Blog Articles

Hospice Heartbeats: Margaret’s Place Hospice at St. Joseph’s Villa Wins 2025 MPG Innovation Award

In a quiet room at Margaret’s Place Hospice, a heartbeat is recorded – not for diagnosis, but for memory. That simple rhythm becomes a song, a keepsake, a legacy. This deeply human innovation has earned the team at Margaret’s Place Hospice at St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, Ont., the 2025 Mount Pleasant Group Innovation Award.

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Marisa Koyata: An Inspirational Baker

More than 25 years ago, following the abrupt end of her marriage, Marisa Koyata was left to raise three daughters – all under the age of six – on her own. Having previously left her job as a court clerk with the City of Toronto to care for her young family, Marisa suddenly found herself starting over, alone. Forced to come up with ways to help make ends meet, she started baking.

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Hospice Northwest of Thunder Bay Wins the Inaugural Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award

The first ever Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award, which includes a donation of $10,000, has been awarded to Hospice Northwest of Thunder Bay for their work with the Palliative Advocacy Care Team (PACT).

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Teddy Nanan: MPG’s Trailblazing Crematorium Operator

When Teddy Nanan moved to Toronto from Trinidad more than 40 years ago, he lived just steps from Prospect Cemetery. He’d walk by it daily, quietly imagining a career with Mount Pleasant Group (MPG).

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How Pottery Gives Dawn Rumsey Balance

For nearly 40 years, Dawn Rumsey has been a dedicated member of the Mount Pleasant Group (MPG), helping families navigate some of life’s most difficult moments. As the Manager of Cemetery Services at Beechwood Cemetery, she ensures operations run smoothly, supports her team and helps maintain strong relationships with the community. But when the workday ends, Dawn steps away from the world of cemetery services and into a something different – pottery.

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Talking Music and Family with Nelson Boaventura

Nelson Boaventura, Manager of Cemetery Services at Elgin Mills Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Centres, is rarely at his desk – and that’s just the way he likes it.

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Natasha Bryan: Funeral Director by Day, DJ by Night

After spending 20 years as a DJ and working in social services, Natasha Bryan made a bold career shift by enrolling in Humber College’s Funeral Services program at the age of 40.

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Hannah Boyd Goes Above and Beyond

Mount Pleasant Group employee Hannah Boyd recently returned from maternity leave to her role in the Learning and Development team, where she trains new staff on cemetery and funeral products and services. Before this, she spent several years as a licensed embalmer and funeral director at The Simple Alternative Pickering (TSAP).

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HPCO and MPG Introduce the Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award

As part of its continued partnership with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO), the Mount Pleasant Group (MPG) is pleased to support the Mount Pleasant Group Equity in Action Award—an initiative that aims to shine a light on the vital work being done to promote greater access to hospice palliative care for equity-deserving communities across Ontario. These communities may include, but are not limited to, BIPOC populations, 2SLGBTQI+ individuals, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, those living with dementia and people experiencing homelessness.

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Growing up on Cemetery Grounds Led Patty Harris to a 35-Year Career at MPG

Patty Harris has been around cemeteries for as long as she can remember. Her paternal grandfather was the manager of St. Peter’s Cemetery in London, Ont., and her father grew up in the house on the property. She and her two siblings spent a lot of time visiting her grandparents there.

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Linda Lee's Historical Journey in Death Care

Linda Lee’s journey into the funeral service industry began as a teenager when her father became a business partner in a funeral home.

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Angie Aquino: A 45-Year Career at MPG

Angie Aquino’s remarkable career with Mount Pleasant Group (MPG) began at 17, when she was a high school student volunteering at a local hospital.

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Remembrance Day Holds Extra Meaning for Mark Harvie

For 40 years, Mark Harvie has been a dedicated staff member of Mount Pleasant Group, with 35 of those years spent as a mechanic and the last five as Manager of Equipment Maintenance Services with the repair shop.

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Liz Chow Finds Her Passion as Arborist and Earns Recognition at Ontario Tree Climbing Championships

Liz Chow has finally found her calling. Originally studying to be a nurse but finding that too stressful, she went to school to become a firefighter. But ultimately, it was the trees that won her over.

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Toronto Necropolis History Tour

Come explore the rich and untold histories of the Toronto Necropolis, guided by Chantal Morris of Toronto Cemetery Tours.
Please dress for the weather, as the tour will proceed rain or shine.

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