A pay phone planted in the side of a hill in Greater Victoria含羞草研究社檚 Royal Oak Burial Park offers a 含羞草研究社減rofound含羞草研究社� new way to grieve.

The path there is a long one, uphill past the landmark Art Deco building that cost the cemetery board $16,000 to build in the 1930s.

Adorned in painted flowers, birds, greenery and a sweet little dog courtesy of local artist Beth Threlfall, the phone is the newest form of remembrance in the 100-year-old park that is always evolving ways to help people grieve.

The 含羞草研究社渨ind phone含羞草研究社� was created by Japanese architect Itaru Sasaki in 2010 to cope with his cousin含羞草研究社檚 death. The disconnected phone afforded a way to reconnect with the lost loved one by making a 含羞草研究社渃all.含羞草研究社� Put up on his private land, it opened to the public in the following year after a devastating earthquake and tsunami killed more than 15,000 people.

The revelation of a new way to grieve spurred an international movement.

The Royal Oak wind phone is tucked beside the Little Spirits Garden 含羞草研究社� a 2010 addition to support families who experience pregnancy or infant loss 含羞草研究社� and overlooks much of the park.

The location was crucial to Amanda Farrell-Low who embarked on 含羞草研究社渜uite the journey含羞草研究社� of installing a wind phone two years ago. That含羞草研究社檚 when she approacched Royal Oak executive director Ilan Highton, who approached his board and all agreed it aligned with their commitment to serve the community in meaningful ways.

含羞草研究社淭he 含羞草研究社榩hone of the wind含羞草研究社� represents a unique blend of tradition and innovation, offering comfort in the time-honoured setting of a cemetery while introducing a creative approach to mourning and remembrance. We are pleased to see this project come together and look forward to it being a thoughtful and comforting resource for our community,含羞草研究社� Highton said.

Together the pair searched high and low for the right site.

含羞草研究社淭his one just seemed perfect because it含羞草研究社檚 a little bit hidden away含羞草研究社� you kind of have to discover it a bit. You have a bit of privacy,含羞草研究社� Farrell-Low said.

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She learned about the phones from a newspaper article about a Lower Mainland wind phone dedicated in memory of someone lost to overdose and thought it sounded like something Greater Victoria could use. A researcher by nature, she set out to learn more about the wind phone.

含羞草研究社淭hese things started spreading around Japan as a way for people to connect with folks they含羞草研究社檇 lost and now they含羞草研究社檙e all over the world,含羞草研究社� Farrell-Low said.

For her, the idea held personal value. She lost her younger brother Liam to overdose in 2012 and he含羞草研究社檚 actually buried in Royal Oak Burial Park 含羞草研究社� just one reason the location seemed ideal.

含羞草研究社淪ometimes when I come to see him it feels kind of weird going up to this grave in the middle of this field and trying to think about the person or connect with them. The wind phone just seemed like a really cool way to have an excuse to pick up the phone, dial a number and talk to somebody. It can feel like a really profound way to connect with someone,含羞草研究社� she said.

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As the wind phone movement grows, so do the designs, but she had a pay phone in mind 含羞草研究社� not easy to find.

含羞草研究社淚 really thought a pay phone would be great. So I started looking for one and, of course, there aren含羞草研究社檛 a lot anymore right, they含羞草研究社檙e all kind of gone. I reached a few dead ends.含羞草研究社�

Again someone sent her a newspaper story about pay phones with an email that eventually led to Doug Ferguson 含羞草研究社� the guy tasked with decommissioning them across Vancouver Island. Before that he was the guy who kept them operational. He had the perfect 含羞草研究社渉eritage booth含羞草研究社� and donated it to the cause.

含羞草研究社淗e含羞草研究社檚 been really amazing and a really cool person to get to know,含羞草研究社� Farrell-Low said.

Ferguson cleaned up the booth, made sure all the parts were there and helped install it on the Saanich hillside.

Phone found, Farrell-Low reached out to Victoria artist Threlfall, the woman who inspired pole art in Fernwood, then beyond.

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含羞草研究社淪he does a lot of community-based work and work that re-purposes old material so she was a natural partner for this,含羞草研究社� Farrell-Low said.

There are purple flowers for overdose awareness, a little dog to represent Liam含羞草研究社檚 dog, and lupins 含羞草研究社� common in the Yukon where Farrell-Low and her brother grew up. A wind chime hangs on one open side.

A bench and a phone book are in the works, as is the path to the wooded site.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 a simple idea but it含羞草研究社檚 really powerful,含羞草研究社� Farrell-Low said.

She含羞草研究社檚 done a little test phone call but is waiting for a quiet moment, perhaps the anniversary of Liam含羞草研究社檚 death on Jan. 26 for a dedicated chat to him.