Accredited through Imagine Canada, Parkinson Canada puts people living with Parkinson’s at the centre of everything we do. We empower the Parkinson’s community through tailored programs and services, innovative research and advocacy that raises the voice of Canadians impacted by Parkinson’s.

The work we are embarking on in support of our Strategic Plan for 2021–23 demonstrates our commitment to supporting more Canadians on their Parkinson’s journey, raising the voice of people living with Parkinson’s to improve healthcare outcomes and collaborating to drive research innovation that changes lives – all while ensuring we help those impacted by Parkinson’s to live well.

Explore our 2022 impact report

Programs and services

We reach Canadians impacted by Parkinson’s by connecting them to credible evidence-based information and community programs and services that support each individual person’s journey. Thanks to the support of our donors, our trusted information and referral resources and services are available to support Canadians, free of charge, in English and French.

Webinars

Parkinson Canada provides ongoing educational webinars with topics of interest to Canadians impacted by Parkinson’s. These accessible video and audio resources cover topics related to mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.

  • In 2021, we hosted 8 webinars with 14,096 viewers.
  • In 2022, we hosted 13 webinars, reaching over 8,000 people.
  • In 2023, we plan to host 12 webinars.
Support groups

Parkinson Canada has a vast network of support groups across Canada for people living with Parkinson’s, care partners and family members. Support groups are an essential channel for community support for people with Parkinson’s as well as care partners We host support groups, both in-person and virtual, to provide mutual support from other people living with Parkinson’s disease. Support groups offer a safe environment for talking about experiences, enhancing people’s ability to cope with the daily challenges of Parkinson’s.

Some groups are subject-specific (e.g., young onset, newly diagnosed, language-based, and care partners as examples) while others are more general or may be based on region or demographic. Support groups are an excellent place for members to learn and gather information, resources, and strategies for living with Parkinson’s and caring for someone with Parkinson’s from the trained volunteer facilitators and each other.

  • In 2021, we had a network of over 7,000 participants.
  • In 2022, we had a network of over 8,000 people attending support groups across the country.
  • In 2023, we expect a network of 8,200 participants
Information and referral

The Parkinson Canada Information and Referral Helpline is a bilingual, toll-free Canada-wide number for people living with Parkinson’s, their caregivers and healthcare professionals to connect to programs and services across the country. We provide help by phone or email, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET. Call 1-888-664-1974 for more information.

  • In 2021, we received 1,896 emails and 2,200 phone calls.
  • In 2022, we responded to 1,911 emails and 2,094 phone calls.
  • In 2023, we expect to receive 1,950 emails and 2,300 phone calls.
Additional resources

Parkinson Canada provides additional resources throughout the year that can include articles and publications, exercise and wellness resources, podcasts, COVID-resources, information on hot topics, and targeted publications such as Every Victory Counts.

Advocacy

In 2022 Parkinson Canada held a nationwide letter-writing campaign addressed to the federal government to raise awareness of the challenges in accessing care for people with Parkinson’s, particularly wait times for diagnosis and the lack of access to specialist and allied health professional care. 5,216 people from across Canada took action by sending letters to the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Finance, and Minister of Health, to help ensure that Parkinson’s care is made a priority.

We engaged in both the Ontario and Quebec elections which included a Call to Action directed to candidates that centred on the issues related to access to care. 156 stakeholders participated in the Ontario call to action (in comparison to 55 for the 2021 federal election) so our footprint in advocacy and online awareness raising grew threefold. Quebec was a smaller engagement, but I can get those numbers as well.

The regional roundtable reports from our 2021 roundtable engagement with people with Parkinson’s, care partners, researchers, clinicians, and politicians were also released in 2022.

We also held a meeting in follow-up to the roundtable reports to further look for solutions to the challenges in access to care for people with Parkinson’s. The meeting included three people with Parkinson’s and three care partners,  13 Movement Disorder Specialists from seven movement disorder academic clinics (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Halifax) and perspectives brought from four groups of external stakeholders.

