Page 22 - ECF_Thrive-Sept-2025

Transforming
Grief Turning loss into a legacy of hope
By LISA OSTROWSKI | Photos COOPER & O’HARA
hen Carisa and Neville
Britton first met as university
students, the pair had no idea
that a chance meeting in the
library would lead them to build a legacy in
Edmonton: a city they didn’t yet know would
one day be their home.
“I moved away from my parents and went
to university, and that’s how I met Neville, and
then it sort of blossomed into something. He
was like my best friend,” explains Carisa. “I
really believe in being best friends, and then
you can weather any storm.”
Now, more than 20 years after their first
meeting — and nearly 5,000 kilometres
away — the two have set down roots in
Edmonton, and weathered many storms
together. In December 2012, Neville moved
to Edmonton for a job opportunity. And
although the climate was a far cry from the
Caribbean temperatures he was used to, he
was determined to make it work.
“It was a challenge at first, but I think the
resilience and mindset change made things a
little bit easier to absorb because I’m a person
that if I put my mind and my heart into
something, regardless of the challenges, I’ll
make it work,” he says.
As Neville layered up in Edmonton,
Carisa prepared to follow suit. In 2013, after
researching the city and the community of
people who call Edmonton home, she packed
her bags and joined Neville in Edmonton. In
time, the couple came to love their new home.
As the Brittons adjusted to the cooler
climate, the couple settled in, and became
more involved in the community through
Neville’s work and Carisa’s involvement in a
local chapter of Rotary International.
22 Together we thrive