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The Haven News Update, Vol 6, Issue 6
Joann Peterson - Living in the Spirit of Loving
"When you do not understand what a person is saying,
do not grasp for every word. Relax and look gently
with your inner eye. Become silent inside and listen
with your deepest self." - Joann Peterson
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This News Update is devoted to the Celebration of Joann Peterson's life, which took place at The Haven on June 23. At the end there is also information on upcoming courses. The July News Update will go out at the usual time in mid-July.
On Saturday June 23, old and new friends of Joann and The Haven gathered together to celebrate the life of Joann Peterson. Nearly 200 people came, as well as Joann's family, to share what was a very special occasion.
We would like to thank everyone who came together to create a day which was the perfect mixture of tears and laughter from the heart. A special thank you to Laurie Kelley and Scott Poole, who, as they so often do, stepped forward and helped make the day possible. Thanks also to the staff of The Haven for all your hard work, Don Mattson for creating Joann's garden, Ernie and Cathy McNally for creating the day, Andrew Best for the wonderful DVD, all the volunteers who helped out on the day and everyone who came and enjoyed the day - even the weather was kind to us!
Sasha Kay, a Haven friend and participant, sent us this email which she wrote to all her Phase One friends the day after our gathering. It's a beautiful and very personal account of the day and she kindly agreed that we could share it - together with photos of the day, taken by Sam Mak.
Thank you for sharing, Sasha … your warm and loving spirit shines through your words.
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"I wanted to share with you my experience yesterday at The Haven, celebrating Joann Peterson's life. We were so fortunate as the weather cooperated and it did not rain until after all of the ceremonies were completed.
Don and I arrived at the Gabriola Ferry on our motorbike, and looked around and saw groups of people greeting each other warmly and knew that they were Haven people, and just seeing this elicited a warm sense of belonging in me.
We gathered in the Phoenix Auditorium (I believe nearly 200 people were there) and Rachel Davey opened the celebrations and then introduced Ernie and Cathy, who acted as MCs.
Their ever-present sensitivity, openness and love set the stage for what was to be a living tribute to an amazing woman. Ben and Jock (who could well be a comedy act) guided us through happy and sad memories, accompanied with special music and songs, and poetry by Jock.
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Then, Ernie and Cathy introduced the video "Living In the Spirit of Loving" that Andrew Best produced.
Thirty-five minutes of the unfolding of a woman's life - a tribute in every respect. Sensitive and honest, revealing in the only way that Joann would have wanted her life to be depicted. The DVD portrayed Joann as the resilient woman she was and the miracle of survival that can be an inspiration to us all.
The closing song on the DVD is amazing. It was written by Ernie especially for Joann and beautifully sung by his brother Steve McNally - it is entitled 'In the Spirit of Loving'. The song is another testament to the warmth and love that Ernie felt for Joann, and the words act like a bridge for us (me!) to reach out to her through his music. Thank you Ernie!
I will not elaborate any more on the DVD as I hope that you will all get the opportunity to see it. The DVD is for sale and the net proceeds go to the Haven Foundation Learning Person to Person fund in Joann's memory.
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NOW AVAILABLE at our online store - limited availability - order today by going to
https://haven.ca/Store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=3
Personally, I believe what Andrew Best produced is not just a tribute to Joann - the DVD also represents what The Haven stands for; it's more than a memorial, it's a living appreciation of everyone who has passed through the doors at The Haven on their journey and of the struggles and triumphs all have endured.
The Peterson family then came on to the stage to share their thoughts and feelings and it was wonderful to finally meet them all. Especially Pete, who patiently had endured Joann's burnt vegetables over the years when she thought their relationship needed some charge and didn't have other ways of expressing it!
The afternoon continued on the lawn outside the lodge where many people shared their stories, feelings, and thoughts of Joann. This was a special time as we were able to reflect and connect with the humanness of us all. A highlight of these ceremonies was the presentation by Director of Education Gwen Ewan of the Diploma in Counseling to Andrew Bing.
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At the end of the ceremony, Ernie asked us to think of something we would all like to say to Joann, and asked us to all turn toward the ocean and, in unison, say it out loud. As we all finished, white doves were released into the sky.
They flew around and around us, with one maverick dove not wanting to fly in unison! It just had to be Joann! And then, miraculously, the lone dove joined the flock and they all disappeared over the tree tops. Thank you to The Haven and to Jane Olynyk for the idea. It is a wonderful memory of the day.
