Founded by war veteran John Counsell in 1945, the Canadian Paraplegic Association (now Spinal Cord Injury Canada) began its work from an office in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens and sought to improve the lives of soldiers returning from war with spinal cord injuries. Prior to World War II, most people died shortly after a spinal cord injury, and the survivors had few options beyond a veteran’s hospital or a nursing home, neither of which were properly equipped.

In the decades since Spinal Cord Injury Canada has been a part of substantial change that has helped individuals with spinal cord injury and other disabilities from coast to coast.

With a “peers helping peers” mandate, the organization now has branches in every province. In Alberta, Pierre Gariepy, another survivor of WWII combat and member of the Royal Canadian Air Force, took up the charge. On February 13, 1961, the Canadian Paraplegic Association Alberta was established. In 2011, we celebrated our 50th Anniversary, followed by the adoption of our new name—Spinal Cord Injury Alberta—to better reflect the population we serve.

The need for services for those with spinal cord injury and other physical disabilities is as important today as it was in 1945. In fact, this need will continue to grow.