It’s the first of its kind in the area but a local woman hopes it may bring comfort for those who have lost someone close.
Cobourg resident Emily Johnson along with her Aunt Lori Simpson and Uncle Mark Simpson installed what is called a Wind Phone off County Road 45 on Woodland Trail on June 29, 2023.
There are Wind Phones across the world, but the first one was created by a man from Japan who was grieving his cousin who died of cancer.
After purchasing an old phone booth, he installed a rotary phone which is not connected to anything.
The man felt a healing that he could speak to his cousin through the phone and called it The Telephone of the Wind.
A year later a tsunami devastated the country.
Many mourners visited his phone booth over time and it helped them heal with their grief.
Today there are Wind Phones across the globe.
Johnson describes it as a, “mental health tool to talk to people who are no longer with us” and created it for her husband Christian, who lost his father Joseph “Dale” Johnson in 2016.
The couple moved to Canada from the United States in 2020 during the pandemic and Johnson said it’s been very tough for him.
When Johnson found out there were no Wind Phones near she reached out to Northumberland County about placing one in a peaceful area of the forest and they were very receptive.
‘I think a lot of people will get use out of it and I think a lot of people will get some relief.”
Johnson came up with the design of it, but both her Aunt and Uncle helped out tremendously.
Northumberland Forest will be installing a bench and Johnson said there are two other signs that are very important in the booth.
A Talk Suicide Canada 1-833-456-4566 or txt 45645 and Mental Health Resources 1-866-995-9933 and a plaque dedicating the both to her husbands father, “Dedicated in living memory of Joseph “Dale” Johnson.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
