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Honouring our past, present and future

We are celebrating 25 years of Pallium Canada and 50 years of palliative care in Canada. Our story is one of compassion in action, driven by leadership, collaboration, and a shared commitment to better care.

Together, we’re turning compassion into action and driving change across Canada.

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Explore Pallium Canada's journey

Compassion in action: transforming palliative care together

For 25 years, Pallium Canada has been at the forefront of advancing palliative care. As we reflect this milestone, we celebrate the incredible strides we have made alongside our learners, facilitators, partners, and supporters to strengthen the quality and availability of palliative care.

This year also marks 50 years of palliative care in Canada. What began as a pioneering vision is now a powerful force for change, and we are proud to be part of that legacy.

Join us in creating lasting change.
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50 years of palliative care in Canada

Over the past 50 years, palliative care in Canada has grown from a single service to a national movement, thanks to the tireless dedication of health care professionals, advocates and organizations, working to advance compassionate care for those with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

1975: Balfour Mount establishes Canada’s first ‘palliative’ service at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal.
1985: The Journal of Palliative Care becomes the first Canadian journal dedicated to hospice palliative care. The Jocelyn House in Manitoba becomes Canada’s first free-standing hospice.
1991: The Canadian Palliative Care Association (now the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association) is established.
1993: The Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians (now the Canadian Society of Palliative Medicine) is formed.
1990s: Efforts intensify to integrate palliative care into hospitals, hospice care, and long-term care settings.
2000: The Standing Senate Committee releases a report with 14 key recommendations, and the Quality End-of-Life Care Coalition of Canada (now the Palliative Care Coalition of Canada) is launched.

25 years of Pallium Canada

At Pallium Canada, our mission has always been to provide health care professionals with the tools, knowledge, and skills to turn compassion into action. Over the years, we’ve built a national network of caregivers, educators, and partners dedicated to transforming palliative care in their communities.

Our beginnings

In the mid 1990’s, a man with advanced cancer named George walked into Dr. José Pereira’s office in rural southern Manitoba. He was experiencing severe pain and no physicians had been able to help him. George knew he was terminally ill and was not afraid of dying but was fearful of suffering in whatever time he had remaining.

Dr. Pereira, not yet trained in palliative care, couldn’t offer the relief George needed. Before leaving, George turned to Dr. Pereira and said, “I hope one day doctors like you can better look after people like me.” This moment became the inspiration behind Pallium Canada.

Watch Dr. José Pereira, co-founder of Pallium Canada, share the story.

Foundation work

Pallium Canada’s journey began in 2000 with the creation of the Canadian Pallium Project, focused on addressing gaps in palliative care in rural and remote communities. During this time, the groundwork was laid for what would become a national effort to improve palliative care across Canada.

Key milestones
  • The PALLIUM Project was founded in Alberta, Canada by Dr. Jose Pereira, Michael Aherne and Dr. Srini Chary in 2000.
  • Developed and piloted the first Rural Weekend Retreat (RWR) in 2001, a two-day interprofessional training program tailored to primary care providers in rural and remote communities.
  • By 2003, approximately 20 regional palliative care courses were delivered across Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba by 20 facilitators.

Dr. Jose Pereira presenting at the Pallium Project Launch on April 27, 2001.

Expanding across the country

Pallium Canada looked outwards and began expanding its national footprint. Thanks to generous funding and a commitment to accessibility, we expanded our reach, ensuring that health care professionals in more provinces had access to interprofessional training.

Key milestones
  • Secured $4.2M in 2003 from Health Canada’s Primary Health Care Transition Fund, enabling Pallium to expand our programs into British Columbia, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, as well as establish satellite operations in Atlantic and Eastern Canada.
  • Between 2003 and 2005, we delivered 43 courses across Canada, reaching more than 1,000 learners and beginning to build a national network of health care providers trained in palliative care.
  • The first Learning Essential Approaches to Palliative Care (LEAP) course was launched in 2006, evolving from the earlier Palliative Regional Weekend Course. In 2007, we launched a French version for Quebec and Francophone communities across Canada.
  • In 2007, the first edition of the Pallium Palliative Pocketbook, a practical resource for health care providers delivering palliative care, was published.

We held our first LEAP Facilitator orientation in Calgary, Alberta in August 2004.

A new era of growth

Pallium officially became Pallium Canada in 2012 and entered a period of revitalization and innovation. We focused on expanding our reach and developing new programs to address emerging needs. The foundation we built in these years allowed us to continue growing and adapting to an evolving health care landscape.

