Who we are
The Canadian Grief Alliance (CGA), is a group of leading grief specialists and more than 150 national and provincial organizations that are encouraging the Government to adopt a proposal to address national gaps in grief services that are leaving hurting Canadians unsupported in their grief.
The Alliance includes psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists, academics and organizations providing grief services.
It is convened by the Canadian Virtual Hospice, an internationally recognized charitable organization with a track record of developing award-winning online resources that serves 2.4 million users annually.
Original 36 members
Paul Adams
Writer, journalist, academic
Marianne Arab, MSW/RSW
Nova Scotia Health Authority
Provincial Manager of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care
Cancer Care Program
Bev Berg, MSW, RSW
Calgary
Dr. Susan Cadell, MSW, PhD, RSW
Professor, School of Social Work, Renison University College, University of Waterloo
Hon. Sharon Carstairs, PC CM
Chair, International Centre for Dignity and Palliative Care
Philip A. Carverhill, PhD
Registered Doctoral Psychologist Past Chair – International
Work Group on Death, Dying & Bereavement
Clinical Instructor – Department of Family Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan
Adjunct Faculty – Psychotherapy & Spirituality Graduate Counselling Program, University of Alberta
Dr. Harvey Chochinov, OM, OC, MD, PhD, FRCRC, FRSC, FCAHS, FAPM
Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, University of Manitoba
Shelly Cory, MA
Executive Director, Canadian Virtual Hospice
Ceilidh Eaton-Russell, Ph.D. (c), CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Adjunct Lecturer, Child Life and Pediatric Psychosocial Care, Department of Pediatrics
Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University
Pierre R. Gagnon, MD, FRCPC
Directeur, Réseau québécois de recherche en soins palliatifs et de fin de vie FRQS
Psychiatre spécialisé en psycho-oncologie
Directeur et Professeur titulaire, Département de psychiatrie et de neurosciences
Directeur, équipe de recherche Michel-Sarrazin en oncologie psychosociale et en soins palliatifs
Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec – Université Laval, axe Oncologie, Centre de recherche sur le cancer, Université Laval
Eunice Gorman, RN, BSW, MSW, PhD, RSW
Associate Professor, Dept of Interdisciplinary Programs, Thanatology
King’s University College at Western University
Tory Hagerman, BA, CCLS, RECE
Communications Coordinator, Children and Youth Grief Network
Family Coordinator, Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto
Lana Holinaty
All Nations Hope Network
Darcy Harris, PhD, FT
Associate Professor/Thanatology Coordinator
King’s University College at Western University
Glen Horst, MDiv, DMin, BA
Spiritual Care Advisor, Canadian Virtual Hospice
Margaret Kisikaw Piyesis
CEO, Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network
Katherine Kortes-Miller, PhD, MSW
Assistant Professor School of Social Work
Associate Director Centre for Education and Research on Aging and Health, Lakehead University
Dr. Mireille Lecours, MD, CCFP(PC), FCFP
Provincial Palliative Care Medical Consultant
Health PEI
Serena Lewis, BSW, MSW, RSW
Nova Scotia
Alain-Philippe Lemieux, MD
Directeur général, Maison Michel-Sarrazin
Mary Ellen Macdonald, PhD, (Medical Anthropology)
Associate Professor, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University
Program Head, Pediatric Palliative Care Research, Montreal Children’s Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre
Associate Member, Institute for Health Sciences Education, McGill University
Dr. Christopher MacKinnon, PhD, Psychologist
Faculty of Medicine, McGill University
Portland Institute for Loss and Life Transition
Heather Mohan, PhD, RCC, MTA
Founder and Executive Director, Camp Kerry
Monica Do Coutto Monni, BA, M. Psych.
Executive Director, Near North Palliative Care Network
Fred Nelson, MSW, RSW
Canadian Virtual Hospice Psychosocial Specialist
Holly Prince, MSW
Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health,
Lakehead University
Rowley Ramey
Managing Director, the Seasons Centre for Grieving Children
Maxxine Rattner, MSW, RSW
Hospice/Palliative Care Social Worker Psychosocial Consultant,
Canadian Virtual Hospice
Shane Sinclair, PhD
Associate Professor, Faculty of Nursing
Director, Compassion Research Lab, Faculty of Nursing,
University of Calgary
Jill Taylor-Brown, MSW, RSW
Canadian Virtual Hospice Psychosocial Specialist
Deirdre Thomas, BSS
Executive Director, The Lighthouse for Grieving Children
Marney Thompson, MA RCC
Director Psychosocial Services, Victoria Hospice
Deborah Ummel, PhD, Psychologue
Professeure adjointe, Département de psychoéducation
Faculté d’éducation, Université de Sherbrooke
Wendy Wainright, BSW, MEd
British Columbia
Blanche Ward, BA, BSW, MSW
Provincial palliative care social worker, PEI Health
Project lead for the provincial palliative care drug program
Andrea Warnick, RN, MA (Thanatology)
Registered Psychotherapist
Organizations Supporting the Canadian Grief Alliance Proposal
National
Canadian Medical Association
Canadian Nurses Association
Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians
Canadian Association of Social Workers
Canadian Association for Spiritual Care
Canadian Psychiatric Association
The Enchanté Network
Young Adult Cancer Canada
Canadian Association of Psychosocial Oncology
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
Canadian Aboriginal HIV/AIDS Network
All Nations Hope Network
Dying With Dignity Canada
Canadian Association for Marriage & Family Therapy
End of Life Doula Association of Canada
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada
Canadian Alliance for Grieving Children and Youth
Canada Bereavement Registry
Canadian Integrative Network for Death Education and Alternatives
Schizophrenia Society of Canada
Melanoma Network of Canada
Canadian Health Advocates Inc.
Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology
Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association
Canadian Palliative Care Nursing Association
Interchurch Health Ministries
Love your life to Death
Widowed Friends
Provincial
Alberta
Alberta Hospice Palliative Care Association
Covenant Health Palliative Institute
Caregivers Alberta
Hospice Calgary
Red Deer Hospice
Hospice Society of Camrose and District
Children’s Grief Centre
Healthy Directions
Transitions Music Therapy
Oliver's Funeral Home
Solace Grief Support Society
British Columbia
BC Hospice Palliative Care Association
BC Centre for Palliative Care
Family Caregivers of BC
Island Health
Vancouver Island Health Authority
BC Bereavement Helpline
Camp Kerry
Kilala Lelum (Urban Indigenous Health & Healing Cooperative)
Abbotsford Hospice Society
Vancouver Hospice Society
Delta Hospice Society
Hospice Society of the Columbia Valley
Prince Rupert and District Hospice Society
Victoria Hospice Society
Peace Arch Hospice Society
Burnaby Hospice Society
Crossroads Hospice Society
100 Mile District Hospice Palliative Care Society
Sea to Sky Hospice Society
Desert Valley Hospice Society
West End Seniors' Network
Moving Forward Family Services
Life and Death Matters
Honour End of Life Care
Pacific Well-Being
Cowichan Family Caregivers Support Society
Vancouver Island Federation of Hospices
Mission Hospice Society
Heron Hospice Society of Delta
Price Rupert and District Hospice Society
Manitoba
Palliative Manitoba
Rainbow Resource Centre
Two-Spirited People of Manitoba Inc.
Cancer Care Navigation Services - Northern Regional Health Authority
Rock Lake Palliative Care
Peguis Home & Community Care
Robert Smith School
Centre on Aging: University of Manitoba
New Brunswick
NB COPES Child and Family Grief Center
Compassionate Grief Centre of Southern NB
Compassionate Grief Centre
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador Palliative Care Association
Nova Scotia
NS Hospice Palliative Care Association
Doctors Nova Scotia
Caregivers Nova Scotia
Hospice Halifax
Colchester East Hants Hospice Society
Good Grief Halifax
NS Health
Ontario
Hospice Palliative Care Ontario
Global Institute of Psychosocial and Palliative and End-of-life Care, University of Toronto
Ontario Association of Social Workers
RNAO Palliative Care Nurses Interest Group
Centre for Education and Research on Aging & Health at Lakehead University
de Souza Institute
Hope House Community Hospice
Dundas County Hospice
Hospice Outreach Programs of Elgin
Hospice Muskoka
McNally House Hospice
Madawaska Valley Hospice Palliative Care
Hazel Burns Hospice
Hospice Wellington
Dr Bob Kemp Hospice and Bereavement Services
Heart House Hospice
St. Joseph's Hospice Sarnia Lambton
St Joseph's Hospice London
Hospice Northwest
Roger Neilson House
Evergreen Hospice
Hospice Peterborough
Matthews House Hospice
Doane House Hospice
Kensington Health
Near North Palliative Care Network
Bereavement Ontario Network
Bereaved Families of Ontario - South Central Region
Bereaved Families of Ontario – Ottawa
Bereaved Families of Ontario – Kingston
Bereaved Families of Ontario - Midwestern Region
Healing Broken Hearts
Good Grief! Bereavement Healing Services
Gilda's Club of Greater Toronto
The Hummingbird Centre for Hope
Grief Recovery Ontario
Dr. Jay Children's Grief Centre
Children and Youth Grief Network
The Lighthouse Program for Grieving Children
Seasons Centre for Grieving Children
Jewish Family and Child Service of Greater Toronto
Victorian Order of Nurses - Oxford
Unity Health Toronto
Selah Resources
Hulse, Playfair & McGarry
Champlain Hospice Palliative Care Program
Bereaved Families of Ontario - Ottawa Region
Information Oakville/Oakville Public Library
Roger Neilson House for Palliative Care
Nanny Angel Network
Bereaved Families of Ontario - Provincial
Bereaved Families of Ontario - Toronto
Bethell Hospice
The Dorothy Ley Hospice
Ontario Funeral Service Association
Death Doula Ontario Network
Prince Edward Island
Hospice PEI
Quebec
Association québécoise de soins palliatifs
McGill Council on Palliative Care
Maison Michel Sarrazin
Réseau Québécois de recherche en soins palliatifs et de fin de vie
Regroupement des Infirmiers-Infirmières Ressources en don d’organes et de tissus du Québec
Palli-aide accompagnement en soins palliatifs Saguenay inc.
Parents Orphelins, l'Association des parents qui vivent un deuil périnatal
Albatros Montréal
Groupe des Aidants du Sud-Ouest Myra's Kids Foundation
West Island Cancer Wellness Center
Hope & Cope
ORA Loss & Living Program, Ste. Genevieve United Church
Unitarian Church of Montreal
ADATH Congregation
Connexions Resource Centre
Saskatchewan
Prairie Hospice Society
Morning Star Lodge, University of Saskatchewan
Augustana Lutheran Church
The Good Foundation Inc.
Territories
Hospice Yukon
Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Authority
plus 18 private enterprises.