It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the passing of our founder and eternal leader, Margaret Ormond.
Margaret, a nurse practitioner, was there in 1999 when Sunshine House was born out of the foundational work of the Kali-Shiva AIDS Society and the Village Clinic. She served continuously in many capacities: board member, special projects coordinator and finally as Sunshine House’s first executive director. It is impossible to overstate how intrinsic her work and philosophy are to everything Sunshine House has done, does now, and will do in the future.
Margaret was the brains and soul of the Sunshine House. She imparted many gifts to this organization and the community – her insistence on respect and inclusion, her belief in education and prevention, her irreverence and stubborn refusal to leave people behind.
When she believed in something — a new project, a nice meal, or a little shit-disturbing — she put every ounce of her physical and mental energy into it. She led with her whole heart. A love and kindness that radiated outward from her tiny frame, carried on a waft of cigarette smoke and seasoned with a few curse words. Her infectious compassion and tenacity will forever live on at the House and in those of us who were lucky enough to work alongside her.
Upon guidance from elders at Sunshine House, we have been holding a sacred fire at the rear of 646 Logan and this will burn until the morning of Tuesday, August 23, 2022. If you would like to share a snack and smoke please feel free to pop by.
A memorial, open to all who were moved by her, will be held at the West End Cultural Centre on Tuesday, August 30 at 1:00 pm.
The memorial will be streamed live at our YouTube channel: Sunshine House on YouTube
