they were in life. Funerals
should represent their values, and above all else, comfort the people who have been left behind. In fact, funerals are an important step in the grieving process. That’s why your loved ones’ opinions should be taken into consideration when planning your funeral. The funeral ceremony is the first step to accepting separation. However, it is not where the grieving process ends. More than ever, memories play an important role in rituals surrounding death. The final resting place is therefore just as important as the ceremony itself for those who are grieving. By choosing a significant and inspiring location, we can ensure that the duty of remembrance never fades away.
It is of the utmost importance that family and friends be able to come together to visit the deceased’s final resting place. This is the vision behind our memorial gardens. Welcoming and inclusive, our gardens provide those mourning with a place to reflect, while appreciating the tranquility and peace of mind nature can bring. By choosing the Laval Memorial Garden, you will be providing your loved ones with a beautiful, peaceful space where they can come together and share their memories of you.
SIN CE 1902
9
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
10
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Sunshine After Cloud Come, “Will,” let’s be good friends again, Our wrongs let’s be forgetting, For words bring only useless pain, So wherefore then be fretting. Let’s lay aside imagined wrongs, And ne’er give way to grieving, Life should be filled with joyous songs, No time left for deceiving. I’ll try and not give way to wrath, Nor be so often crying; There must some thorns be in our path, Let’s move them now by trying. How, like a foolish pair were we, To fume about a letter; Time is so precious, you and me; Must spend ours doing better.
‡∙
∙
J O S E P H I N E D. H E A R D
Josephine D. Heard, “Sunshine After Cloud”, Morning Glories, 1890.
SIN CE 1902
11
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
12
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
“Giving yourself up to the peace and quiet around you can help slow your mind and push away any dark thoughts.”
Nature to Soothe the Soul Modern life has driven us to migrate en masse to urban centres and big cities. Although this comes with many resources and opportunities, big cities are also lacking in many things… City dwellers are faced with a much more stressful and demanding social environment. The living conditions in urban centres can lead to chronic diseases and mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. However, even in a city, nature can still soothe the soul — and that’s where ecotherapy comes in.
W H AT I S EC OT H E R A PY ?
Ecotherapy uses our relationship with nature in a therapeutic manner to improve our mental health and wellbeing. According to psychotherapists from the International Association for Ecotherapy, mental health care services could greatly benefit from integrating green spaces into their practices. Indeed, several studies show that therapeutic programs which include outdoor activities (such as walking, running, or gardening) have a beneficial impact on the mental health of those participating in said activities.
N AT U R E — A S O U RC E O F C O M FO RT
Green spaces can nourish the body and soothe the mind. Giving yourself up to the peace and quiet around you can help slow your mind and push away any dark thoughts. Therapy can help you take on obstacles in your path with strength and resilience. For example, grief is a challenge that most of us have to face at some point in our lives. If your emotions are taking over and the weight of your responsibilities seems to be too much to handle on your own, ecotherapy can help you through the storm.
SIN CE 1902
13
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
‡∙
∙
“As families stroll through our gardens, beyond the reach of time, nature provides them with its greatest gift: serenity.”
14
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
S OA K U P A L L T H E B E N E F I T S N AT U R E
N AT U R E A N D O U R M E M O R I A L G A R D E N S
H A S TO O F F E R
To help families on their journey to finding peace, we’ve partnered with the Quebec company Réflexions du Cœur. Ecotherapy is one of the resources provided by founders Martine Lafontaine and Anouk Leblanc. They provide therapeutic support in the tranquility of our memorial gardens to those grieving.
Forests are the perfect place to soak up nature. But, you don’t have to live in the countryside to enjoy the benefits of ecotherapy: green spaces in urban centres work just as well. Whether you’re in a garden, park or on a walking trail, you want to soak up the nature around you, nourishing your body and mind and giving yourself a break. Of course, therapy requires the participation of a health professional, but there’s no reason you cannot implement the principles of ecotherapy into your daily life. For example, you could keep a diary of all the time you spend outside each day. And while you’re taking a break outdoors, try to slow down, breathe deeply, and soak it all up.
