Mourning in Montreal: Guide for Collective Mourning Rituals during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Guide
2020
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the deaths of a great many in a short space of time. This guide is intended for those who are grieving: families, loved ones, and the many caregivers. During the pandemic, their grief was compounded by the general climate of uncertainty and the lockdown measures put in place to slow the spread of the virus.
The Montreal region, epicentre of the disease in Quebec and Canada, was particularly affected. To respond to the distress of the bereaved, the Direction régionale de santé publique of the CIUSSS du Centre- Sud-de-l’Île-de-Montréal proposed holding collective mourning rituals as a special way of coming to terms with loss, supporting the bereaved and giving meaning to these tragic deaths.
Authors: Valérie Bourgeois-Guérin, Barbara Fillion, Zelda Freitas, Étienne Lajoie, Dre. Paule Lebel, Camille Poirier-Veilleux et Isabelle Van Pevenage
