One year has gone by....
Dwight shared a story about how he and Chris used to enjoy lamb at a Greek restaurant in Vancouver. Lamb chops are one of our favourites and we wanted to invite Chris' spirit to enjoy homemade lamb chops prepared the Mediterranean way. Nearly every time we saw Chris, it was over a fine meal, either in her kitchen or at an international restaurant. Those meals were filled with lively conversation, lots of laughter and good feelings. We always had good feelings when we saw Chris. She was always in high spirits, and on this day of her anniversary, her spirit again brought us smiles and the desire to keep her close to us. We are so grateful for the life we have, and we wanted to share our happy life with her.
After dinner, we took her plate to a special place we had found. It is high above Malaga city. We followed streets that took us high up, and in those hills there is the Alcazaba, which is a fortress that was first constructed in the 11th century, when Muslims ruled Andalusia. We know Chris would enjoy that history. It is adjacent to the remnants of a Roman theatre, dating to the 1st century AD. On the way to the special place, we passed through a tunnel. Musicians and singers often stop to perform in that tunnel because the acoustics are so good. Beautiful sounds come from that tunnel all the time. That also made us think of Chris.
Then we passed through a restricted area, going higher. We climbed rocks to get to a quiet place where there is always sunshine and shade. We found a tree that has a good view of Alcazaba and the Malaga Cathedral. We like these because they represent both of our cultures and identities. Also the location is perfect because it is secluded, and has a view of the city of Malaga, the mountains and the sea. In this way, we felt Chris' spirit with us as we discovered this place.
We wanted to share with you our time with Chris.
With big hugs and good wishes.
Linda and Hatem
One year has gone by Christine Powless and your light is still burning bright in our lives. We miss the time we spent together, our talks, the laughter, and most importantly all the wisdom and knowledge you shared with us.
Meegwetch,
Marian and Vince
Christine is very much in our thoughts this morning, as we remember her passing a year ago, and we continue to miss our friend.
For sure, this day must be hard for you. Please know that we are thinking of you. We hope that the wonderful memories you have of her somehow help you through.
Christine may be gone, but she is certainly not forgotten. She lives in our hearts and in our thoughts.
Hugs from both of us. ❤️🌺
MoJo and Simon
Chris is no longer with us physically, but her spirit remains strong and is present for all of us who know and lover her. My task then is to bring this to fruition. My understanding of how to do this properly was to look at who she was and what was important. Words were very important to her both spoken and written. I know my culture values the spoken words and the culture that she was from values the written word. I will continue with partnering with her spirit in the Indigenous way by doing our ceremony for those spirits who have left us. I see this endeavor though as a way for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous friends to also participate in their way by writing about their perceptions and experiences with her. This type of sharing helps us all by choosing life in our words and thoughts. The physical presence may be gone, however that is only a part of us, we still need to help ourselves by recognizing that the other part of us can still remain connected. That’s why I encourage you to write about her whenever the urge or thought strikes you. Sometimes it might be a memory of a talk or a joke and writing it on this site will strengthen that spirit and yours as well.
When someone we love passes, we tend to think about how they impacted our lives and how we feel about their being gone. These stories reveal something about the person, but only through our own feelings and experiences. With this living document, I invite you to remember who Chris was. This is about Christine, not you and me. This is what she wanted.
Dwight and Christine Powless Indigenous Achievement Scholarship
This scholarship, made possible by Dwight and Christine Powless, will be awarded at convocations to the graduating Indigenous learner with the highest GPA.
This scholarship recognizes the outstanding achievement of Indigenous students at Algonquin College. It acknowledges these individuals’ hard work and dedication, and supports them as they transition from school to the world of work.
If you wish to make a contribution to the Indigenous Achievement Scholarship visit Dwight and Christine Powless Indigenous Achievement Scholarship | Advancement and Strategy (algonquincollege.com)
If you have any stories you would like to share about your time with Christine,
please feel free to send them to