The Government of Alberta has established Regional Advisory Councils, a significant step in refocusing the province’s health care systems. These 150-member councils, representing 71 communities, will directly advise Alberta’s four health ministries and the newly separated health agencies: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, and Recovery Alberta. This initiative aims to strengthen community input and ensure that health care decisions are more responsive, inclusive, and effective across the province.  

Members of these councils are diverse, including Albertans from all walks of life, health care workers (including SAC members), community leaders, Indigenous representatives, and municipal officials. Their role will be to gather feedback, identify challenges, and bring forward ideas from residents, providers, and organizations that might not otherwise reach the government. Utilizing this opportunity for direct engagement is crucial for making the health system more accessible and better able to meet the unique needs of Albertans in every region.  

For members of Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) in SAC-Alberta, the creation of these Regional Advisory Councils presents a valuable opportunity for input and consultation. With about one-third of council members working in health care roles and many chairs serving as health professionals, there is a clear avenue for speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and communication health assistants to engage. SAC members are encouraged to identify their local council representatives, offering their expertise on the unique health needs within communities. By actively participating in consultations, sharing insights on service gaps, and advocating for the inclusion of speech-language pathology and audiology services in regional health planning, you can directly contribute to shaping a more comprehensive and responsive health care system for all Albertans.  

In addition to the regional councils, the government is establishing an Indigenous Advisory Council, with up to 22 members – including Indigenous health care workers and community leaders – that will specifically focus on strengthening health care services for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities. 

SAC has officially joined Research Canada, a national alliance dedicated to advancing health research and innovation in Canada.

Bonnie Cooke, Director of Audiology and Tiffany Fearon, Ontario Government & Community Relations Manager, met with Research Canada in April to discuss the prospect of a strategic partnership to strengthen the voice of the professions across the country’s broader health research community.

By joining forces with Research Canada, SAC will have the opportunity to advocate more effectively for increased investment in research that supports communication health across the lifespan. This membership will open doors for increased interdisciplinary collaboration, data collection, and the exploration of innovative approaches to early detection, assessment and treatment of communication health disorders.

Learn more about Research Canada.

Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC) recently met with Alberta’s Minister of Primary Preventative Health Services, the Honourable Adriana LaGrange, on July 10th. The SAC delegation, including members of SAC-Alberta’s Advisory Committee and SAC staff, appreciated the opportunity to discuss key issues impacting speech-language pathologists (S-LPs), audiologists, communication health assistants, and the Albertans they serve. This crucial engagement underscores SAC’s commitment to championing the concerns of its members at the highest levels of government.

During the meeting, SAC emphasized the professions’ vital role in primary care, ongoing human health resource (HHR) challenges, and ways to strengthen rural health services. Discussion topics included scope of practice awareness, continuity of care, and service gaps. SAC also commended the Minister’s role in including S-LPs in Alberta’s Rural Health Action Plan. The HHR crisis was a central topic, with data showing that population growth has outpaced the growth in S-LPs, leading to an increased ratio of Albertans to S-LPs and concerns about service quality. To address these challenges, SAC proposed policy recommendations such as funding preceptor incentives, expanding placement infrastructure in rural regions, implementing housing supports, and enhancing support for telehealth services.

The meeting was constructive, with Minister LaGrange acknowledging the importance of the professions and expressing a commitment to continued collaboration. SAC remains steadfast in its dedication to championing the professions of speech-language pathology and audiology, working tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcomes for both professionals and the public they serve. SAC-Alberta’s ability to advocate effectively stems directly from the collective strength, expertise, and commitment of its members.

The 2024 National Report Card from the Canadian Infant Hearing Task Force (CIHTF) revealed that little has changed since its 2019 Report Card. Despite some improvements, Saskatchewan once again received an overall grade of “Insufficient” when it comes to providing infant hearing health services through its Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) program.

Following our meeting with the Saskatchewan Deputy Minister of Health, Chad Ryan, in September 2024, we continue to follow up regarding progress on this issue. A dearth of audiology positions in the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) continues to limit the ability to expand this and other provincial audiology programs. Unfortunately, recruitment and retention remain a significant issue with many current positions going unfilled, some for several years.

We will continue to advocate for our professions to be included in provincial recruitment and retention initiatives, and have asked for an additional meeting to discuss additional recruitment and retention ideas.

SAC met with the Ontario Ministry of Education at the end of May to discuss key priorities, including the enhanced support and integration of speech-language pathology and audiology services within the education system.