Our gardens are designed to help you find peace and to encourage reflection, but they are also spaces for living and remembrance. With tree-lined paths, walkways bordered by flowers and peaceful ponds and streams, our memorial gardens are tranquility incarnate. As families stroll through our gardens, beyond the reach of time, nature provides them with its greatest gift: serenity.
SIN CE 1902
15
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
16
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Near the End of April Near the end of April On the verge of May — And o my heart, the woods were dusk At the close of day. Half a word was spoken Out of half a dream, And God looked in my soul and saw A dawn rise and gleam. Near the end of April Twenty Mays have met, And half a word and half a dream Remember and forget.
‡∙
∙
W I L L I A M S TA N L E Y B R A I T H WA I T E
William Stanley Braithwaite, “Near the End of April”, Lyrics of life and love, 1904.
SIN CE 1902
17
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
18
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
“A person doesn’t cease to exist once they pass away. They may no longer live inside their body, but they certainly live on in the memories of the people who cared for them and in their contributions to life.”
Dignity of the Deceased Our society is becoming increasingly aware of the challenges faced by those at the end of their lives. This awareness has led to a shared realization: everyone has the right to die in dignity. But what about dignity after death? Our current health system supports and cares for patients quickly and efficiently. Yet after death, the sense of urgency all but vanishes. In other words, once a person’s status changes from patient to deceased, they seem to lose their value as a human being. Why is that? A person doesn’t cease to exist once they pass away. They may no longer live inside their body, but they certainly live on in their contributions to life and in
the memories of the people who cared for them. Why then does a deceased person deserve less respect than one who is dying? Does the fact that you can interact with a person who is dying hold more value than the impact their life will leave behind once they have passed away? The answer is no. A deceased human being holds the same value as a living one. And we have a duty to treat the deceased with the same level of humanity we reserve for the living. How then can we change the way people think? Our society does not currently recognize the status of the deceased. A citizen who is living one day and deceased the next is — for want of a better word — abandoned. To ensure
dignity after death, we must recognize the utility and merits of burials. A fitting place of rest is a final mark of respect and should be available to everyone. This, of course, is especially true in our industry. It is our duty to ensure the deceased are treated with dignity at each stage of the funeral process. We are certified by the BNQ (Bureau de normalisation du Québec), which is a badge of honour reflecting the professionalism of our services, from transporting the body to privacy, compliance with laws and regulations, and ensuring our employees receive adequate training. We strive to serve you with integrity and humanity, because as far as we are concerned, dignity in death is not an option, it’s a right.
SIN CE 1902
19
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
20
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Age and Death Come closer, kind, white, long-familiar friend, Embrace me, fold me to thy broad, soft breast. Life has grown strange and cold, but thou dost bend Mild eyes of blessing wooing to my rest. So often hast thou come, and from my side So many hast thou lured, I only bide Thy beck, to follow glad thy steps divine. Thy world is peopled for me; this world’s bare. Through all these years my couch thou didst prepare. Thou art supreme Love — kiss me — I am thine!
‡∙
∙
EMMA LAZARUS
Emma Lazarus, “Age and Death”, The poems of Emma Lazarus, 1889.
SIN CE 1902
21
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
22
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
Horticulture and Memorial Gardens TO E N H A N C E T H E P E AC E F U L F E E L O F O U R GA R D E N S.
Our memorial gardens are exceptional sites where nature and civilization converge, creating a space beyond the reach of time for those who wander the paths. The trees and plants that make up these spaces are masterfully arranged to create a peaceful, pleasant, sustainable garden. Horticulture plays an important role in the design of our memorial gardens. Our company wants to renew the image of traditional cemeteries to align with the values people cherish in today’s day and age. G R E E N S PAC E A RC H I T EC T U R E
We work with expert landscape architects to create gardens that emanate tranquility and peace of mind and that encourage reflection. We also follow the recommendations of environmental specialists to ensure that our memorial gardens are truly in harmony with the environment. To enhance the peaceful feel of our gardens, the walkways are wide and inviting. They are lined with a variety of plants, creating a welcoming environment for visitors that doesn’t leave them feeling overwhelmed or claustrophobic. Visual elements convey the abundance of nature and its enveloping character. Designing the landscaping for a memorial garden requires just as much reflection as designing the plans for a new building. The space needs to flow seamlessly, but it must also submerge the visitor in a reflective experience. Like a silent symphony, the splendour of nature comes alive across the seasons.
