A new art installation at the Bowen Road Cemetery is offering healing one-way conversations with lost loved ones through a 'wind phone'. (Image Credit: City of Nanaimo)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

pause and remember

‘A moment of connection:’ new wind phone installed at Nanaimo cemetery

Jan 31, 2026 | 5:56 AM

NANAIMO — A new art installation at one of the city’s most solemn spaces is now installed.

A wind phone is one of the latest pieces of public art installed through the City of Nanaimo’s Public Art program, and is in place at the Bowen Rd. Cemetery.

The device consists of a disconnected telephone, surrounded by a carved wood box to create an artpiece called ‘Waves’, was created by local artist Mauro Dalla Costa and encourages often cathartic one-way conversations with passed loved ones.

“This Wind Phone is about giving space to words that were never said, or that still need to be spoken. Like waves in water, every voice leaves a trace. It is an invitation to pause, remember, and feel that connection continue outward.”

Bryan Gittings is credited with woodworking aspects of the project, while Carmen Lavoie initiated creation of the wind phone, according to the City.

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The phone is set to become a permanent fixture at the cemetery.

Dalla Costa said the installation is designed to help those grieving, or seeking a connection to loved ones.

“I hope this piece offers comfort, reflection, and a moment of connection for anyone who visits.”

Installed at the Bowen Rd. Cemetery, a wind phone is providing a connection opportunity for those grieving lost loved ones. (Image Credit: City of Nanaimo)

Mayor Leonard Krog echoed the sentiments, saying the artwork is a “profoundly compassionate addition” to the cemetery.

“It offers a quiet space for community members to reflect and find comfort through a shared experience of remembrance. We are grateful to the artist for creating a work that will support and uplift our community for years to come.”

A similar, albeit less formal, wind phone was made available at Piper’s Lagoon in 2025.

The idea stems from an installation in Japan, which was created in 2010 by a garden designer to help with his grief over his deceased cousin.

It was opened to the public a year later after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which killed over 15,000 people.

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