At LifeLabs we live,
work, and believe in
Canadian communities.

Green Innovation; Healthier Communities

Our deep commitment to Canadians’ health extends beyond the lab, with environmental sustainability at the heart of everything that we do. 

As one of the first healthcare organizations in Canada to adopt green practices, we continue to lead the way in sustainability. We are the only company in Canada and the only laboratory in North America to be recognized by Practice Greenhealth, a leading organization that promotes sustainable healthcare. LifeLabs’ green initiatives are supported by the Sustainability Squad, a group of team members from across all departments and provinces who track sustainability trends and bring new, fresh ideas to life on behalf of their colleagues.

This year LifeLabs’ Sustainability Program reached another milestone. Through ongoing, in-depth monitoring of our environmental footprint, we identified electric vehicles as having the greatest potential to reduce our carbon emissions across the organization. In Fall 2024, we launched a multi-year initiative to replace gas-powered vehicles with electric in our mobile services and courier fleets. As EV battery technology continues to progress rapidly, electric vehicles will remain a strong driver of our energy sustainability efforts.

LifeLabs also collaborates with other organizations to find innovative ways to protect the environment. Now in its eighth year, our Sustainable Procurement Program requires vendors to disclose social and environmental practices, enabling us to identify and address any issues. In 2024, we collaborated with Stericycle, whose trucks pick up biohazardous waste at our Patient Service Centres, to reduce the number of pick-ups leading to a significant reduction in their fuel consumption and emissions. By consolidating waste pick-ups at fewer sites, we were able to eliminate more than 6,500 pick-ups annually, eliminating 53,000 kilometres of travel. In British Columbia, we repurpose the cold packs our suppliers use to ship laboratory supplies. About 10 per cent of them are reused here at LifeLabs, and the rest — 300 a week — are donated to Spud.ca, for use in grocery shipping. This program diverts more than 11 tons of waste from the landfill every year.

The success of these and other initiatives demonstrates the impact we can create when we bring innovation, caring and teamwork together and inspires us to continue our quest to ultimately reach zero impact.

LifeLabs Fosters Hope, Help, and Community for Young Canadians

In May, Kids’ Help Phone’s ‘Walk So Kids Can Talk’ fundraiser urged Canadians to join the walk, either in person or virtually, to raise support for Kids Help Phone’s mission of providing free, bilingual, confidential and around-the-clock e-mental health services to young Canadians.

The LifeLabs team hit the pavement and showed our support for youth e-mental health services — raising and donating more than $114,000 as the largest single donor for the event.

Since 1989, Kids Help Phone has been a trusted lifeline for young people across the country, removing barriers for youth seeking support with their mental health and wellbeing, and providing counselling, crisis response, and access to a wide range of resources and tools.

LifeLabs’ spirit of support for Kids Help Phone ignited with our President and CEO, Charles Brown. Charles is a long-term donor, volunteer and advocate with Kids Help Phone, having dedicated countless hours to support the launch of Kids Help Phone’s transformative multi-modal platform delivery system to enhance access for Canadian youth. His dedication to their mission is known to all who work with Charles, and his advocacy and passion brought awareness to Kids Help Phone’s mission among our team and inspired the LifeLabs community to champion this worthy cause. 

Kids Help Phone’s sense of purpose and compassion is shared by our team. Our employees work every day to empower healthier Canadians by improving access to high-quality health services, and our team’s support of Kids Help Phone reflects our shared commitment to community health and improving access to care. In addition to LifeLabs’ donation, it was the generosity of our team members across the country that made our contribution possible. 

“Kids Help Phone provides a critical lifeline for young people across Canada,” said Charles Brown, President and CEO of LifeLabs. “I’m incredibly proud of the impact we’ve made together through this fundraiser, ensuring Canadian youth have access to the support they need, when they need it most. For countless young people navigating difficult moments or challenges, Kids Help Phone is there to offer connection, comfort, and guidance, often as the first point of contact for mental healthcare.”

Our team’s contribution was also made possible through LifeLabs’ Employee Giving Program, which matches employees’ fundraising and volunteer efforts in support of causes close to their hearts. Thanks to the guidance of a leader who believes in making a difference, as well as the commitment and generosity of our team, we are proud to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of young Canadians.