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The icing on the cake, for me, was Joann's Garden, lovingly shaped by Don Mattson, The Haven gardener. This gentle man created a sanctuary, resilient against rain and shine (just like Joann), always growing and changing, and a place to sit and be present with oneself and others. Her spirit is in the garden, as are her words, carved into a stone in her honour, Become silent inside and listen with your deepest self. Perhaps, if you just sit there and be silent and listen, you may hear her heartfelt words again … "Bless your Bones".
So many people were instrumental in putting together this wonderful day, too many to mention, and it was obvious that every one of the staff and volunteers were working in unison to create a day to remember for us and for Joann's family.
I wish you light and love wherever you are when you read this."
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Upcoming Courses
| Jun.29-Jun.30, 2007 |
Mandarin Reflections | McKeen, Wong.B |
($182.00)$197.00 | | Jun.30-Jul.05, 2007 |
Dance and Games for Kids | Goldbeck |
($475.00)$550.00 | | Jul.01-Jul.06, 2007 |
Come Alive | Jackson, Holt |
($630.00)$705.00 | | Jul.01-Jul.06, 2007 |
Come Alive Intern | Jackson, Holt |
($315.00)$390.00 | | Jul.05-Jul.10, 2007 |
Dance and Games for Kids | Goldbeck |
($475.00)$550.00 | | Jul.07-Jul.19, 2007 |
Phase I, Part A | Ewan, Dodge |
($1108.00)$1288.00 | | Jul.07-Jul.19, 2007 |
Phase I, Part A Intern | Ewan, Dodge |
($554.00)$734.00 | | Jul.07-Aug.01, 2007 |
Phase I Self-Awareness | Ewan, Dodge |
($2089.00)$2464.00 | | Jul.07-Aug.01, 2007 |
Phase I Intern | Dodge, Ewan |
($1045.00)$1420.00 | | Jul.12-Jul.17, 2007 |
Dance and Games for Kids | Goldbeck |
($475.00)$550.00 | | Jul.14-Jul.17, 2007 |
Shadow Play | Nicholls |
($406.00)$451.00 | | Jul.17-Jul.22, 2007 |
Dance and Games for Kids | Goldbeck |
($475.00)$550.00 | | Jul.19-Jul.22, 2007 |
The Quantum Laugh - Shifting With Humour | Ames |
($426.00)$471.00 | | Jul.19-Jul.22, 2007 |
Women and Sexuality | Emerson, Merlin |
($456.00)$501.00 | | Jul.20-Aug.01, 2007 |
Phase I, Part B | Ewan, Dodge |
($1108.00)$1288.00 | | Jul.20-Aug.01, 2007 |
Phase I, Part B Intern | Ewan, Dodge |
($554.00)$734.00 | | Jul.23-Jul.28, 2007 |
Dance and Games for Kids | Goldbeck |
($475.00)$550.00 | | Jul.28-Aug.02, 2007 |
Come Alive | LaCroix, Whyte |
($630.00)$705.00 | | Jul.28-Aug.02, 2007 |
Come Alive Intern | LaCroix, Whyte |
($315.00)$390.00 | | Jul.28-Aug.03, 2007 |
If You Really Loved Me... | Baldwin.M, Baldwin.B |
($772.00)$862.00 |
The Legacy continues…
Joann lived a lifetime of seeking, discovering, learning and sharing and we are honoured to be continuing her legacy. These courses are now led by members of the Haven's faculty who worked closely with Joann on these courses for many years.
| Jul.19-Jul.22, 2007 |
Women and Sexuality | Emerson, Merlin |
($456.00)$501.00 |
| Aug.03-Aug.06, 2007 |
Anger, Boundaries and Safety | Greg Gurel |
($456.00)$501.00 |
| Nov.15-Nov.18, 2007 |
Anger, Boundaries and Safety | Greg Gurel |
($456.00)$501.00 |
| Sep.27-Sep.30, 2007 |
Effective Boundaries | Huntington, McNally.C |
($456.00)$501.00 |
| Oct.05-Oct.10, 2007 |
Disengaging Depression | Nicholls, Lemon |
($670.00)$745.00 |
There is always something up at The Haven, to stay informed visit our website www.haven.ca email us at info@haven.ca or call us at 250-247-9211 and
toll-free 1-877 247-9238.
Enjoy the summer and we hope to hear from you or see you soon.
Click here to see the special edition, 'Remembering Joann'.
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