The SHARP Foundation is tackling the challenges of aging within the LGBTQ2S+ community and among long-term HIV survivors through initiatives like the Calgary LGBT Seniors Housing Assessment, digital storytelling projects, and a 3-year online roadmap for inclusive communities. Partnering with organizations and researchers, SHARP aims to combat stigma, improve housing and care services, and ensure…

The Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) is funding 14 community-based research projects (2020–22) to explore the relationship between cannabis and mental health in diverse populations. These initiatives focus on priority groups such as marginalized communities, Indigenous peoples, youth, older adults, and justice-involved individuals. Key projects include stigma reduction via participatory videos, analyzing the effects…

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The 2019 YMCA Immigrant Needs Assessment in Fort McMurray identified service gaps for newcomers who hadn’t accessed settlement services, aiding strategic planning for NIN and LIP. It complemented the 2017 Habitus report, which engaged 700 newcomers and 40 organizations to highlight settlement challenges and priorities for long-term planning. Read full article

The article presents a peer-led research study exploring cannabis' impact on mental health, created one year into the project with six months remaining. It introduces project members, outlines the CARMHA project, its objectives, and phases, and shares preliminary observations. Delivered in partnership with AAWEAR, Habitus Collective, and the University of Calgary, the research is funded…

The City of Calgary, in partnership with Habitus Collective, ActionDignity, and the Anti-Racism Action Committee, is developing a Community Anti-Racism Action Strategy to address systemic racism and improve equity in City services and programs. Through a three-phase process—planning, engagement, and confirmation—the strategy seeks input from Indigenous and racialized communities via events, surveys, and other mediums…

This specialized library was created to centralize research on immigrants and refugees in Alberta, including both academic and community-level resources like program evaluation reports. Designed for easy access by diverse users—community members, service providers, students, consultants, and academics—the library also encourages contributions from these groups. In 2020, a partnership between MITACS and CCIS analyzed newcomer…

The CARMHA project is a peer-led community based research project on the relationship between cannabis use and mental health. Our understanding of these links needs to be strengthened in Canada, especially when it comes to in-risk and marginalized groups. People with lived experience of mental health and/or substance and cannabis use will lead on the…