If You Don’t Name It, You Can’t Claim It
The National Strategy on Brain Injury campaign began in 2018 and is powered by the voices of lived experience and those who walk alongside us. Together, we are moving Bill C-206 forward through a coordinated advocacy strategy.
Budget 2026 did not name brain injury. Not once.
The federal government is investing in homelessness, mental health, addictions, gender-based violence, justice and veterans. Brain injury runs through every one of these areas, yet it remains invisible in the funding that flows to them. When brain injury isn’t named, doors stay closed, services aren’t brain injury informed, and people living with brain injury are left to fight for the support they need.
Government cannot claim to be addressing brain injury if it won’t name it.
Let Us Introduce You to Someone
She appears in the Federal 2026 Budget four times.
She appears … as a survivor of intimate partner violence. As someone who lost her home. As someone who couldn’t complete her disability application. As the mother of a daughter who now cares for her.
Her brain injury is named zero times.
She’s a composite of hundreds of people, and every part of her story is real. Budget 2026 funds every door this woman walks through. Not one is built for her. The good news is that most of these programs are still being designed, and brain injury can be written into them without a single new dollar.
We’ve written about her, and about the three words we are asking every one of you to send your MP this month.
To read the full article, click here.
How You Can Help
Write to your MP. Tell them brain injury must be named in federal funding streams and ask them to support Bill C-206.
Share your story. Let decision-makers see the real impact of brain injury on your life, your family or your work.
Spread the word. Share this campaign with your networks using the line: If you don’t name it, you can’t claim it.
For social media, use these hashtags:
#NameBrainInjury
#BillC206
#NationalStrategyOnBrainInjury
Email Your MP Today
Copy the letter below and email to your MP today.
Locate your MP and their email address here.
You can also mail the letter to your MP at the House of Commons – no postage required.
Mail must be addressed as:
(MP Name)
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario,
Canada K1A 0A6
Subject: Name brain injury in federal funding and support Bill C-206
Dear [insert your MP’s name],
I am writing to you as a constituent of [riding name] to ask for your support in making sure brain injury is recognized and named in federal funding.
Budget 2026 did not name brain injury. The federal government is investing in homelessness, mental health, addictions, gender-based violence, justice and veterans, and brain injury is present in every one of these areas. Yet because it is not named, the programs being funded are not required to be brain injury informed, and people living with brain injury continue to fall through the cracks.
If you don’t name it, you can’t claim it. The government cannot say it is addressing brain injury while leaving it out of the very funding streams where it matters most.
[Optional: Share why this matters to you. For example, your own experience with brain injury, a family member’s, or what you see in your work or community. Two or three sentences is enough.]
I am asking you to:
- Call on the government to explicitly name brain injury in federal funding for homelessness, mental health, addictions, gender-based violence, justice and veterans.
- Support Bill C-206 and a funded National Strategy on Brain Injury.
- Raise this with your colleagues before the House rises on December 16.
People living with brain injury, and the families and professionals who support them, should not have to keep fighting to be seen. Naming brain injury is a simple, meaningful step that would open doors across the country.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing where you stand on this issue.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Street address, city, province, postal code]
[Email or phone]
The profile of brain injury reached significant milestones as Bill C-277, gaining unprecedented recognition and support of all parties at the national level, as well as with provincial and municipal governments. Policymakers and advocates came together to highlight the urgent need for a coordinated approach, reflecting a growing commitment to addressing the impact of brain injury across communities.
When the election was called Bill C-277 died on the order paper. It was resurrected on June 10, 2025 by Gord Johns, MP Courtenay-Alberni as Bill C-206.
We are now well into the 45th Parliament and although Bill C-206 had its first reading, it needs Canadians to call for action.
FREE EBOOK
Click the image above to download Janelle’s free eBook about brain injury in Canada and why a National Strategy is needed.
Click here for the Forgotten Canadians executive summary
What’s next?
BC Brain Injury Leadership Summit
On November 23, 2026, the CGB Centre / BC Brain Injury Association hosts the inaugural BC Brain Injury Leadership Summit in Victoria, BC.
The afternoon session is dedicated to partner discussions and a working group on taking action to support Bill C-206.
In-person spots are full, but people can still register for Zoom here.
We conducted a coast-to-coast survey to inform the Charter of Rights:
A group of brain injury survivors and family members from across Canada offered their voices, stories and thoughts to contribute to the development of a Charter of Rights.
Canada-wide brain injury services & supports are fragmented and chronically underfunded.
In Canada, the annual incidence of acquired brain injury (ABI) is alarmingly high, surpassing that of multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, breast cancer, and HIV/AIDS combined.
Despite the staggering statistics, the true scope is likely underestimated due to unreported cases stemming from concussions, intimate partner violence, violence among the homeless, incarceration, combat injuries, and survivors of opioid/stimulant poisoning.
Photo: Gord Johns, MP Courtenay-Alberni and Janelle Breese Biagioni at a National Press Conference.
