How One Family Honoured A Father’s Legacy
By Barb Quinn. Barb has been a member of the Be Ceremonial community for several years, attending in-person retreats, taking our Ceremonial Training, and drawing inspiration from the Be Ceremonial App. This is the story of a ceremony she curated for her family to acknowledge a tree she planted for her father 43 years ago.
For over four decades, I’ve been visiting a Douglas Fir tree along Whistler’s Valley Trail. I planted this tree 43 years ago, in memory of my father, Ernest Douglas Sutcliffe.
What started as a 2-foot sapling had grown into a magnificent 40-foot giant, its branches stretching over Alta Lake with views of the converging downhill runs of Blackcomb and Whistler Mountains. I have sat next to this tree for years, visiting it in all seasons.
This tree holds my father’s memory, but it also holds something more: a connection to a place that has been incredibly important for my family. I decided it was time for my family to discover their Whistler roots.
My Father’s Legacy
My father was the project manager and an active part of the vision team to plan Whistler Village. Looking back, I easily remember how Dad observed patterns in marinas, in airports and shopping malls. He could somehow mix a creative eye with visions of large land developments. People sought his ideas. He loved integrating community and housing spaces with inner paths allowing various means of transportation. False Creek south is a great example.
While he loved blending water scapes with livable healthy environs, he also loved the mountains. A 3D rendition of the proposed Whistler Village lived centre stage in our family life as Dad engaged with governments, with First Nations Chiefs, with provincial reps, financiers, local BC Government officials and fundraisers.
It was an exciting time for our family when the Grand Whistler Village opened in December, 1980.
The Be Ceremonial Framework
When I began planning a Memorial Tree Ceremony, I drew from what I’ve learned with Be Ceremonial to help me understand how I could best acknowledge what was, what is and what will be.
I wanted to acknowledge my father’s legacy as an engineer who helped envision Whistler Village, showing my family how deeply intertwined our history is with the history of this place. I wanted to share with my family how I’ve been visiting this memorial tree over the years, and I hoped the ceremony would create a sacred space where future generations could come to remember their roots.
Their framework helped me form a clear intention and ritual inspiration for bringing together 24 people (17 adults and 7 children), most of whom had never met the man we were gathering to honour.
The Rituals I Chose
I knew there would be children of all ages, so one of my biggest challenges was keeping everyone engaged throughout the day. I chose these rituals to bring the ceremony together:
Morning: Creative Connection
We began with a birdhouse painting activity, a gentle way to introduce the day’s meaning while allowing family members to settle in. As we painted birds and nature symbols that would later adorn Dad’s tree, we shared stories prompted by enlarged black and white photographs my sister had chosen. These images brought our father back to us, unlocking memories of a man who died far too young.
While the paintings dried, people grazed party platters of our family’s favourite finger foods.
Midday: The Tree Ceremony
After months of preparation—clearing dead branches, removing overgrown vegetation, and creating viewing windows through the canopy—the tree site was finally ready. As our parade of Sutcliffes wound down the Valley Trail, I could almost hear Dad saying his favorite phrase: “God’s in heaven and all’s right with the world.”
Standing beneath the towering Douglas Fir, I shared why I’d chosen this spot and how I wanted them to know where it was to remember our heritage. The painted birdhouses and bird-themed messages dotted the lower branches of the tree.
My brother then laid an engraved river stone at the tree’s base while my niece read the story I’d written about Dad’s role in Whistler’s development. In true Dad fashion, we concluded with his tradition of marking special occasions: Purdy’s chocolates and juice boxes, eagerly distributed by excited grandchildren.
Evening: Lakeside Celebration
The ceremony flowed naturally into a casual BBQ at my niece’s lakeside property, where new family memories were photographed and connections deepened over shared food and stories. It was the perfect end to a meaningful day.
What the Ceremony Brought
The Douglas Fir now offers more than personal solace: it’s become a chapter in our family history and a place for future generations to remember their Whistler roots. Each of the 20 painted birdhouses hanging among its branches represents the harmony, vitality, values, creativity, and friendship that defined our gathering.
I tucked a laminated copy of Dad’s story under the memorial stone, ensuring that future visitors would understand his contribution to community life and our family’s legacy in Whistler.
What This Experience Taught Me
I discovered that I’m at ease leading meaningful gatherings when I’m organized and invite others to participate meaningfully. Be Ceremonial’s framework gave me the structure to transform a personal ritual into a family tradition. Their ceremony format brought an ease that helped me create deep meaning while accommodating different comfort levels with ritual and remembrance.
Most importantly, this ceremony reminded me that sacred spaces are meant to be shared. Dad’s tree had been waiting 43 years for this moment, not just for me to remember, but for our entire family to discover where they belong in the story.