Key milestones
  • In 2012, after receiving two transformational and critical gifts from the Estate of the Late Patrick Gillin, we officially became the Pallium Foundation of Canada (Pallium Canada) and relocated from Edmonton, Alberta to Ottawa, Ontario.
  • We received $3 million in funding from the Federal Economic Action Plan in 2013, allowing us to increase our education capacity and expand our programs nationwide.
  • Our most popular course, LEAP Core, a 2 day, in-person course, was launched in 2013. That same year, we piloted LEAP Long-Term Care for the first time.
  • We launched the Pallium Portal (now called Pallium Central), our online learning management system, in 2014.
  • The 2nd edition of the Pallium Palliative Pocketbook, including an e-book version, was launched in 2016, alongside the introduction of the Pallium App.

In 2015, we hosted a LEAP Long-Term Care Pilot with the Toronto Central LHIN.

Innovating to meet evolving needs

As we entered this phase, we embraced new leadership, technologies and approaches to keep pace with the changing needs of health care providers. The introduction of online learning and specialized courses became essential in expanding our reach and ensuring that providers had the tools they needed to succeed. This period was marked by fresh perspectives and innovative strategies to connect, educate, and support our community more effectively.

Key milestones
  • A new CEO was appointed in late 2017, followed by the hiring of a VP, Operations in early 2018, bringing fresh leadership and strategic direction to the organization.
  • We expanded our LEAP courses in 2017 to include LEAP Mini and to cover specialized areas such as LEAP Renal.
  • In early 2018, the organization adopted a social enterprise model, leveraging a mission-driven approach to generate revenue while maintaining a strong focus on social impact and expanding access to palliative care education and resources.
  • In 2018, we launched our first online self-learning modules, including Taking Ownership, and modules for LEAP Facilitator training and LEAP Paramedic.
  • Our first Compassionate Communities toolkit was launched in 2018 to help community members create more compassionate and supportive communities.
  • The Dr. Joshua Shadd – Pallium Canada Research Hub began work on the Canadian Palliative Care Atlas in 2019, the first of its kind in Canada.
  • To support long-term sustainability and revenue diversification, a fund development role was established in 2019 to explore and secure new funding opportunities, alongside the creation of an account management function to identify and pursue strategic growth initiatives.

Gérald Savoie, Past Chair of the Pallium Board of Directors, Dr. José Pereira, Pallium co-founder and current Scientific Advisor, and Jeffrey Moat, CEO of Pallium Canada, in 2018

Adapting, innovating and leading the way

As we moved into the 2020s, we continued to adapt and evolve to meet the challenging needs of health care providers. This period has been defined by innovation and resilience, as we further expanded our online learning offerings and introduced new, specialized courses. Our commitment to making palliative care education accessible and relevant has never been stronger, ensuring that health care providers have the tools they need to deliver high-quality care in an increasingly complex health care environment.

Key milestones
  • The global pandemic presented unprecedented challenges; however, Pallium swiftly responded by transitioning to online learning with the release of LEAP Core (online) in 2020, marking a major milestone for the organization.
  • In 2021, with a financial contribution from Health Canada, we launched the Palliative Care ECHO Project, a new initiative designed to support health care providers through continuous learning, building a national community of palliative care professionals,
  • The first pilot study results of the Canadian Atlas of Palliative Care were released in 2023, providing valuable insights into the state of palliative care in Central East Ontario.
  • To support health care providers with improving their communication skills, we launched the Canadian Serious Illness Conversations Course in 2024, our first non-LEAP course.
  • As of 2025, over 3,5000 LEAP courses have been delivered to more than 60,000 learners across Canada.

The Pallium Canada team in 2024.

25 years of impact

We invite you to explore our full journey and discover how far we’ve come — and where we’re headed next.

Take a closer look at our complete historyTake a closer look at our complete historyTake a closer look at our complete history

Share your story with us to celebrate

We’d love to hear what palliative care means to you or a memory you have of Pallium Canada.

Use our official hashtag #Pallium25 on social media or submit your story. Whether it’s a memory, a personal experience, or a reflection on the impact of palliative care, your story helps us celebrate 25 years of advancing palliative care for all Canadians.

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Make an impact

Pallium is grateful to the many people who continue to share their time, effort, passion and commitment with us. With your support, we are innovating education, strengthening palliative care capacity, and transforming palliative care in Canada —one life, one family, one community at a time.

Discover how you can support our mission for 2025 and beyondDiscover how you can support our mission for 2025 and beyondDiscover how you can support our mission for 2025 and beyond

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