2025 Hill Day: ALS Society of Canada
Assignment
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating, progressive neurological disease with no cure, placing an immense burden on individuals, families, and the health care system. While Canada is home to leading researchers and clinicians, advancing ALS research, data coordination, and care requires sustained federal leadership, funding, and policy alignment.
In 2025, the ALS Society of Canada sought to strengthen its federal advocacy to advance key national priorities and develop relationships with stakeholders. The organization needed a coordinated government and public affairs strategy to deepen relationships with federal decision-makers, navigate evolving policy and funding landscapes, and ensure ALS remained visible and urgent on Parliament Hill.
What Santis Did
Santis Health was engaged as a strategic government affairs partner to design and execute a comprehensive federal advocacy program, combining long-term relationship building with high-impact advocacy moments.
Strategic Government Affairs Leadership
Santis developed a 2025–26 Federal Government Affairs Plan that aligned ALS Society priorities with federal policy timelines, funding programs, and parliamentary processes. This included stakeholder mapping of Ministers, Members of Parliament, Senators, senior officials, and political staff most relevant to ALS research, data infrastructure, and patient support.
Santis provided ongoing strategic counsel on advocacy tactics, political positioning, and engagement sequencing, while monitoring legislative, policy, and consultation developments affecting ALS. Tailored briefing materials including meeting notes, intelligence summaries, biographies, and advocacy messages, Santis ensured every federal interaction was focused, timely, and impactful.
Parliament Hill Lobby Day & Reception
To translate strategy into action, Santis planned and delivered a Parliament Hill Lobby Day and reception, creating a focal point for federal engagement. Santis led all aspects of planning and execution, including logistics, guest list development, invitations, advocacy materials, and on-site coordination.
The event provided a platform for meaningful dialogue between parliamentarians, federal officials, researchers, and the ALS community, supported by interactive graphics and social media–ready photography to extend reach beyond the room. Santis also led post-event follow-up and sustained momentum after the event concluded.
The flagship focal point of the parliament hill reception was a tailored video booth where government officials and stakeholders were able to record an awareness message developed by Santis and the ALS Society to address key messages and highlight the importance of investment in ALS research. Recorded videos were then edited and shared with guests for distribution across social media platforms and internal acknowledgement. Santis also developed a compilation video of all the voices to be distributed on ALS Society pages.
Outcomes
Through a sustained, structured federal government affairs approach, Santis helped elevate ALS as a national policy priority and strengthened the ALS Society of Canada’s presence on Parliament Hill. Decision-makers were equipped with clear, evidence-based advocacy messages tied to concrete federal actions, reinforcing the importance of continued investment in ALS research, data coordination, and care.
The Parliament Hill Lobby Day and reception served as a high-impact advocacy moment, deepening relationships with elected officials and senior staff while amplifying the voices of the ALS community. Together, this work positioned the ALS Society of Canada as a trusted partner to government and reinforced Santis Health’s role as a leader in strategic advocacy, government relations, and health policy impact.
Our Work In Action
