Corinna Kieft Storyteller

Melanie Archibald “just had a big heart.”

“She had a lot of energy and she had a natural inclination towards connecting with people,” said friend Nathan Lawr. “It was something remarkable to see … there was a room full of 200 people, all gathering because they were touched by her in one way or another.”

The crowd was there to see “6 Bands for 4 Bucks”. In the end, ten bands played, including Lawr, with the event page citing that they “couldn’t say no to some of Mel’s faves and pals!”

“By having an event such as this, you’re keeping their memory alive,” Claire Coulter said. Hosted Jan. 25, 2025 at Guelph Farmer’s Market, the event hoped to raise money for a cause close to Melanie’s heart. Sanguen Health Centre was a “no-brainer,” Coulter said.

“Those were her colleagues in attendance, so they knew and loved Melanie just like we did,” said Coulter. Archibald once worked for the Sanguen Health Centre, and felt passionately about the medical treatment and support they provide in the community, particularly to unhoused individuals. More than $9,000 was raised in total, through the $4 ticket sales, individual donations, a silent auction, and a raffle.

Lawr spoke about the importance of what happens after losing someone, stressing its importance to the people “left behind.”

“If you do it right, you can [turn that loss] into an area of new growth where new connections are made,” Lawr said. “We really needed this.”

Coulter described that everything at the event contained a “thread back to Melanie,” from the silent auction items from her personal collection of cookbooks, to the herbal tea served with honey she collected herself, to a song from a music video that she was featured in.

Coulter says an event like “6 Bands for 4 Bucks” doesn’t just keep someone’s memory alive. “You’re continuing your relationship with that person.”