Showing resources for Canada. Somewhere else? Choose your country:

IBD and Crohn’s & Colitis Resources for Canada

Canada has one of the highest rates of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in the world: an estimated 322,600 Canadians (0.82% of the population) were living with IBD in 2023.

Donate to an IBD charity

322,600 Canadians living with IBD (2023 estimate)
0.82% of the population (2023 estimate)
470,000 Canadians with IBD by 2035 (2023 forecast)

Need to talk to someone? Call Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s Help Centre on 1-800-387-1479 (it doesn’t publish its phone hours), or use its online form, which it aims to answer within 3 business days. For health advice from a nurse at any time, call 811 in most provinces and territories, or Health Links – Info Santé on 1-888-315-9257 in Manitoba (204-788-8200 in Winnipeg). In an emergency, call 911 (Nunavut and some remote communities have no 911 service: use your community’s local emergency number). If you feel very unwell, see when to get urgent help. If you’re struggling to cope, call or text 9-8-8 at any time, or see other crisis lines.

IBD in Canada

Canada has one of the highest rates of IBD in the world. The 2023 Impact of IBD in Canada report from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada estimated that 322,600 Canadians (0.82% of the population) were living with IBD in 2023, or 825 per 100,000 people (410 for Crohn’s disease and 414 for ulcerative colitis and IBD that has not been classified as either type). That number is forecast to rise to about 470,000 people (1.08% of the population) by 2035.

Back to contents

Getting care in Canada

Where to start. If you think you might have IBD, start with a family doctor or nurse practitioner, who can refer you to a gastroenterologist (a specialist in the gut and digestive system). If your child might have IBD, ask your doctor for a referral to a pediatric gastroenterologist (a children’s gut specialist), as GIKids advises; see also resources for children and teens. Health care is run by each province and territory, so services vary. In most provinces and territories, you can call 811 for free advice from a registered nurse at any time. In Manitoba, call Health Links – Info Santé on 1-888-315-9257 (204-788-8200 in Winnipeg).

Paying for medicines. Coverage for prescription medicines, including biologics, depends on your province or territory’s drug plan and on any private or workplace insurance. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada explains drug coverage and financial support.

Work and money. If you can’t work for medical reasons, Employment Insurance sickness benefits can pay up to 26 weeks of benefits if you qualify. If you are under 65, have paid into the Canada Pension Plan, and can’t work because of a disability, you may be able to get the Canada Pension Plan disability benefit (in Quebec, the Quebec Pension Plan disability pension), and if you have a severe and prolonged impairment, the Disability Tax Credit can lower the income tax you pay. Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s webinar on IBD in the workplace covers telling your employer and asking for accommodations (changes at work that help you do your job).

Family and caregivers. If you’re supporting someone with IBD, see help for family and caregivers, including peer support for caregivers.

Thinking about donating to one of the organizations below? Tell us what matters most to you and we’ll help you find the closest match.

Back to contents

National Organizations

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada

National organization with chapters across Canada Based in Canada

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Health Consumer Organisation
Support Programs
IBD Helpline
Toilet Access Card
Educational Resources
Research Funding

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada is a national, volunteer-based charity working to cure Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and to improve life for everyone affected by them. Founded in 1974, it has put more than $150 million into research so far. Call the Help Centre on 1-800-387-1479. Its free GoHere app maps washrooms in participating businesses and public buildings along your route, and includes a digital access card to show when you need one urgently. Learn more about Crohn’s and Colitis Canada

Financial transparency: 61% of expenditure on programs, including research (FY2025)

Registered charity: CRA charities listing (registration no. 118831486RR0001)

Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF)

National foundation for digestive health Based in Canada

Charity
Health Consumer Organisation
Educational Resources

The Canadian Digestive Health Foundation (CDHF) sets out to make digestive health easier to understand. Working alongside gastroenterologists, dietitians, and scientists, it produces free, evidence-based resources (covering IBD and more than 20 other digestive conditions) to help Canadians make sense of their symptoms and manage their care. Learn more about CDHF

Financial transparency: 76% of expenditure on charitable programs (FY2025)

Registered charity: CRA charities listing (registration no. 889968269RR0001)

The GI (Gastrointestinal) Society

National organization for gastrointestinal health Based in Canada

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Medical Research Organisation
Educational Resources
Patient Support

The GI (Gastrointestinal) Society was formed in 2008 on the foundation of the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research (CSIR), founded in 1976 as a registered charity devoted to gastrointestinal health. The Society provides medically sound, evidence-based information on GI diseases and disorders, including IBD, supports research, and publishes the quarterly Inside Tract® newsletter. Learn more about the GI Society

Financial transparency: 73% of expenditure on charitable programs (FY2025)

Registered charity: CRA charities listing (registration no. 817065352RR0001)

Back to contents

Ostomy and Pouch Support

Some people with IBD have surgery that leaves them with an ostomy (an opening on the abdomen, with a pouch to collect waste) or an internal pouch made from the small bowel (a J-pouch). This organization supports people living with one.

