National Resilience Day aims to inspire one million acts of kindness

Sep 15, 2026 | 6:01 AM

“I have a dream for Canada, and I need people’s help to make it happen,” said Allen Lycka.

Lycka is encouraging Canadians to take part in National Resilience Day on Sept. 24 by completing a small act of resilience, with a goal of inspiring one million people to participate.

“Sooner or later, life changes for all of us. A diagnosis, the loss of someone we love. A job disappears, a disaster strikes. Suddenly there is the life we knew and the life that comes after.”

Lycka said resilience can take many forms, including checking in on someone who is struggling, helping a grieving family, supporting a caregiver or thanking a first responder.

The campaign is connected to When Life Changes Everything, a national resilience initiative Lycka founded to support people facing major life changes such as illness, grief, caregiving or job loss.

"LIFE CHANGES FOR ALL OF US"

National Resilience Day aims to inspire one million acts of kindness

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“The movement is already growing. Brooks, Alberta became the first community to proclaim National Resilience Day and we have probably 13 or 14 communities that have either acknowledged us or written proclamations,” he said.

The initiative has also gained support in Saskatchewan, with North Battleford, Meadow Lake and Preeceville among the communities that have acknowledged the day.

Lycka has also submitted a petition to the House of Commons seeking national recognition for National Resilience Day.

“I need 500 signatures to make this official. Now I know I won’t get 500 signatures by this September 24th, but we have till January the 2nd to make it happen. That’s fine with me because this is going to be an ongoing event year after year.”

For this year’s event, Lycka is not keeping a tally of how many resilience acts are completed. Instead, he hopes the Sept. 24 campaign will get people thinking about how they respond when circumstances change and how they can help someone else through a difficult period.

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Alyssa.rudolph@pattisonmedia.com

by Alyssa Rudolph

National Resilience Day aims to inspire one million acts of kindness

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