CEO
Parkinson Canada
In our third year as Parkinson Canada we continue to advance the bold vision set by our Board of Directors. Our fundraising efforts continue to yield great results and the important work we do to help thousands of Canadians living with Parkinson’s across the country would not be possible without our generous donors. Your support brought us above the $10 million revenue mark.
We continued our transition to an effective and efficient organization that is growing and strengthening our connections with people with Parkinson’s and their communities. With research and resources comes hope for the over 100,000 Canadians living with Parkinson’s today. That number is expected to double by 2035. We are multiplying our efforts to help find treatments, find a cure, and support living well with Parkinson’s.
We are expanding Parkinson Canada’s Research Program to make an even bigger difference in the Parkinson’s community. Parkinson Canada announced funding for the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN), the first Parkinson-specific collaboration of this scale in Canada. Researchers working across multiple sites and provinces will be able to accelerate discoveries leading to better treatments and hopefully a cure.
In April 2018, Parkinson Canada joined The Parkinson’s Foundation USA and the Movement Disorders Society in Vancouver, BC at the Allied Team Training for Parkinson’s™ for health professionals. The focus was on how to support the whole person with Parkinson’s disease, and engage the person’s care partners in self-management. Parkinson Canada’s Hope on Display showcased people with Parkinson’s and their care partners who do not let the disease define them or limit their spirit and outlook on life.
Also in April, Parkinson Canada, in partnership with the Davis Phinney Foundation and other organizations, gathered the Parkinson’s community in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the Victory Summit®—a day of information and inspiration. Save the date for the next Canadian stop on the tour: Saturday, October 5, 2019, at the Ottawa Conference and Event Centre.
In 2018, developing the second edition of the Canadian Guidelines on Parkinson’s continued, for publication in 2019. The aim of the Guidelines is to enhance the standard of care for all Canadians with Parkinson’s based on best published evidence, expert consensus and practical clinical advice.
Our efforts on Parliament Hill and the growing number of ambassadors continue to fuel changes in policy regarding access to Parkinson’s treatment.
Parkinson Canada is proud of our continued accreditation as one of only 240 organizations in good standing in the Imagine Canada Standards Program.
I would like to express my appreciation to our Chair of the Board, Judi Richardson, for her leadership over her two-year term—it was a pleasure working with such a passionate, committed and engaged board member. I would also like to recognize the long-time contributions of Marc Pittet and John Parkhurst, who have both contributed so much to our organization, locally in Manitoba and Ontario, as well as on a national scale, for their role in unifying the organization or growing our capacity and representing our advocacy efforts each year on Parliament Hill.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to each of you—our donors, partners, volunteers, researchers, and healthcare professionals who all guide those affected by Parkinson’s to live their best possible life. A special thank you to the Parkinson Canada staff who embody our mission every day and keep you at the core of all they do, to bring help and hope to all Canadians living with Parkinson’s.
Enjoy your Summer!
To read our 2018 Annual Report – click here.