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Friends and colleagues,
We’ve kicked off our 10th anniversary year with the launch of our latest Ageing In Canada Survey. The 4th annual snapshot of Canadians’ perspectives on ageing is designed to ensure that evidence, not assumptions, guides how Canada responds to an ageing population.
Over the past decade, the NIA has advanced evidence-informed policy, convened leaders across sectors and amplified the lived experiences of older Canadians. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re also looking ahead, with several exciting projects underway that will highlight our impact, strengthen partnerships and help shape the next decade of ageing research and action in Canada. You’ll hear more in the months ahead.
Highlights this month:
Together, these initiatives reflect both how far we’ve come over the past 10 years and where we’re headed next. Thank you for your continued engagement, partnership and leadership. We look forward to celebrating this milestone year with you and to another year of meaningful progress together.
Mark Hazelden
Executive Director (Interim)
National Institute on Ageing
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2025 Ageing in Canada Survey Launch |
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Last week, the NIA unveiled findings from Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada: The 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey.
We were thrilled to be joined by MP Leslie Church, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour, Seniors and to the Minister of Jobs and Families. We were also joined by our Honourary Chair, the Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson and our co-Founders Mitch Frazer and Dr. Samir Sinha. They, alongside a full room of treasured collaborators and almost 400 viewers of the live webcast, made the event truly memorable.
This survey and so much of the NIA’s policy work would not be possible without the ongoing generosity of the Waltons Trust.
We also thank our presenting sponsor, Manulife Canada, who generously hosted the event at their beautiful headquarters in Toronto. Manulife’s support of the Ageing in Canada Survey was one of the first initiatives of the Manulife Longevity Institute in Canada. |
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Other highlights from the report launch:
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| Watch The Presentation Here |
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We welcomed a truly outstanding panel to dive into the data: Dr. Satya Brink (globally renowned Social Policy Researcher), David Coletto (Founder and CEO of Abacus Data) and Karen McDonald (Sage Seniors Association, Healthy Ageing Alberta and many other hats!).
We were thrilled to see so many organizations keep the conversation going by featuring the Survey results in their blogs, newsletters and communications with their communities.
Thank you again to all who joined in person and online. |
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New CPP Reform Proposal Gains Broad National Support |
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On January 14, the NIA delivered a joint letter to the Ministers of Finance and Jobs and Families calling for the introduction of a new mechanism under the Canada Pension Plan called the Pension Delay Guarantee (PDG) to help Canadians make better decisions about when to claim their CPP benefits and strengthen retirement income security.
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The letter is endorsed by 76 leaders and experts from across the pension, public policy, financial services, insurance and seniors’ advocacy communities, reflecting broad national support for this simple, fair and cost-effective reform. The PDG would remove a key behavioural barrier that discourages Canadians from delaying CPP, without increasing contributions or adding costs for taxpayers.
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Read the full letter and list of endorsing organizations
For more on the Pension Delay Guarantee, please see our Implementation Brief and recent webinar.
Read more about the Pension Delay Guarantee in Investment Executive magazine. |
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Entente Education Canada (formerly RTOERO) Leadership in Ageing Awards Winners |
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The NIA and Entente Education Canada proudly present the annual Canadian Leadership in Ageing Awards, recognizing emerging leaders advancing policy, advocacy and healthy ageing in Canada. Each year, one undergraduate and one graduate student are selected, with each recipient receiving $1,000 in recognition of their leadership and impact.
Undergraduate Award – Dawson Sheehan
A fourth-year Bachelor of Nursing student at Mount Royal University, Dawson is leading the development of a digital screening tool to improve the early detection of elder abuse in emergency departments, helping strengthen evidence-informed, person-centred care.
Graduate Award – Shanuki Goonasekera
A Master of Public Health student at the University of Toronto and co-founder of The Age Collective, Shanuki is advancing equity and challenging ageism through national storytelling initiatives and policy-focused research on ageing and geriatric care.
Learn more about these amazing winners at the Canadian Leadership in Ageing Awards page. |
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| Canadian Leadership in Ageing Awards |
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Alzheimer’s Awareness Month |
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As we mark Alzheimer’s Awareness Month this January, we’re highlighting Small Steps Big Difference, a national public education campaign focused on dementia prevention and brain health.
Grounded in research from the Lancet Commission, the campaign shows that up to half of dementia cases may be prevented or delayed by addressing 14 modifiable risk factors. Through compelling stories and accessible tools, the campaign raises awareness, reduces stigma and empowers Canadians to take action—at any age.
