Hospice Niagara has been named the 2026 recipient of the Mount Pleasant Group (MPG) Equity in Action Award, recognizing its efforts to improve access to hospice palliative care for equity-deserving communities across the Niagara region and to build more inclusive, community-based models of support. Launched in 2025 by MPG in partnership with Hospice Palliative Care Ontario, the award highlights initiatives that advance equitable access to hospice palliative care across Ontario.
At the heart of Hospice Niagara’s work is Beyond Hospice Walls, a community-embedded approach that shifts hospice care beyond traditional settings and into spaces where people already feel safe and supported. Rather than expecting individuals to navigate a complex healthcare system, the model focuses on meeting people where they are geographically, culturally and emotionally, and building relationships over time.
For Carol Nagy, Executive Director, and Joy Friesen, Director of Community Programs, that work begins with listening.
“We had to go in not as the expert,” said Carol. “We had to start with deep listening, with humility, and then co-design programs based on what each community identifies as its needs.”
The approach is rooted in relationship-building rather than service delivery.
“It hits different when we arrive and people ask, ‘What program are you bringing?’ and we can say, ‘We’re simply coming to listen, be present and respectfully attend the drumming ceremony,’” said Joy. “I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful that is when we come without an agenda, and through connection and trust are invited to join in and play the drums alongside them.”
The model reflects a clear understanding of the barriers many communities face: transportation challenges, geography, stigma, fear of institutions and past experiences with the healthcare system.
“We had to ask ourselves who we weren’t serving and why,” said Carol.
In response, Hospice Niagara removed common barriers to access, including formal referral requirements.
“People can come to us directly,” said Carol. “We dropped the expectation of forms having to be filled out and physicians having to refer. We don’t need somebody else to validate. Trust the people.”
Through more than 30 community partnerships, Hospice Niagara delivers grief, wellness, and palliative supports in a wide range of settings from community centres and shelters to schools, libraries and Indigenous-led spaces. This flexible, relationship-based approach not only removes barriers but also broadens understanding of what hospice care can look like beyond end-of-life settings.
The impact has been measurable. Hospice Niagara has delivered more than 20 community-based programs across 19 partner sites, reaching over 2,100 participants – an increase of more than 50% compared to previous years. More than 200 individuals connected with hospice services for the first time through these programs.
This work is also changing how hospice care is understood.
“People are starting to see that hospice isn’t just for the final days,” said Carol. “It’s about supporting people earlier, in ways that reflect their lives and communities.”
Receiving the MPG Equity in Action Award reflects both the impact of this work and the relationships that sustain it. For Hospice Niagara, the focus remains on continuing that work alongside community partners.
“This isn’t about us saying we’ve solved an equity problem,” said Carol. “We’re on a journey, and we’re committed to continuing to learn, adapt and strengthen access to meaningful support.”
The $10,000 prize will help sustain that momentum, but Hospice Niagara sees it as something to be shared with the community.
Hospice Niagara is the second recipient of the MPG Equity in Action Award, following Hospice Northwest of Thunder Bay, which received the inaugural award in 2025.
