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On a day moms are feted with brunch and flowers for Mother’s Day, a different kind of observance has taken shape in Toronto, Vancouver and Winnipeg.
The non-profit Parentless Club has turned what can be a challenging day for those who’ve lost their moms, into what they call The Pity Party You’ll Actually Want to Go To.
Events include crafts, food, drinks and most of all, support from others who understand loss and the complicated relationship with Mother’s Day.
“I still wanted to continue to commemorate my mom and even celebrate my mom on Mother’s Day but I didn’t have a space to do it,” says Parentless Club co-founder Amanda Katz. “So rather than sitting around and wait(ing) for something to happen, I created this event.”
The inaugural Motherless Day event was held in Winnipeg May 10. It was born in Toronto in 2024 and has taken root in Vancouver too for those honoring and celebrating their late mothers.
Melissa Ridgen
Motherless Day began in Toronto three years ago. Katrina Zborowsky, who lost her mom in a cycling accident in 2020, dreaded the day and happened to be in Toronto for a bachelorette party when she heard about the event.
“Friends convinced me to go and pretty much walked me to the venue and said “If it’s not your space, we’ll come pick you up don’t worry,’” Zborowsky says.
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But it was her space. She attended the following year too and this year, brought the event in Winnipeg.
“Its a place to mingle and have laughter and levity on a day that can kind of be tough for us,” she says.
The hope is to see the idea continue to grow to support those who mark the day differently than those who can still celebrate the day with their mothers.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