These videos, downloadable infographics and radio spots have reached over 5 million Canadians to date. Please explore and share these materials to help us get the word out on preventative actions we can all take (available in English and French). |
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L’Institut national sur le vieillissement a publié la version française de son rapport sur la démence. Intitulé Lutter contre la démence au Canada : tendances actuelles, défis et possibilités en matière de sensibilisation du public, de réduction des risques et de lutte contre la stigmatisation liée à la démence, le rapport met en évidence :
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la prévalence croissante de la démence au Canada;
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le besoin urgent de stratégies plus solides et mieux coordonnées pour lutter contre la démence;
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des mesures pratiques pour sensibiliser le public, réduire les risques et lutter contre la stigmatisation.
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| Lire le Rapport Complet |
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Webcast: Promoting Brain Health Through Small Steps
In a recent episode of McGill Cares, Dr. Samir Sinha joins Claire Webster, Founder of the McGill Dementia Education Program, to discuss insights from the Small Steps Big Difference campaign. |
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| Watch the McGill Cares Webcast |
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Defy Dementia™ Episode 32: Getting Out from Under Depression
Depression is a dementia risk factor. In this special episode marking Blue Monday – a day to discuss mental health – you’ll learn about the relationship between depression and dementia. Tune in at defydementia.org, or anywhere you get your podcasts. |
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| Listen to Defy Dementia™ Episode 32 |
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Call for Your Stories to Support Shingles Awareness Week |
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Have you or someone you care for been impacted by shingles?
As part of the NIA’s upcoming Shingles Awareness Week campaign, we’re looking to hear from older adults who are willing to share their personal experiences with shingles, including how it affected their health, daily life or recovery.
By sharing your story, you can help raise awareness, reduce stigma and support a better understanding of shingles, its impact on older adults and how best to access the highly effective recommended vaccine to prevent it.
If you’re interested in participating, please get in touch with us before Friday, February 13, 2026.
Contact: info.nia@torontomu.ca |
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New Intelligence Memo: Reforming Old Age Security Without Generational Conflict |
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NIA Senior Fellow, John Stapleton and one of Canada’s leading experts on retirement and income security, is featured in a new Retirement Policy Watchers Intelligence Memo from the C.D. Howe Institute, Reforming Old Age Security Without Generational Conflict.
The memo cautions against framing OAS reform as a “young versus old” debate and highlights the hidden risks older adults face, including high marginal tax rates and the rising costs of care later in life. |
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| Read the Full Memo |
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What the Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit Means for Older Adults |
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The federal government has announced a new Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures for Canadians with low incomes. In this commentary, Senior Policy Analyst Emily Elizabeth Smith examines what the benefit could mean for older adults, particularly in light of rising food insecurity, affordability concerns and new evidence from the 2025 Ageing in Canada Survey. |
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| Read the Full Commentary |
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Welcome Kevin Moore to the Financial Security Research Team |
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We are pleased to welcome Kevin Moore, Senior Researcher, to the Financial Security Research Team.
Kevin is an experienced researcher with a particular interest in the retirement income system. He has a PhD in Public Policy, with concentrations in public finance and retirement income policy. Prior to joining the NIA, he spent the last twenty years as a researcher at Statistics Canada, with a primary focus on developing and employing dynamic microsimulation models for applied socio-economic research and policy analysis, especially with regard to the past, present and projected future outcomes of Canada's retirement income system. He was one of the leads on Statistics Canada's PASSAGES and LifePaths dynamic microsimulation projects. He played a key role in the research and analysis motivating and designing the recent expansion of the Canada Pension Plan, for which he received the Deputy Minister's Award for Excellence in Policy Development. |
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Dr. Samir Sinha Recognized as Inaugural AgeTech Insights Fellow |
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Dr. Samir Sinha, Director of Health Policy Research at the NIA, has been named an AgeTech Insights Fellow by the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation (CABHI), powered by Baycrest. As demand for expert-reviewed products and policies that support ageing and brain health grows, CABHI’s AgeTech Insights is responding by generating actionable insights to address emerging issues at national and international levels. |
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AgeTech Insights Fellows will contribute their expertise to help shape insights and drive change. Dr. Sinha is one of five inaugural AgeTech Insights Fellows and will serve as a strategic advisor, co-author and thought leader for CABHI’s AgeTech Insights Reports and publications, as well as represent CABHI on the global stage. Learn more about CABHI’s AgeTech Insights Fellows. |
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Introducing a new podcast from the extraordinary Moira Welsh. Add this to your feed for a dose of insight, levity and deeply human stories. This podcast is also part of the NIA’s Journalism in Ageing project, a collaboration with the Toronto Star.
A new in-depth study sheds light on a significant gap between perception and reality in retirement preparedness.
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Sector Events:
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TMU National Institute on Ageing Fund |
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Help create a Canada where older adults feel valued, included, supported and better prepared to age with confidence by making a charitable gift to the TMU National Institute on Ageing Fund today. Gifts to the TMU National Institute on Ageing Fund make a tangible impact on the future of ageing in Canada. You choose the amount. You make the difference. |
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| DONATE TODAY! |
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