Standing with Communities Across Canada Affected by Wildfires

In the last couple of years, wildfire seasons have left a lasting mark on communities across Canada.

Canadians across Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan faced uncertainty, loss, and disruption as fires spread through their regions. As we reflect on these challenging times, we continue to hold deep gratitude for the first responders and emergency crews whose tireless and courageous efforts helped safeguard our communities.

Throughout the season, the safety and well-being of our customers, employees, and communities guided every decision we made.

“We understand that during times like these, communities come together to support one another. LifeLabs stands alongside communities across Canada,” said Charles Brown, President and CEO of LifeLabs. “I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to all our staff who continued to provide compassionate care and support to customers. We remain committed to providing essential services that are reliable and accessible, while supporting Canadians with care, compassion, and a shared sense of purpose.”

To support the communities affected, LifeLabs contributed $15,000 toward wildfire relief efforts. We also made contributions of $5,000 each to the Canadian Red Cross and the Central Urban Métis Federation Inc. (CUMFI), an Indigenous-led organization that supports Métis and Indigenous communities impacted by the wildfires. CUMFI plays a vital role in Saskatchewan, offering housing support and culturally responsive care to First Nations and Métis people.

These contributions reflect LifeLabs’ continued commitment to advancing reconciliation and supporting Indigenous communities through meaningful partnerships and responsive action. They also represent our collective effort to stand with those affected by wildfires across Canada.

These times serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of compassion, solidarity, and community — and we remain committed to supporting Canadians with care and purpose, no matter what challenges arise.

LifeLabs Takes Action Toward Truth and Reconciliation

At LifeLabs, we recognize that Indigenous communities within Canada have long faced systematic injustices, including inequitable access to healthcare, and we are committed to doing our part to address these harms.

For the fourth consecutive year, we observed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, reaffirming our commitment to Indigenous communities across Canada. Reconciliation is an ongoing journey, not a single day, and we are proud to highlight how our team embodies this commitment within their work.

We work with rural and remote First Nations communities to develop innovative solutions for transportation and recruitment. Over the past three decades, our mobile and logistics teams have helped connect hundreds of remote communities, including 200 Indigenous communities, to essential health services. One of the most remote nursing stations we support is in Fort Severn First Nations in Ontario, 853 km north of Thunder Bay. LifeLabs receives samples from Fort Severn via a daily flight to Thunder Bay, where our dedicated team prepares them for testing at our labs in Thunder Bay and Toronto.

In British Columbia, LifeLabs is engaged in a multi-year collaboration with the Stellat’en First Nation and several other partners to develop drone programs for transporting test samples and medical supplies to remote Indigenous communities. “As a Native community, we’re at the forefront of this technology,” Chief Robert Michell of Stellat’en First Nation says.

Recognizing that cultural respect and sensitivity are central to equity, LifeLabs partners with Indigenous communities to provide services in ways that are culturally aligned. One such partnership is LifeLabs’ mobile clinic located within the Kal’numet Primary Care Clinic in West Vancouver and operated by Squamish First Nations. Our presence within the clinic allows LifeLabs to provide services in a trusted space that is culturally-aligned for Indigenous customers.

Employment equity is also essential, and LifeLabs has committed to improving education opportunities for Indigenous Canadians. Through a partnership with Indspire, a national Indigenous charity, LifeLabs provides $10,000 in annual bursaries to Inuit, First Nations and Metis people seeking post-secondary education in healthcare, science, and administration. Past winners have pursued careers as paramedics, x-ray, lab or radiation technicians, nurses, phlebotomists, kinesiologists, and researchers in health and biomedical sciences.

This bursary program helps talented individuals like Christina Tsuil-menak fulfill their dreams. Christina, a member of the St’uxwtéws (Bonaparte First Nation), part of the Shuswap Nation Tribal Council of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) people, won a bursary in 2024 to support her nursing studies. Her goal is to work in public health and challenge racism and inequity in the healthcare system. “I want to be a voice for those who can’t speak up. With my skills and knowledge, I hope to make a difference, even if it’s just with one person,” she says.

Team members like Christina, who generously share their experience and perspective, are making a difference within LifeLabs as we collectively strive for greater awareness, sensitivity, and equity.