The Hospice Association of Ontario (HAO) is Canada's largest volunteer hospice organization, consisting of more than 180 community-based volunteer organizations providing high-quality, compassionate end-of-life care for individuals living with a life-threatening illness, and those who care for them.

Ontario Now Has One Vision, One Voice, and One Association!

The Hospice Association of Ontario and the Ontario Palliative Care Association are now one organization called Hospice Palliative Care Ontario!

On Sunday, 10 April 2011, the members of HAO voted unanimously to complete the merger process by renaming the corporation, expanding the objects of the organization, appointing eight OPCA directors to the board and welcoming the OPCA membership into the newly created Hospice Palliative Care Ontario.

At the Ontario Palliative Care Association Annual General Meeting on Monday, 11 April 2011, the OPCA members voted unanimously to transfer membership from OPCA to the newly created Hospice Palliative Care Ontario. The merger, which began as an idea discussed by the boards of both associations in 2007/08, has been welcomed by a wide range of stakeholders in Ontario.

Eight members of the previous OPCA board of directors were appointed to the HPCO transition board. The transition board will commence strategic planning and visioning in the coming months and stakeholder engagement will be key component of the process as we move forward.

Please visit our Hospice Palliative Care Ontario landing page for more information, and stay tuned for updates as they become available throughout the spring and summer.

Volunteer for Hospice

Hospice volunteers are needed across Ontario. To connect with your local hospice and enquire about volunteering, please feel free to fill out our volunteer request form.

One Vision One Voice: 2011 Annual Hospice Palliative Care Conference

The first and second joint conferences ever to be hosted by the Hospice Association of Ontario and the Ontario Palliative Care Association were stunning successes! The theme of our conferences, "One Vision, One Voice", has reflected the historic collaboration of these two associations. Many thanks to the delegates, presenters, sponsors and volunteers who have made it happen.

Our third annual conference was held in Richmond Hill from April 10 to 12. This year's program was shortened, and registration fees were reduced, with no HST being charged on those fees. Please stay tuned to this site for information on future conferences as it becomes available.

First Time Here?

Thanks for visiting! To learn more about the Hospice Association of Ontario, you can read our organizational overview, review our list of programs and services, or browse a list of frequently asked questions. To learn more about palliative care in Ontario, visit the Hospice Ontario section of our site, which includes a searchable database of hospices and related organizations throughout the province. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact us. Thank you!

Our Mandate

The Hospice Association's mission is to ensure that our members consistently deliver the finest end-of-life care possible to individuals with life-threatening conditions, their families and friends.

“There will always be a need for caring, for compassion, for respect, and for providing choices in care settings. And there will always be the need for the Hospice Association of Ontario and its members to ensure that people in Ontario, no matter where they live, die with dignity.”
– Janet Napper, Former Executive Director

Caring, compassion, collaboration, sincerity and responsibility serve as our core values, guiding our decisions and actions.