Government of Canada funds six community-based dementia projects

Projects funded under the Dementia Community Investment (DCI) provide tailored interventions and supports for people living with dementia, including those with young-onset dementia; those who live in rural/remote and ethnocultural communities; as well as members of Indigenous populations.

January 28, 2026

Projects funded under the Dementia Community Investment (DCI) provide tailored interventions and supports for people living with dementia, including those with young-onset dementia; those who live in rural/remote and ethnocultural communities; as well as members of Indigenous populations.

Launched in 2018 with ongoing funding of $4 million per year, DCI has invested more than $29 million to date, to support community-based projects across Canada, including the projects announced today. These investments support the implementation of A Dementia Strategy for Canada: Together We Aspire.

The projects receiving funding are:

Lead organization: Art Gallery of Hamilton
Project name: Artful Moments: Community Connections
Location: Hamilton, Ontario
Funding: $586,260 over two years
Project details: This project aims to provide creative and social experiences for people living with dementia and caregivers in the Greater Hamilton Area, particularly those who do not speak English as their first language. By offering art-based activities in multiple languages, including English, French, and others based on community input, the initiative promotes self-expression, social connection and a sense of belonging. It focuses on enhancing the quality of life for people living with dementia, particularly older immigrants who face language barriers, by fostering inclusion, improving social engagement and helping them feel more connected and validated in their community. The project will provide people living with dementia opportunities for self-expression in the language that they are most comfortable.

Lead organization: Canada's National Ballet School (CNBS)
Project name: Building Community, Sharing Dance: An Arts for Health Approach to Dementia Care
Location: Nova Scotia and Northwest Territories
Funding: $530,531 over two years
Description: This project aims to create and maintain community networks that co-develop, implement, and sustain dance programs for people living with dementia and those at risk, initially focusing on racialized/equity-deserving/underserved communities in Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories. By building local capacity in communities like East Preston, North Preston, Dartmouth, Halifax, Yellowknife, Deh Gah, and Fort Providence, the project seeks to co-create a model for expanding these programs to other regions. It aims to enhance and improve wellbeing, foster social inclusion, and challenge stigma around dementia. The project will train dance artists, community members, and health workers to deliver and support these programs while raising awareness of the benefits of dance for people living with dementia, reducing isolation and fostering social inclusion for people living with dementia and caregivers.

Lead organization: Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
Project name: CARE Partners Ed: Cultivating Awareness, Resilience and Empowerment for Care Partners, through Education in Dementia
Location: National
Funding: $800,000 over two years
Description: This project aims to support caregivers by developing online learning modules that provide information and practical strategies for those supporting people living with dementia. The goal is to offer accessible information about cognitive changes that occur with dementia, progression of dementia, and self-care, with a focus on building awareness, resilience, and empowerment for caregivers. Bilingual and national in scope, this project seeks to deliver interactive, online, and accessible education resources to caregivers across Canada. Through the development of modules, online peer-support forums and practical webinars, this initiative aims to boost caregiver confidence and knowledge, improve their wellbeing, and reduce stress, ultimately enhancing their quality of life.

Lead organization: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Project name: Precision dementia prevention for older adults in the community
Location: Ottawa, Ontario
Funding: $999,988 over four years
Description: This project seeks to increase knowledge of dementia risk and protective factors by enhancing, improving and translating to French the Dementia Risk Calculator, a communication tool originally developed in 2021. The calculator includes a questionnaire and provides a report detailing the respondent's dementia risk, contributing modifiable risk factors, and things they can do to lower their risk. Through a partnership with Ottawa Public Health (OPH), the project seeks to integrate the Calculator into OPH's Neighborhood Health and Wellness Hubs throughout Ottawa, developing a Dementia Prevention Program that will target community-dwelling older adults (50+) with an emphasis on reaching women, official language minority communities and ethnocultural communities. Following implementation in Ottawa, a National Community Advisory Committee will develop a dementia risk reduction community localization toolkit to support implementation and dissemination to municipalities and community-based organizations across Canada.

Lead organization: The Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre
Project name: Caring Spaces: Bridging academia and community to support people living with dementia and care partners
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Funding: $817,572 over four years
Description: This project aims to provide both in-person and online support to people living with dementia and caregivers, particularly those in underserved populations. It offers educational resources and activities aimed at improving access to information and helping families navigate health care and community services immediately following a dementia diagnosis. It focuses on supporting caregivers, providing short-term counseling, and offering activities for people living with dementia, as well as hosting public education events. The program targets traditionally underserved groups, including those diagnosed with young-onset dementia and racially and linguistically diverse populations in Montreal, operating in four clinical settings, serving multicultural, anglophone and francophone communities. The expected outcomes include better navigation of health care resources, improved quality of life for both caregivers and people living with dementia, and enhanced skills for future health care professionals.

Lead organization: The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC)
Project name: Care Partner Empowerment: Enhancing Lives in Dementia Care
Location: Northern British Columbia (BC)
Funding: $1,000,000 over four years
Description: This project will improve the wellbeing of both caregivers and persons living with dementia in northern BC, by offering resources that reduce caregiver burnout and help persons living with dementia age in place. The project will enable caregivers to access educational supports through online and in-person sessions that provide knowledge, tools, and resources. Initially launching in Prince George, the program aims to expand to communities across northern BC and then spread to other regions in BC, recognizing the importance of involving diverse communities in the development and implementation of the project. This project will help reduce psychological distress by equipping caregivers with the knowledge and resources they need to provide effective care, which can increase their confidence, reduce feelings of isolation, and alleviate pressures of caregiving.