An old wooden rotary telephone sits quietly at the edge of the Little Falls Cemetery in Atikokan.
Unconnected to any wires, its only power source is the heavy breeze rustling through the nearby pines. This is a wind phone, a newly installed monument designed to offer a unique, comforting way for grieving residents to speak to the loved ones they have lost.
The concept of a wind phone originated in Japan as a way to process immense grief. Now, this simple wooden telephone has found its place on the peaceful grounds of the cemetery, offering a quiet sanctuary for anyone seeking connection.
Located close to Little Falls, the quiet phone booth invites visitors to pick up the receiver, dial a familiar number, and let their unspoken words go.
The idea took root here courtesy of Sandra Pooley, who came across a wind phone while walking in British Columbia. After using it to speak to her late husband, Gerry Andrews, she
immediately realized how much Atikokan could benefit from having one here. Bringing the project to life proved to be remarkably seamless; when she approached the cemetery board, they were already brainstorming a similar concept.
To build the structure, Pooley turned to her uncle, Michael St. Pierre, a skilled craftsman who brought the physical booth to life, while Atikokan Fix-It Club members generously donated their time to engrave the comforting poem on the plaque. Pooley covered all of the costs herself.
The structure stands as a tribute to loved ones gone but not forgotten, dedicated in loving memory of Andrews.
Now officially registered on the Ontario Wind Phone Registry, the peaceful sanctuary has already been visited by many of Pooley’s family, who describe the experience as incredibly beautiful.
The process of grieving can feel incredibly isolating, but having a designated physical space to externalize those heavy feelings makes a world of difference. There is no dial tone, and there is no one on the other end, but the act of physically speaking into the receiver allows people to share the updates, secrets and everyday stories they never got to finish.
It is a gentle reminder that a neighborhood is built on the memories of those who came before, and that the wind will carry our words to them.
As visitors begin to discover the wind phone, it may become more than a quiet fixture in the cemetery. It stands as an invitation to remember, to speak, and to heal in one’s own time. In a place already devoted to memory, the phone offers one more way for love to remain present, carried softly through the trees and into the open air.
This is a place for anyone who grieves
You are welcome here.
Pick up the phone
To speak with those you’ve lost.
Let their memory bring you comfort
And may your heart find peace.
To say hello.
To say good-bye.
To say I miss you.
To say I love you.
Let the wind carry your words.
The Wind Phone
