We Can, So We Do

Giving to South Shore Hospice Palliative Care Society Linda & Peter Roe

When you enter Linda and Peter’s property in Blue Rocks, Lunenburg County, it’s hard to know where to focus your gaze. The house, perched on an outcropping of rocks in the heart of the community, is in a garden full of colour and whimsy, from collected beach combed treasures to crafted works. Towards the back is Linda’s studio, The Art Barn, where she works in a variety of mediums, from encaustic to fibre and acrylic and where Peter’s writings about the pioneers of aviation are on display.

Their home, thoughtfully restored and renovated, is a marriage of both Peter’s skills in design and renovation and Linda’s artistic creativity. The house welcomes you with treasures from their travels, as well as artwork by local artisans and of course, some of Linda’s pieces.

Before they were married on Christmas Eve 1997, Linda was heavily involved in musical theatre productions, creating set décor, for which she was awarded three THEA (Ontario community theatre) awards, as well as production responsibilities. Linda and Peter spent their early married life in Burlington, Ontario, where they were actively involved in the arts community. They were major contributors to the Burlington Art Centre expansion, resulting in the Fine Arts Guild room being named after them.

Having left the busy life of Burlington behind they found a quieter life style in Lunenburg, operating a B & B until they moved to Blue Rocks in 2018. Both Linda and Peter have been involved in various community activities since their move to Nova Scotia in 2008.  What they did not leave behind was a desire to be involved in their community, most recently with Linda’s backdrops for the children’s musical Greenoli. Further afield, they have participated in Habitat for Humanity builds in Iqaluit, Nunavut and Tobique First Nation in New Brunswick.

Linda’s interest in palliative care began at the age of sixteen when she had a part-time job working in a seniors home. This interest continued in Burlington where she painted murals in the Cancer Clinic of the local hospital as well as at the Carpenter Hospice to help create a beautiful setting for end of life.  For the past eight years, Linda has been giving art lessons at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital to the Veterans and long-term care patients.

Linda and Peter give to a number of charities, with the South Shore Hospice Palliative Care Society being a primary charity of choice. Both have a commitment to share the gifts that they have in a way that brings them pleasure, as well as making a meaningful contribution to the community. Linda and Peter contribute financially to the Society and also through the donation of artwork for the Society’s auctions and special events. Linda has created a full wall mural in the Palliative Care Unit at Fishermen’s Memorial Hospital, adding that “Creating a beautiful place for end of life makes me feel happy.”

“We can, so we do, and are grateful that we can share the gifts we have.”

And as a community, we all benefit from their generosity.