Hospice Northwest

What Hospice Northwest does

Hospice Northwest Services is a community-based, non-profit charitable organization founded in 1986 (originally as Thunder Bay Community Palliative Care Volunteers) and headquartered at 63 Carrie Street, Thunder Bay, Ontario. The organization operates as a "hospice without walls," providing volunteer-delivered palliative care, grief and bereavement support, caregiver support, children's grief programming (HUUG), community outreach, and advance-care-planning education across Thunder Bay and the surrounding district, including Geraldton/Longlac, Terrace Bay/Schreiber, Marathon, Manitouwadge, and Nipigon. Its paid team is small (approximately three staff plus an Executive Director) but it mobilizes 145+ specially trained volunteers and partners with regional hospitals, family health teams, and community health centres to deliver services directly in clients' homes, hospitals, and long-term-care facilities. The organization is accredited through Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) and the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association and serves roughly 450 end-of-life clients and their families annually.

All client services are provided free of charge. Funding is a hybrid of partial government grants (Ontario Health North West / Noojmawing Sookatagaing and First Nations Inuit Health Branch), community and memorial donations, foundation grants, and signature fundraising events such as the annual Hike for Hospice (which has cumulatively raised over CAD 600,000 since 2012) and the Wings of Remembrance ornament campaign. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and is held within the AGM report. Distribution is primarily direct via volunteers, complemented by an online self-referral system and partnerships with St. Joseph's Care Group, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and multiple regional healthcare providers.

Products and resources span the Palliative Support Program, Grief Support Program (including Hearts & Hope and Circle of Friends), HUUG children's grief program, Caregiver Support Program, Community Outreach Program, Die-alogues conversation series, the Don't Duck the Conversation personal planning guide, and a Workplace Toolkit Edition for employers. Technology usage is limited to standard non-profit operational tools (website, online referral forms, email, social media), and there is no proprietary AI, software platform, or patented technology component — the "product" is fundamentally the trained volunteer workforce and the curated partnerships that enable regional service delivery.

Name

Hospice Northwest

Legal name

Hospice Northwest Services

Website

https://hospicenorthwest.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hospice Northwest Services is a Thunder Bay-based non-profit charitable hospice (founded 1986) delivering volunteer-driven palliative care, grief, caregiver, and community outreach services free of charge across Northwestern Ontario, serving roughly 450 end-of-life clients and families annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospice and Palliative Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement, Grief & Family Support Services (Hospice-Linked) (HLAFAEAO), Community-Based Palliative Care (Home-Based Non-Hospice) (HLADAHAH), Palliative Care, Hospice & Serious Illness Support (BPAGACAK), Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF)

Keywords

• Hospice palliative care
• Grief bereavement support
• Caregiver support services
• Volunteer end-of-life care
• Advance care planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Thunder Bay

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Hospice Northwest receives partial funding from Ontario Health North West (Noojmawing Sookatagaing/Healing Working Together Ontario Health Team) and First Nation Inuit Health Branch (FNIHB) to support operations.
2. Donations and Fundraising: As a not-for-profit charity, Hospice Northwest relies substantially on community donations, memorial donations, and fundraising initiatives including Hike for Hospice, Wings of Remembrance ornaments, and monthly giving programs to subsidize operating costs not covered by government funding.
3. Donor Partnerships: Partnerships with local businesses, funeral homes, Rotary clubs, and community foundations who provide funding and support through various programs and events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Hospice Northwest Services delivers volunteer-based palliative care, grief and bereavement support, caregiver support, and community outreach programs at no cost to clients throughout Thunder Bay and District. Specially trained volunteers provide emotional and spiritual support to individuals with life-limiting illnesses wherever they reside — in homes, hospitals, or long-term-care facilities — functioning as a "hospice without walls." The organization is funded through Ontario Health North West, FNIHB, and community donations.