Research

Since 1981, Parkinson Canada has funded innovative research including discovery-stage science, fellowships for Movement Disorder Specialists (MDS) and training for the next generation of Parkinson’s research leaders. Thanks to the generosity of its donors, Parkinson Canada:

  • Provides the only grant in Canada for MDS fellowships that allows more doctors to take advantage of the specialized training required to help Canadians with Parkinson’s live well.
    • 25 awards for MDS fellowships since 2006
  • Funds critical research determining optimal exercises to slow the progression of Parkinson’s.
  • Founding partner of the Canadian Open Parkinson Network (C-OPN), a large-scale research network of movement disorder specialists, clinics and Parkinson’s patients from across Canada. The goal of C-OPN is to accelerate research into Parkinson’s Disease through the collection of data (clinical & demographic) and samples (DNA & blood) from participants, and to increase opportunity and participation for clinical trials.
    • To date more than 1,500 participants and 270 members from 10 sites across Canada have enrolled in C-OPN
  • In 2021 (2021-2023 research cycle), $790,000 was invested by Parkinson Canada to fund 16 new research projects.
  • In 2022 (2022-2024 research cycle), more than $1.3 million was invested by Parkinson Canada to fund 23 new research projects.
  • In 2023 (2023-2025 research cycle), more than $1.8 million was invested by Parkinson Canada to fund 29 new research projects.
  • In 2024 (2024-2026 research cycle), we expect to award over $1.8 million.

Fundraising events

SuperWalk

The SuperWalk is the largest annual fundraiser for Parkinson Canada, an important and ever-expanding resource for Canadians living with Parkinson’s and their care partners.

  • In 2021, we welcomed over 1,300 walkers during SuperWalk.
  • In 2022, we welcomed over 1,800 walkers across 30+ in-person and virtual walks.
  • In 2023, we hope to have 2,000 walkers participate in this event.
Pedaling for Parkinson’s

Founded by Canadians for Canadians, Pedaling for Parkinson’s invites cyclists to ride towards progress by funding research and raising awareness for Parkinson Canada.

  • In 2022, we welcomed 245 cyclists across multiple Pedaling for Parkinson’s events.
  • In 2022, we welcomed 133 cyclists across multiple in-person and virtual rides.
  • In 2023, we hope to have 230 cyclists participate in this event.
Growling Beaver Brevet

Founded by cyclists for cyclists, the Growling Beaver Brevet invites participants to ride for wellness while fueling research and raising awareness for Parkinson Canada.

  • In 2021, we welcomed 250 cyclists with 4 routes and a virtual ride.
  • In 2022, we welcomed 209 cyclists with 4 routes and a virtual ride.
  • In 2023, we hope to have 250 cyclists participate in this event.
Volunteers

Volunteers are integral to our work at Parkinson Canada and we strive to provide a volunteer experience that is engaging and meaningful.

  • In 2022, we worked with 500 volunteers across 33 events.

Where does your money go?

Thanks to the generosity of our donors and volunteers, in 2022, Parkinson Canada allocated more than $5.6 million ($4.6 million in 2021) to our mission across Canada. We invested more than $2.0 million ($1.7 million in 2021) in groundbreaking research, over $1.9 million ($2.0 million in 2021) in programs and services, and more than $1.5 million ($0.7 million in 2021) in awareness, advocacy, and public affairs. No other national charity in Canada accomplishes so much for people touched by Parkinson’s. It takes money to fund these accomplishments.

We take great care and concern regarding every dollar that is donated to our organization. We are focused on managing our expenses.

Our investment in fundraising allows us to attract long-term donors to our cause through revenue-generating events and direct mail fundraising, while our administration expenses ensure good organizational governance. We must have qualified senior staff who can provide responsible leadership for our staff and volunteers across the country. We also invest in demonstrating excellence in the five fundamental areas – board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement – that are required to be awarded accreditation by Imagine Canada’s Standards Program. We invest in trust.

The dedication and generosity of our donors and partners – combined with our responsible financial practices – resulted in exceptional revenue growth in 2022. We will continue to invest funds raised in Canada’s best Parkinson’s research, education and services so that people with Parkinson’s can live well today – and tomorrow.

Read more about our financials.