In this month’s newsletter:
Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser is Back!
CAPA is pleased to announce that our annual Coffee for CAPA Fundraiser will now be held twice a year. Starting April 14th, you can buy the coffee you know and love to support CAPA! Funds raised will go towards educational activities and supporting people living with arthritis. If you’re not a coffee person but would still like to donate, follow the instructions on our donation page to send us an e-transfer.
What have we been up to?
Joint Effort: Physical Activity in Arthritis Webinar
Last month, we held our webinar on movement and arthritis. Participants included people who have lived experience with arthritis and two physical activity specialists who discussed how to incorporate movement into one’s life when one lives with arthritis.
The recording is now available on our YouTube channel. Watch here!
Rare Disease Day Virtual Drop-In
Rare Disease Day is celebrated annually on February 28th, and we held a drop-in session, co-hosted by Janet Gunderson and Natalie Boivin, on living with rare rheumatic diseases. They discussed their experiences with vasculitis, relapsing polychondritis and offered some helpful tips and resources.
The recording is now available on our YouTube channel. Watch here!
Vlog on Physical Activity and Rheumatoid Arthritis
Nikki Bhatti lives in British Columbia and has rheumatoid arthritis. She shared how she remains active with her condition, touching on different types of activity, how low-impact exercise helps her, and what she does on flare days. Watch to learn more!
BMC position points: Protecting patients in Canada from tariff and other trade measures
As the current trade and tariff situation evolves, the Best Medicines Coalition (BMC), of which CAPA is a part, is calling for protection of patient interests as various options are considered and imposed. BMC’s core position is that drugs and related treatments, and their ingredients, along with other health products and devices, must be exempt from tariffs, countermeasures, and any other retaliatory measures threatened or imposed. Read more here.
CAPA at the Canadian Rheumatology Association’s Annual Scientific Meeting
CAPA’s President and Managing Director, Linda Wilhelm and Laurie Proulx attended the CRA ASM in Calgary, AB from February 25 – March 1.
They participated in podium and poster presentations and co-hosted an event alongside other patients, researchers, and clinicians.
Jon Stewart, President of Vasculitis Foundation Canada and Linda Wilhelm, President of CAPA.
Linda Wilhelm, President of CAPA; Natasha Trehan, Founder of Take a Pain Check Foundation; Laurie Proulx, Managing Director of CAPA, and Dr. Karine Toupin-April, Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa.
Francophone Support and Resources Advisory Committee
Over the years, CAPA community members have told us how important it is to have access to educational materials in French. In response, we’ve translated many of our resources and our website. Now, we’ve taken the next step by forming a committee of six individuals who have first-hand experience with arthritis. Over the next year, we will work together to identify the key needs of Francophones and develop a plan to address them. Stay tuned for more!
Get Involved
Unity Through Rheumatic Diseases
Take a Pain Check Foundation is hosting its first in-person event! It will feature diverse perspectives from young adults, adult patients, researchers, and physicians, promoting dialogue to improve healthcare outcomes. Interactive workshops will equip attendees with practical tools for managing rheumatic diseases and enhancing clinical practice.
Click here for Session and Speaker Information.
Register by March 31st by contacting events@
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada Questionnaire on Accessibility
Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada’s consultation on the 2026–2028 Accessibility Plans is now open. This questionnaire invites the public to share any accessibility barriers they have encountered when interacting with these organizations. Your feedback is essential in helping identify and remove barriers, ensuring services are accessible to all Canadians. Answer the questionnaire to share your experiences!
Useful Resources
Patients Redefining Health Care: A blog post by Jenna Kedy
As a CAPA representative, Jenna Kedy attended the Ninth Annual Patient Redefining Healthcare Summit in Toronto. The Saving Your Skin Foundation and Psoriasis Canada host this annual summit. In this blog post, Jenna shares what she learned at the summit and how it made her feel. Read the blog post here!
Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month
World yOung Rheumatic Diseases (WORD) Day is celebrated annually on March 18th and falls under Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month in Canada. These events raise awareness for children and youth affected by rheumatic diseases by advocating for increased awareness and early intervention. Check out these resources by youth, for youth with arthritis on navigating school, work, accommodations, high school, and conversations with loved ones.
International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day is celebrated annually on March 8th. This year’s IWD theme was For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment. Check out our resources on reproductive and sexual health in women+ with inflammatory arthritis, psoriatic, and rheumatic diseases made in collaboration with the Canadian Spondyloarthritis Association and Psoriasis Canada.
National Nutrition Month
March is nutrition month in Canada. Learn more about how inflammatory arthritis affects the body and how diet can help.
Check out our TEAM Arthritis Modules, specifically Healthy Eating and Body Weight.
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