We began advocating for a National Strategy in 2018. Since 2022, our partnerships have expanded across the country. Progress has been slow, but to advance the cause, we have travelled to Ottawa twice. On our visits, we met with MPs to discuss the current state of brain injury in Canada, the impact of gaps in care on survivors and families, and to share our recommendations. This journey, along with the 125 Days to Say Yes! and #PeopleLikeUs campaigns—featuring powerful stories from survivors and families—significantly raised awareness about brain injury.
Together, we made a difference!
We wouldn’t be this far without the voices of families and survivors. For example, their participation in the 125 Days to Say Yes! Campaign in 2025 coincided with the 125 days the House of Commons sat from January to December. During that time, 9,375 emails and 3,000 printed letters were sent to the Prime Minister, Minister of Health, selected MPs and stakeholders. The letters shared personal stories of survivors and family members and urged the federal government to implement a national strategy. That’s movement!
More than 70 people brought their stories forward to to support the campaign. We are very proud of them. They are truly our Canadian heroes. Click the link below and look for our flipbook to see and hear these amazing stories.
Advocating since 2018
The Constable Gerald Breese Centre for Traumatic Life Losses (CGB Centre) has actively advocated for a national strategy on brain injury since 2018 to address the fragmented and siloed system in Canada, which leaves survivors of brain injuries and their families struggling to find adequate services and supports.
At that time, Janelle Breese Biagioni, CEO/Founder and widow of Constable Breese, brought forward concerns about brain injury and the intersections of mental health and addictions, highlighting the devastating outcomes for individuals and families who have seemingly fallen through the cracks of this fragmented system to her Member of Parliament. These discussions with MP Alistair MacGregor, New Democratic Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford, led him to introduce the private member’s Bill C-323 in 2020, which unfortunately did not progress beyond first reading. MacGregor reintroduced the call for a National Strategy on Brain Injury as Bill C-277, which made great strides, but did not acheive royal assent before the prorogation of government in January 2025. She isn’t giving up!
Janelle Breese Biagioni has been the community lead with the CGB Centre for the BC Heads Together Think Tanks (2020) and the BC Consensus on Brain Injury, Mental Health, and Addictions (2022 – present), generously funded by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Vancouver Foundation. Both initiatives brought forward strong recommendations, including the urgent need to establish a National Strategy on Brain Injury Act.
Years of Research & Taking Action.
They say “Good research takes 17 years to be put into practice.”
We said “NO!” Action is needed now, and we are committed to implementing each recommendation as we go. Below is information on our BC Heads Together Think Tank and the BC Consensus on Brain Injury, Mental Health and Addictions, which led us to take action and pursue a National Strategy on Brain Injury.
In 2020, the CGB Centre for Traumatic Life Losses, funded by the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and the Vancouver Foundation, hosted the BC Heads Together Think Tank, streaming four virtual events across British Columbia. Recommendations included researching best practices for brain injury survivors with mental health and substance use issues, educating and training service providers, and mitigating barriers to accessing services. In response, both the ministry and the foundation funded a three-year Participatory Action Research Grant and BC Consensus Building Days. Visit the BC Consensus on Brain Injury, Mental Health, and Addiction site to learn more about this important project.
Establishing a national strategy on brain injury has been a key recommendation from both initiatives.
More common than…
ABI is 44 times more common than spinal cord injuries, 30 times more common than breast cancer, and 400 times more common than HIV/AIDS.
5,500 women for every 1 NHL player.
For every 1 NHL player who sustains a concussion in the game of hockey, 5,500 Canadian women suffer the same injury from intimate partner violence.
53% of homeless people
53% of homeless people experience a TBI, and one in four (25%) experience a TBI that is moderate or severe.
Higher rates of suicide
A Canadian longitudinal cohort study found adults with concussion committed suicide at three times the population norm.
Supporters
A National Strategy on Brain Injury began as a recommendation from the BC Heads Together Think Tank and the BC Consensus on Brain Injury, Mental Health, and Addiction project.
Recognizing the urgent need for a coordinated approach to brain injury care, these groups advocated for a national strategy to address the complex challenges faced by survivors.
This recommendation quickly gained traction, resonating with stakeholders across the country who saw the potential for significant improvements in care and support. As awareness grew, so did the momentum, transforming the initial recommendation into a Canada-wide movement. This movement culminated in the unanimous passage of Bill C-277 in the House of Commons, marking a historic step towards comprehensive brain injury care in Canada.
Supporters include:
CGB Centre and 250+ survivors and family members
Brain Injury Canada
BC Brain Injury Association
BrainTrust Canada
Concussion Café – Yukon
March of Dimes Canada
Novella Wellness
Kootenay Brain Injury Association
Cowichan Brain Injury Society
Nanaimo Brain Injury Society
Brain Injury Alliance of BC
Canadian Royal Purple
Saskatchewan Brain Injury Association
Regina Brain Injury Support Group
The Cridge Centre for the Family
Prince George Brain Injured Group Society
South Okanagan Similkameen Brain Injury Society
Fraser Valley Brain Injury Association
Northern Brain Injury Association
Connect Communities & Classic Life Care
PEI Brain Injury Support Group
Quest Health – Manitoba
City of Victoria
City of Nanaimo
City of Penticton
City of Langford