Ostomy Canada Society

National charity with local chapters across Canada Based in Mississauga, Canada

Charity
Patient Advocacy
Patient Support Group
Peer Support
Educational Resources

Ostomy Canada Society has supported Canadians living with an ostomy for more than 60 years. It has local chapters, a visitor program that connects you with a trained volunteer who has an ostomy, and a youth camp, along with information on getting financial help with supplies. Find support near you

Financial transparency: 64% of expenditure on charitable programs (FY2025)

Registered charity: CRA charities listing (registration no. 119277093RR0001)

Back to contents

For Children and Teens (US and Canada)

Resources for children and teens with IBD and their parents. For school in the US, the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation explains school accommodations, such as a 504 plan (a written plan of the support your child’s school will give), and how to ask for them. In Canada, Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s guide for teachers covers practical matters such as washroom access and missed school.

North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN)

Professional organization serving US, Canada, and Mexico Based in North America

Charity
Health Professional Body
Medical Research Organisation
Clinical Guidelines
Educational Resources
Research Programs

NASPGHAN (the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition) works to improve care for infants, children, and adolescents with digestive disorders, including IBD. It develops clinical practice guidelines, supports research, and produces educational resources for the health care professionals and families looking after children across North America. Its family website, GIKids, explains IBD in children for parents and young people.

501(c)(3) charity: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (EIN 84-1264966)

ImproveCareNow

Network of children’s IBD care centers, mostly in the US; its family resources are free to use anywhere Based in North America

Charity
Medical Research Organisation
Educational Resources
Research Programs

ImproveCareNow is a network of pediatric IBD care centers, patients, and families working together to improve health and care for children and adolescents with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Since it began in 2007, it has increased the number of children in remission. Its Patients & Families section offers tools for living with IBD, and patient and parent advisory councils help shape its work. Read about ImproveCareNow’s purpose and results

Financial transparency: 90% of expenses on program services (FY2025)

501(c)(3) charity: IRS Tax Exempt Organization Search (EIN 20-3200488)

Back to contents

Online Communities

These are peer support communities: members share their own experiences and support each other. What you read there isn’t medical advice, so check anything about your own treatment with your doctor or IBD team.

Crohn’s and Colitis Connect

Free national online community run by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada Based in Canada

Patient Support Group
Online Community
Peer Support
Peer Mentoring
Educational Resources

Crohn’s and Colitis Connect is a free online community from Crohn’s and Colitis Canada that brings together people across Canada affected by IBD. Members (18+) can connect with trained peer mentors who have lived experience, take part in regular peer support events, share their stories, and find information on treatment, nutrition, and mental health.

Back to contents

For Health Professionals and Researchers

These organizations work mainly with doctors, nurses, dietitians, and researchers. They are listed for completeness; if you live with IBD, the organizations above are usually the better place to start.

Show list (2)Hide list

Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG)

National professional organization for gastroenterologists Based in Canada

Health Professional Body
Medical Research Organisation
Clinical Guidelines
Research Programs

The Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) is the national body for the gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and researchers who treat and study digestive disease in Canada. It backs their research, training, and advocacy, and writes the clinical practice guidelines that shape how IBD and other digestive diseases are managed across the country. Learn more about CAG

IMAGINE (Inflammation, Microbiome, and Alimentation: Gastro-Intestinal and Neuropsychiatric Effects)

National research network Based in Canada

Medical Research Organisation
Research Programs
Clinical Trials

IMAGINE is a pan-Canadian research network studying how inflammation, the gut microbiome, and diet interact to affect gastrointestinal and mental health in people with IBD and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). A Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) initiative funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, it brings together patients, clinicians, and researchers from institutions across Canada to develop new therapies and improve outcomes. Learn more about IMAGINE