$1-million donation pays for end-of-life space inside new Mi’kmaw Wije'winen Centre in Halifax

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeAtlantic CanadaNewsNova ScotiaHalifax $1-million donation pays for end-of-life space inside new Mi’kmaw Wije'winen Centre in Halifax Family of Liverpool company Mersey Seafoods funds palliative care and death doula training in the Wije’winen Centre Author of the article: By Jen Taplin Published Sep 21, 2026 4 minute read Pam Glode Desrochers, executive director of the Mi'kmaw Native Friendship Society, and Linda Murphy of the J&W Murphy Foundation embrace after Murphy announced a $1 million donation to the Wije'winen Centre, now under construction in Halifax. PHOTO BY TIM KROCHAK /The Chronicle Herald Article content They died alone, and that’s just not right. Article content The replacement for the Mi’Kmaw Native Friendship Centre — called the Wije’winen Centre — was already underway when Pam Glode Desrochers, who is leading the project, recognized a big piece was missing. Article content Article content “Those community members were part of our homeless population that we have, and they are our community members. They belong to us. They belong to somebody. They’re somebody’s brothers, sisters; these are people that belong to us,” she said, adding that these deaths were during the COVID days. Article content Article content “We recognized very quickly that we can’t let our people continue to pass by themselves. It’s part of their journey, and we want to continue that journey with them and be there to support them as they transition.” Article content That realization eventually led to the announcement that the J&W Murphy Foundation, run by the family of the Liverpool-based Mersey Seafoods co-founder Bill Murphy, is donating $1 million for a palliative and end-of-life care space, as well as death doula training, in the new centre. Article content This means when the Wije’winen Centre opens next July, it will offer prenatal to end-of-life services and pretty much everything in between. Article content The latest design image for the Wije’winen Centre, now under construction in downtown Halifax. PHOTO BY FATHOM STUDIO Article content 24-hour daycare? Article content This new component will go in the space previously dedicated to a daycare — but Glode Desrochers told reporters Monday that they’ve recently come up with a new plan for that. Article content They’re planning a development at their old site on Gottingen Street,…