South Surrey resident and talk radio host Ivan Scott is calling on the federal government to formally declare dementia to be a national health emergency.
Scott said the initiative is “deliberately non-political, non-ideological, and national in scope.
“Dementia is not a partisan issue. It affects the entire Canadian family — across every region, culture, and community,” Scott said, noting that more than 750,000 Canadians are afflicted with it and that number is expected to exceed 1.7 million within a generation.
“This is not a theoretical issue. It is already unfolding in communities across British Columbia and Canada — affecting families, caregivers, and local systems daily,” he said. “Dementia is not simply a medical condition – it is a national failure in slow motion. It strips away dignity, independence, and independence, and identity. It breaks caregivers. It overwhelms systems. It empties savings and replaces them with stress and grief. And still, we treat it as background noise.”
Scott said he’s sent a letter to all 335 MPs, including party leaders, seeking their support.
“This is not a future problem,” he wrote them. “It is in your riding. It is in everyone’s riding. Right now.”
He called on them to establish a cross-party dementia task force and form an all-party coalition to address dementia immediately, saying there is “no excuse for division” and only Parliament can solve this problem.
“Give Canada something real,” Scott urged the politicians. “Give Canadians confidence that when it matters most, their Parliament can act. And give those living with dementia – and those who care for them – the dignity of knowing they have not been ignored. The opportunity is in front of you. Do not let it pass. You CAN do something about it. Please!”
Those interested in contacting Scott concerning this initiative can reach him at 778-229-5108 or at surreytalkradio@gmail.com