SIN CE 1902
23
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
‡∙
∙
“In our peaceful memorial gardens, people in mourning can reflect and share their memories in their own way.”
24
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
T H E I M P O RTA N C E O F T H E E N V I RO N M E N T
The local environment greatly influences the choice of plants selected for our memorial garden. Wet areas, geology and topography all need to be taken into account when designing the landscaping. To encourage sustainability and preserve our mandate of environmental responsibility, we also prioritize plants that are native to Quebec in our memorial gardens. We have opted for maple, birch and oak trees, and like to integrate evergreens such as spruce, pine and larch. They retain their splendour throughout the year and add a touch of colour to the gardens, even when the ground is covered with snow. We also select plants based on environmental activity in the area. While our gardens are, of course, designed for humans, many animal species also find peace there. We work to protect and diversify the wildlife populations in our gardens. A P L AC E TO F I N D P E AC E A N D A P L AC E FO R L I V I N G
From spring to fall, our horticultural team works hard to make our gardens shine. They apply their experience and skills to create beautiful spaces, and they never deviate from their ultimate goal of sustainability and respect for the environment. By combining our horticultural team’s technical expertise with the creativity of our landscape architects, we provide a peaceful, beautiful site to those who are grieving. In our peaceful memorial gardens, people in mourning can reflect and share their memories in their own way. Summer and winter alike, our gardens are open to the public, and we encourage you to come take a stroll and find your personal peaceful spot. The splendour of nature comes to life before our visitors’ very eyes in a fantastic show of colour, whatever the time of year. The natural environment is constantly changing and our gardens are a tribute to life.
SIN CE 1902
25
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
26
L AVA L - A M O D E R N A P P ROAC H TO YO U R T R A D I T I O N S
“Technology has enabled funerals to find their place in the modern world and to look to the future.”
Funerals and Technology Since the dawn of time, humans have always carefully handled the human remains following of theira loved one’s following their death. Yet in today’s world, some people believe that if you have planned your final arrangements for disposition, there is no need for a funeral ceremony. Thus, in a bid for efficiency, we’re losing the meaning behind these crucial gestures proceedings. When faced with the transition from life to death, people are often confused by the meaning of a the funeral and the disposition of the body. However they are actually very different things, and each one is significant in its own way. Funerals refer to the overall gestures activities that pay tribute to the deceased. They are moments for reflection, whenre the deceased’s loved
ones can come together and keep the deceased’s memory alive by sharing their memories. “Funeral ceremonies are the central point of funeral services.” Disposition of the body is the conclusion of the funeral process. Disposition is not about gestures or paying tribute to the deceased, but rather the final stage of the funeral, which consists of providing the deceased with a final resting place, whether they have chosen to be cremated or buried. “Disposition of the body is a complement to the funeral.” Funerals, such as the choice of method of disposition, are the expression of deep-rooted values and beliefs. That’s why it’s so important that they
are chosen by the person preparing for their death, and that they take into account the opinions of the people they will leave behind. The Laval Memorial Garden strives to implement innovation into our funeral traditions. We have developed a range of digital tools to help adapt funerals to the reality of modern-day life, from providing a virtual place of commemoration to well wishes from afar and online ceremonies. Technology can bring families together despite the distance separating them. It can immortalize memories. And can send our thoughts across oceans. Technology has enabled funerals to find their place in the modern world and to look to the future.
SIN CE 1902
27
C O N T E M P O R A RY M E M O R I A L GA R D E N U RG E L BO U RG I E / AT H O S
Laval Memorial Garden 2500, DES PERRON AVENUE, LAVAL (QC) H7J 1G2 514 735.2025 URGELBOURGIE.COM CONTACT@URGELBOURGIE.COM
28