The Story Behind Okotoks’ Windphone

When I lost both of my parents to cancer within seven weeks of each other in 2024, I told my son to “ring the bell” whenever he wanted to speak to them. I wanted him to know that holding space for the ones we love, even after they’re gone, matters.

That simple idea of creating a moment to reach out with words of love, memory, or longing stayed with me. And when our office coordinator, Niki, came across the concept of a Windphone and suggested we bring one to our community, we decided to bring it for everyone to be able to share a special space for our grief.

What Is a Windphone?

A Windphone is a symbolic, unconnected phone; a place where anyone can pick up a receiver and speak aloud to someone they’ve lost. There’s no dial tone, no voicemail, no connection required… except the one carried by the wind itself. This idea first began in Ōtsuchi, Japan, where a phone booth was installed to help people grieve after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Since then, wind phones have appeared around the world as spaces for reflection, memory, and comfort.

Our Windphone in Okotoks

In summer of 2025, we partnered with the Town of Okotoks to install the community’s first wind phone in Laudan Park — a quiet, tree‑lined space where people can stop, sit, and speak what is in their heart. As one local news source shared, the Windphone “offers residents a symbolic way to connect with loved ones who have passed away” and provides a place for both grief and healing in the heart of our town.

Whether visitors choose to say things they never got to say, share a memory that still brings a smile, or simply sit in silence while the wind moves their thoughts and feelings, the phone offers a gentle space to be with grief; without pressure, judgement, or expectation.

Why It Matters

Grief isn’t something you “get over.” It’s part of life lived with love, loss, hope, and resilience. For many people in our community, the Windphone has become a meaningful ritual; a chance to acknowledge love that’s still alive in memory, and to allow emotions a place to land.

What started with a personal moment of loss has blossomed into a shared healing space; one that people from many walks of life are using to transform pain into presence. It’s a reminder that community isn’t just about togetherness in joy, but about holding space together through life’s most challenging seasons.

How This Connects with True Living Counselling & Coaching

At True Living Counselling & Coaching, we believe that healing happens when people are given the dignity to feel deeply, to express honestly, and to be supported without shame. Our work with the Windphone reflects that core value; creating environments where connection, remembrance, and compassion can take shape in a meaningful way.

If you or a loved one are navigating grief, whether recent or long‑term, we’re here to walk with you. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting. It means finding ways to carry what matters with care and strength. True Living Counselling & Coaching offers compassionate support for individuals, children, teens, families, and couples at every stage of the healing journey.