For 2 decades, B.C. florist has been bringing joy to end-of-life patients with a free bouquet every week

For the elderly residents of the North Okanagan Hospice Society in Vernon, B.C., every Monday is a good day. 

For the last two decades, Vernon Flower Shop owner Jake Spoor has been hand-delivering fresh bouquets every week for free to seniors nearing the end of life.

"It's a great idea, you know, to cheer somebody up for a while," Spoor, 81, told host Chris Walker on CBC's Daybreak South.

Spoor and his parents, who were also florists, came to Canada from the Netherlands in 1951.

In 1977, after years of back pain from working local orchards, he says he decided to buy a flower shop, in part, to fulfil his parents' dream of running a flower business in Canada.

Spoor says he had a conversation in early 2001 with his staff about how to give back to the community.

"We felt we should give flowers to an organization," he said. "Looking around at potential candidates, he says, one of his staff members said, 'Why don't we do the hospice society?'"

Founded in 1984, the North Okanagan Hospice Society provides end-of-life patients with pain and symptom management and a break from caregiving for families. 

Support services leader Tanya Stilborn, who has been working with the hospice for six years, says she first learned about Spoor from her executive director and estimates that, over the years, her clients have received from Spoor more than 13,000 flower arrangements which are tailor-made based on their gender with a tag that says "to brighten your day."

Stilborn says these gifts have meant a lot to hospice residents during their final weeks of life.

"Those little bright spots in their day are really something to focus on," she said. "There's a lot of joy that lights up their face when they see ... this beautiful little arrangement every Monday."

"It's uplifting, and it's thoughtful."

Spoor says he doesn't mind the cost and intends to continue providing the service for as long as he can.

"Well, we can't stop this. The staff would really be annoyed if I ever said to stop a day of doing it."