Canadian Cancer Society and MaRS announce winner of the Rural and Remote Community Cancer Screening Challenge

Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health awarded $100,000 to scale cancer screening access for rural and remote communities across Canada.

TORONTO, April 23, 2026 – MaRS Discovery District and the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) have announced the grand prize winner of the Rural and Remote Community Cancer Screening Challenge, an innovation competition designed to improve access to cancer screening for people living in rural, remote and underserved communities across Canada.

The challenge called on a diverse group of innovators — founders, researchers and community organizations — to develop practical solutions that reduce barriers to screening participation. Five outstanding finalists were selected in August 2025 and received $15,000 to pilot their solution in the fall.

Following an extensive evaluation process, Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health (CERH), a non-profit based in Goderich, Ont., was selected as the winner of the challenge. The grand prize winner, who was announced at MaRS’s annual health tech summit Impact Health, receives $100,000 to support the scaling and implementation of its solution.

Gateway CERH’s Integrated Rural Screening Initiative was designed to normalize cancer screening conversations in public, non-clinical settings. By embedding breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening education into active, community-centred programming, this solution has already achieved substantial reach across rural communities. Gateway CERH increased awareness of cancer screening through multiple approaches, including targeted screening education, delivered at 10 in-person community events, reaching more than 450 rural residents, including farmers, firefighters, seniors and the general public, over five months.

“By integrating screening facilitation within trusted community settings, the model aims to improve uptake, streamline pathways to diagnostic follow-ups and reduce strain on primary care,” says Gwen Devereaux, president of Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health. “We are excited about the opportunity this funding creates to continue advancing cancer screening initiatives in rural communities.”

The organization plans to use the funding to translate this awareness building into screening outcomes by integrating a nurse practitioner–pharmacy partnership model that uses rural pharmacies as accessible entry points.

“We know that screening saves lives,” says Annemarie Edwards, vice president of cancer strategy and innovation at the Canadian Cancer Society. “Through the Rural and Remote Community Cancer Screening Challenge, we have a real opportunity to increase screening participation across Canada, especially for people who face systemic barriers, so more people have the chance to detect cancer earlier, when treatment is more likely to be successful.”

“This challenge focused on a strengths-based approach to solution-building, recognizing the deep well of knowledge that exists in rural and remote communities. We are proud of all the unique community-driven solutions the challenge inspired across Canada,” says Shilpa Sharma, senior manager in health equity innovation at MaRS Discovery District.

Read about the Rural and Remote Community Cancer Screening Challenge and the finalist solutions selected in August.

Interested in learning more about the Gateway CERH Cancer Screening Initiative? Click here.

For further information:

About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health

Founded in 2008, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education, and communication. Learn more on the Gateway CERH website at www.gatewayruralhealth.ca.

About The Canadian Cancer Society

The Canadian Cancer Society works tirelessly to save lives, improve lives and drive collective action against cancer. Together with patients, volunteers, donors and communities across the country, we raise funds to invest in transformative cancer research, we provide a caring support system for everyone affected by cancer and we advocate to governments to create a healthier future for all. It takes a society to take on cancer — and the Canadian Cancer Society is leading the way. Help us make a difference. Call 1-888-939-3333 or visit cancer.ca today.

About MaRS

MaRS Discovery District is a charitable organization and North America’s largest urban innovation hub, dedicated to helping Canadian technology companies succeed. With a focus on climate, health sciences and other emerging technologies, MaRS supports startups tackling some of the world’s most pressing issues. Through its world-class facilities, strategic programs and partnerships, MaRS accelerates the adoption of groundbreaking Canadian technology and bolsters a globally competitive innovation ecosystem.