S-LPs and audiologists work with many students across a range of educational settings and play a vital role in the early identification and intervention of speech, language, and hearing disorders, all critical factors in a child’s academic and social development.

We were pleased to share important communication health updates with the Ministry and will continue to keep our members informed of the outcomes of this engagement.

On June 23, the Ontario government announced a major step to improve access to primary care, with a plan to connect 300,000 more people to a family doctor or primary care team.  

As part of its $2.1 billion Primary Care Action Plan, the province is investing $235 million to support over 130 new and expanded primary care teams, focused on underserved communities. These teams have been selected to help people without a family doctor, including those on the Health Care Connect waitlist. Health Minister Sylvia Jones and Dr. Jane Philpott, Chair of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Team, emphasized the province’s commitment to building a more accessible, team-based system led by family doctors and nurse practitioners. To support this, Ontario is also providing $142 million over three years to recruit and retain health professionals like nurse practitioners and pharmacists and investing $300 million to develop up to 17 new or expanded teaching clinics in underserved areas. 

SAC will continue to monitor developments and connect with decision makers to advocate for the integration of S-LPs and audiologists within Ontario’s evolving primary care landscape. 

Read the official news release here.

Over the past year, SAC-Ontario has engaged with the Ministry of Health’s Health Workforce Regulatory Oversight Branch to advance the scope of practice for S-LPs and audiologists in Ontario. Throughout these meetings, we emphasized the importance of enabling S-LPs and audiologists to work to the full extent of their competencies. Ensuring both professions’ expertise is used efficiently supports access to care and reduces bottlenecks in the health system, particularly in underserved areas.

In early June, SAC submitted updated scope of practice proposals, building on recommendations previously developed by the Ontario Association of Speech-Language Pathologists and Audiologists. These proposals reflect member feedback and include, but are not limited to, amendments to current scope of practice statements, the addition of select controlled acts, and the removal of existing limitations that restrict direct referrals for both professions.

SAC had the opportunity to detail how the proposed scope changes would improve system efficiency, decrease service delays, and enhance patient outcomes. We will continue to keep members informed as new developments unfold.

In April 2025, SAC wrote a letter to Saskatchewan’s Minister of Education, Everett Hindley, following up on several items from our February 3 meeting. We also took the opportunity to acknowledge that we were pleased to see an emphasis on student literacy in the 2025-2026 Budget, with the Government of Saskatchewan dedicating an additional $2 million to advancing the work of the ministry and education partners to improve kindergarten to Grade 3 reading levels across the province.

In our letter, we asked whether the expertise of speech-language pathologists (S-LPs) had been solicited for this project and reiterated that, as noted in our new SAC Position Paper on the Role of Speech-Language Pathologists in School-based Literacy, S-LPs are the preeminent regulated healthcare professionals recognized as experts in oral and written communication.

On August 19, we received a written response from the Minister’s office, thanking us for the Position Paper and confirming important next steps. The letter stated that, in the 2025-2026 year, “a provincially approved reading screener will be implemented in every publicly funded school to help teachers identify students who may require additional supports in learning to read.”

The response also highlighted that a key action to improve reading levels in the primary grades is the renewal of K-Grade 3 language arts curricula, and that the ministry plans to consult with speech-language pathologists to critically examine these curricula.

SAC plans to follow up with the Director of Student Achievement and Supports at the Ministry of Health to ensure S-LPs’ expertise continues to be included in this important work.

On May 23, 2025, the University of Saskatchewan marked the 60th anniversary of its School of Rehabilitation Sciences with a special gala event celebrating the past, present, and future of rehabilitation education in the province.

As a part of this celebration, SAC-Saskatchewan Regional Advocacy Manager Jennifer Cameron-Turley was invited to speak about the profound impact the school’s newest offering – the Master of Speech-Language Pathology program (MSLP) – will have on the profession and on communities across the province. The program is set to welcome its first cohort in September 2026.

Also, in attendance to help celebrate were Saskatchewan Regional Advocacy Committee member and S-LP Randa Tomczak, and University of Saskatchewan S-LP Implementation Coordinator and S-LP Kara Broks.

The MSLP program at the University of Saskatchewan will be the newest speech-language pathology program in Canada and the first of its kind in the province.

See more information about the new program here.

Listen to YXE Underground on Apple Podcasts: Kara Broks and Tami Turner talk about designing the province’s first Master’s programs in Occupational Therapy and Speech-Language Pathology and share with listeners why this work means so much to them.