Product overview

Hospice Northwest Services is a community-based, non-profit hospice organization (established 1986, formerly Thunder Bay Community Palliative Care Volunteers) offering a suite of compassionate support services centered on a volunteer-driven palliative care model. The organization operates as a hospice without walls, delivering services wherever clients reside — homes, hospitals, or long-term-care facilities. The core portfolio includes: the Palliative Support Program (emotional/spiritual volunteer companionship), the Grief Support Program (one-to-one, group, and specialized programming including HUUG for children and Circle of Friends), the Caregiver Support Program (workshops, support lines, respite), the Community Outreach Program, and Die-alogues (community conversation series). Education and planning resources include the Don't Duck the Conversation Personal Planning Guide (individual and workplace editions) for advance care planning. An Online Referral System enables self and third-party referrals across all services. Fundraising programs include the annual Hike for Hospice and the Wings of Remembrance ornament campaign. A Resource Library provides free lending of books and materials on death, dying, grief, and caregiving. The organization is accredited through Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) and serves the City and District of Thunder Bay plus regional communities of Geraldton/Longlac, Terrace Bay/Schreiber, Marathon, Manitouwadge, and Nipigon, reaching approximately 450 end-of-life clients and families each year.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Palliative Support Program Volunteer-based emotional and spiritual support program for individuals living with or dying from advanced illness. Specially trained volunteers provide companionship wherever the client resides — home, hospital, or long-term-care facility. Free of charge to clients.
• Grief Support Program Bereavement support offering one-to-one counseling, grief support groups, and therapeutic programs such as Hearts & Hope and Circle of Friends for individuals and families navigating grief. Free of charge to clients.
• Help Us Understand Grief (HUUG) Program Specialized grief support for children and youth ages 3–18, providing grief kits, a resource library, monthly workshops, and education/outreach sessions for schools and community agencies across Thunder Bay, Nipigon, Terrace Bay, Marathon, Manitouwadge, Geraldton, and Longlac. Funded in partnership with Ontario Health and North of Superior Counselling.
• Caregiver Support Program Provides emotional support, respite, and practical assistance for caregivers of individuals with life-limiting illnesses. Includes caregiver workshops, one-to-one support, a caregiver support line, and community gatherings. Free of charge.
• Community Outreach Program Outreach programs and workshops developed with and for underserved community members in Northwestern Ontario, addressing needs that often go unmet. Includes culturally safe programming for Indigenous communities.
• Die-alogues A community conversation series on life and death topics designed to normalize discussions around end-of-life issues and promote community awareness.
• Don't Duck the Conversation: A Personal Planning Guide An advance care planning workbook helping individuals record personal information, memories, legal and financial details, funeral arrangements, and healthcare wishes. Available as a free downloadable PDF or a $10 printed workbook.
• Don't Duck the Conversation: Workplace Toolkit Edition A workplace toolkit to help organizations navigate end-of-life events in the workplace, including checklists, email templates, bereavement basics, and mental health resources. Available as a physical hardcopy or printable digital version.
• Online Referral System Confidential online referral forms for palliative support, grief support, and caregiver support services, accessible to clients, family members, friends, or third-party referrers with client consent.
• Resource Library A lending library of books covering serious illness, hospice, death and dying, spirituality, grief and bereavement, caregiving, and children's resources, available free of charge to registered patrons.
• Hike for Hospice Annual memorial fundraising walk, the organization's primary community fundraiser, offered as both an in-person event at Boulevard Lake and a virtual hike. Has raised over $600,000 for palliative care since 2012.
• Wings of Remembrance A Christmas ornament collection campaign honoring deceased loved ones, generating memorial donations for Hospice Northwest.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 450 end-of-life clients and families per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice Northwest is an accredited member of Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO) and complies with all current principles of palliative care service. The volunteer training program is endorsed by HPCO.
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice Northwest is an accredited member of the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association, the national association dedicated to helping those involved with hospice and palliative care.
• St. Joseph's Care GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice Northwest works with St. Joseph's Care Group and volunteers visit patients on the St. Joseph's Hospital hospice unit and the long-term care homes they operate. They collaborate to ensure an effective, holistic approach to client care.
• Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for comprehensive palliative care services in Northwestern Ontario.
• Geraldton District HospitalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner providing hospice services in the Geraldton area through hospital partnership.
• Nipigon District Memorial HospitalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner providing hospice services in the Nipigon area through hospital partnership.
• North Shore Family Health TeamregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner providing hospice services through family health team coordination.
• NorWest Community Health CentresregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartners with community health centres to deliver palliative care services including Palliative Carelink program.
• North of Superior Healthcare GroupregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner providing hospice services through the healthcare group serving multiple communities.
• Manitouwadge Family Health TeamregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRegional partner providing hospice services in the Manitouwadge area through family health team.
• North of Superior CounsellingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorth of Superior Counselling supports the HUUG program, providing collaborative grief support services for children and youth.
• Compassionate Communities Thunder BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHospice Northwest's Don't Duck the Conversation Workplace Toolkit was inspired by Compassionate Communities, an international movement to de-medicalize death and dying and make end-of-life events a community social responsibility.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• Canuck Place Children's Hospice: British Columbia's pediatric hospice providing palliative and grief support for children and families. Comparable only on the children's grief and serious-illness support dimension; differs in that it is facility-based and pediatric-focused.

Direct peers

• Journey Home Hospice (Toronto): A Toronto-based volunteer-driven community hospice providing free in-home end-of-life support. Comparable volunteer-led, free-service, community-hospice operating model in an Ontario context.
• Hospice Mississauga: A community hospice serving Mississauga and Halton with volunteer-based in-home palliative support, grief programs, and caregiver support. Closely comparable volunteer-driven Ontario hospice model.
• Victoria Hospice: A well-established Canadian community hospice in Victoria, BC providing volunteer-based palliative support, grief programs, and caregiver education. Comparable volunteer-driven, free-service community hospice model.
• Hospice Toronto: A volunteer-driven, community-based hospice in Toronto offering in-home palliative support, grief and bereavement programs, and caregiver services. Highly comparable operating model, client segments, and free-service funding structure to Hospice Northwest.
• Hospice Calgary: A Calgary-based community hospice offering in-home palliative support, children's grief programs, and caregiver services. Comparable program mix (palliative + grief + children's services) and Canadian non-profit funding model.
• Hospice Care Ottawa: A community hospice serving the Ottawa region with volunteer-based in-home palliative support, grief programs, and Day Hospice services. Closely comparable in volunteer-led delivery, free client services, and Ontario non-profit hospice positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Hospice Palliative Care Ontario: The provincial association of which Hospice Northwest is an accredited member. Operates broadly across Ontario as a standards, advocacy, and training body for hospice palliative care providers — directly comparable accreditation and policy framework.
• St. Joseph's Care Group: A multi-site Northwestern Ontario health provider operating the hospice unit where Hospice Northwest volunteers deliver service. Functions as both a referral partner and a broader palliative care incumbent in the same regional footprint.
• Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association: The national hospice and palliative care association, of which Hospice Northwest is an accredited member. Provides national accreditation, advocacy, and frameworks that shape Hospice Northwest's service model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hospicenorthwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/hospicenorthwest
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hospice-northwest-tbay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hospice Northwest