Hill & Robinson Funeral Home & Cremation Centre

01/23/2026

1976, a Year of Firsts and Starts

It was a busy year in Canada with the CN Tower opening on June 26 in time for Canada Day celebrations. Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty, the Timbit made its debut and Montreal welcomed the world to the Summer Olympics, an unforgettable games that saw 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci receive the first ever perfect gymnastic score. On the international front, the G6 became the G7 with the inclusion of Canada as a member.

In science, space travel witnessed the successful landing of the Viking 1 on Mars and the release of the famous “Face on Mars” photo captured by this space craft; later in the year, Viking 2 would also arrive at our planetary neighbour and take the first close-up colour photographs of the planet’s surface.

Technology was big news in 1976 with the formation of many tech giants that continue to be successful to this day. Apple Computer Company was formed by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak with the first personal computer, the Apple I, available to the hobbyist market. Later that year, little-known company, Microsoft, was officially registered as a company and IBM introduced the first commercial laser printer.

In entertainment, moviegoers flocked to see Redford and Hoffman in “All the President’s Men,” Sylvester Stallone in “Rocky” and Robert De Niro in “Taxi Driver.” The most popular tv shows of the year were Happy Days, MASH and Laverne and Shirley. In literature readers flipped the pages of Alex Haley’s “Roots, The Saga of an American Family.” In music, Paul McCartney’s “Silly Love Songs” topped the charts.

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

01/23/2026

View Betty Rock's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

01/22/2026

View Shirley Buck's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

01/19/2026

Dr. Starla Fitch shows us how the ways we’re seeing may be endangering our lives in this poignant, funny talk. Her stories will make you change the way you l...

01/14/2026

Funeral Services and Flower Selections

The following are some considerations when sending flowers in memory of a loved one.

• Casket sprays and standing sprays are typically purchased by the immediate family of the deceased. More distant relatives and friends usually opt to purchase a simple spray or wreath.
• Floral arrangements are sent for both traditional services with a casket and memorial services with an urn.
• When making the purchase with your florist. Address the flowers to the funeral home with a delivery time earlier in the day, which the funeral is to take place on. Label the flowers with the name of the deceased. The funeral home may be hosting more than one funeral that day, so it is important to properly identify who the flowers are for. A condolence card can also accompany the arrangement.
• When deciding on which flowers to send, if you can find out if the family has a certain preference, or if the deceased had a favourite flower, these are both good choices. Or you may wish to research the meaning of different flowers and make a decision based on a certain virtue associated with a particular flower.

Remember you can always call us to find out our protocols for sending flowers to our funeral home. We can help you and even recommend a florist that we regularly work with.

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

01/09/2026

01/06/2026

View Richard Crow's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.

01/05/2026

Change and Starting Over

Grieving changes some people in profound ways, and sometimes the grief journey can give birth to a new life.

Following the loss of someone close, sometimes those who grieve no longer find joy in certain activities they used to do. Things once loved include participating in activities that were once shared with the beloved; doing those things without them can be challenging because strong emotions surface and little or no joy is experienced. This is especially noticeable in the early part of the grief journey. In the early part of grief, the attachment that the griever has to the deceased will make it challenging to think of life and engaging in life again without their beloved. As the griever begins to process the loss and accept the finality of the loss they will begin to find periods of reprieve, which will provide the space for them to engage in life again.

Some suggestions to introduce small changes in one’s life are:
• Keep a journal and write down your thoughts and emotions. This can help you detect when even the smallest of shifts are happening.
• Get outside. Spending time in nature is another way to create a shift. Studies have shown that even viewing pictures of nature can be a helpful tool to shift away from negative thoughts.
• Park judgement and timelines at the door and be self-compassionate. Accepting that grief brings emotional ups and downs will help you understand that you need to show compassion to yourself when you’re having a down day.

The thing to remember when grieving is that emotions are always changing and shifting. This is the natural evolution of grief and learning to accept change. Viewing ups and downs that happen as natural shifts can help us better understand what we are experiencing. By opening our minds, we become better able to forge ahead into a new chapter of our life. This acceptance helps to make the grief journey easier and more manageable.

When the griever experiences changes that are positive it can help to foster healing and growth. In this fresh experience, the griever will be open to new beginnings and accept their new reality more readily. The ability to experience something new in a positive way can provide the griever with a sense of hope that there is a life possible without their beloved.

Margaret Lorrie Beaton, MA, C. Hyp
Bereavement Counsellor

© Hill and Robinson FH/CFHC Online

01/01/2026

Happy New Year!

We wish you a New Year filled with promises of a brighter tomorrow and moments that bring joy to your heart. May 2026 hold good health and much happiness for you and those you cherish.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas and Season’s Greetings

Our team at Hill & Robinson Funeral Home wish you all a pleasurable holiday season! May you share memorable times together as you celebrate family traditions. We hope you are able to be with those who are near and dear to you and that you experience the Christmas spirit, its joys and happiness.

"Christmas isn't just a day, it's a frame of mind."
-Valentine Davies, 'Miracle on 34th Street'

12/23/2025

View Imogene MacKinnon's obituary, contribute to their memorial, see their funeral service details, and more.