Founding Ethics

Living archives for Canadian families

Founded to counteract clinical depersonalization and isolation among Canadian seniors through unhurried listening and oral histories.

100%

family narrative ownership

0

clinical protocols

The Project Roots

Dignity first, memory preserved

Memory Haven Project began around a kitchen table in Ontario, reviewing faded photograph albums and handwritten recipe cards with families navigating cognitive change. We realized that structured reminiscence could replace clinical isolation with profound warmth.

Today, our circles span across Ontario and British Columbia, bringing together volunteers and caregivers who understand that every life story remains fully intact.

Core Ethics

A strict dignity-first charter

We operate under guidelines co-authored by experienced gerontologists and family caregivers. This ensures our storytelling circles prioritize emotional safety, active presence, and absolute narrative ownership above all else.

All recordings, transcribed oral histories, and family artifacts remain strictly private property. We believe that sharing memories should always be an act of sovereign choice, never an institutional archive requirement.

Caregiver Voice

For the first time since the diagnosis, we weren't managing symptoms. We were simply sitting together, laughing over old cassette tapes and remembering who we've always been.

Elena M., family caregiver in British Columbia

Join our community circles

Read our annual report or explore volunteer opportunities across Canada.