In the coming weeks, several CAR members will convene in Ottawa to put into motion the CAR’s strategic advocacy plan for the Federal Government as it builds its 2026 budget.
What is Day on the Hill?
Known as Day on the Hill, this annual event is comprised of coordinated meetings with Canadian government officials and leading members of the CAR, usually over the course of one or two days. This year’s event takes place from October 20-21, 2025.
The purpose of Day on the Hill is to explain in detail to federal officials the CAR’s priorities for the state of radiology in Canada and its correlative impacts on patients and the healthcare system as a whole.
Who Will Attend?
The meetings featured during Day on the Hill are between CAR Board Members, subject matter experts within the CAR, and government officials with the parliamentary capacity to impact the health and well-being of Canadians. These can be officials who sit on health focused committees as well as other areas that can impact healthcare spending. As an example, CAR President Dr. Alison Harris recently met with her local Member of Parliament, Taleeb Noormohamed, to discuss artificial intelligence. “He is the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of AI and Digital Innovation (the Honorable Evan Solomon),” recalled Dr. Harris, “so the role of AI was an important topic along with medical imaging in research and innovation.”
Some of the CAR’s corporate partners will also be in attendance on Parliament Hill to give an in-depth look at various pieces of equipment and demonstrate the need to update machines in Canadian healthcare facilities. In 2024, mobile ultrasound units and a mammography van were brought in to give MPs on-site demonstrations and discuss the status of Canada’s ageing medical imaging fleet.
Why Hold Day on the Hill?
The overall purpose of meeting with government officials is to make sure the government has a clear understanding of radiology’s role in the healthcare system and its impact on the lives of patients and staff. It is meant to demonstrate the economic consequences of long wait times that cause patients to miss work and point out where Canada is falling behind. Finally, the CAR aims to provide a comprehensive path to improve radiology facilities, equipment and staffing alike, and improve patient outcomes across Canada.
Several of the CAR’s key priorities are:
- Invest $5 million over five years to support a targeted Health Canada initiative aimed at strengthening the radiology workforce.
- Make a $50 million investment over 5 years in the Health Artificial Intelligence Validation Network (HAIVN) to ensure the safe, effective integration of AI in healthcare.
- Support the national integration of Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems into electronic medical records (EMRs) with a $50 million investment over 5 years.
- Guide an independent $2 billion investment over 3 years to modernize Canada’s radiology equipment stock.
Read more about the CAR’s priorities in the 2026 pre-budget submission.
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