The time is drawing near once again for NOTL Palliative Care’s annual butterfly release event, where participants join in dedicating a butterfly to someone they love who has passed way — then, setting that butterfly free out into the world.

This will be the third-annual butterfly release in Niagara-on-the-Lake, which will take place this year on Saturday, June 15 at the NOTL Community Centre from 1 to 3 p.m.

The event is meant as an opportunity for those grieving the loss of a loved one to honour them and process their grief with others.

“Grief is an intricate ever-evolving journey that impacts everyone differently. It alters the way we perceive life, leaving us with memories that tug at our hearts, reminding us of what we had and what we now carry in our hearts,” wrote Bonnie Bagnulo, Palliative Care’s executive director, in an email.

The palliative care organization hosted the first event of this kind, in which participants released indigenous painted lady butterflies from the community centre, in June 2022.

Alongside participating in the ceremonial process of releasing a butterfly, the service is a way to support others in the community carrying grief, “listening with compassion and without judgement,” Bagnulo wrote.

“With our societal norms to engage, ambiguous and disenfranchised grief is often hard to recognize in others,” she continued. “Witnessing grief is a show of love and support that expresses, ‘I’m here for you, I see your grief.'”

To reserve a spot, and a butterfly, contact the Palliative Care group at notlpc@bellnet.ca. The cost of reservation is $25.

For more information, visit notlpc.com or call 905-468-4433.