About Us
The ALS Society of Canada is working to change what it means to live with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an unrelenting and currently terminal disease.
Grounded in and informed by the Canadian ALS community, we respond to the urgent unmet need for life-changing treatments by investing in high-quality research that will fuel scientific discovery and by engaging industry, supporting increased clinical capacity and advocating for equitable, affordable and timely access to proven therapies.
Responding to the tremendous need for current and credible ALS knowledge, awareness and education, we empower Canadians affected by ALS to navigate the current realities of ALS, be informed consumers of ALS information, and advocate effectively for change. In Ontario, we provide direct community services to help people navigate ALS.
Founded in 1977, we are a registered charity that receives no core government funding – our work is powered by generous donors who share our vision of a world free of ALS.
Vision
Our vision is a world free of ALS
Open and honest with the challenges before all of us, we are determined to transform the reality of the disease.
Mission
Our mission is our everyday journey as an organization.
We work with the ALS community to improve the lives of Canadians affected by ALS through advancing research, care, advocacy, and information.
Values
Our values are the principles that guide our work every day:
- Accountability
- Collaboration
- Compassion
- Dynamic
- Integrity
- Respect
Strategic Plan
In 2022-2023, ALS Canada began an ambitious process to engage the ALS community and seek input from others to create a vision for the future and set a strategic plan to achieve it.
Our Board of Directors approved our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan in July 2023, which will serve as our North Star guiding ALS Canada through the next stage of our growth and progress. Our strategic plan focuses on four strategic impact goals:
- LEAD Canada’s contribution to global ALS research
- DRIVE equitable and timely access to the best possible standard of care, treatments, and services
- MOBILIZE collective action to advocate for maximum impact
- EMPOWER informed decision-making and recognition of ALS
The ALS community’s collective efforts will continue to play a critical role in improving the lives of Canadians affected by ALS through advancing research, care, advocacy, and information. Together, as a global community, we are working toward a world free of ALS.
Inclusion, Diversity, Equity,
Accessibility (IDEA)
At ALS Canada, we are continuing our learning and the work of addressing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility.
We are committed to understand and consider how these matters affect the ALS community and how they reflect in our culture for our employees and volunteers, in the work we do to support the ALS community we serve, in the research we invest in, and in our collaboration with the healthcare system and with partners and industry.
It is important that we examine how as an organization we can demonstrate leadership to address systematic issues.
As part of this work, ALS Canada is an Employer Partner with the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI). The partnership provides us access to resources and information from both a Canadian and global perspective on a variety of topics as they relate to all aspects of IDEA.
