The National Citizens Inquiry is a citizen-led and citizen-funded effort to examine Canada’s response to COVID-19.

The NCI’s purpose is to listen, to learn, and to recommend. What went right? What went wrong? How can Canadians and our governments react to national crises in the future in a manner that balances the interests, needs and rights of all members of our society?

The NCI is volunteer run and completely independent of government.

Why an Inquiry?

During the pandemic, governments at all levels made decisions that affected the lives of almost every Canadian. The impacts of these decisions were unprecedented. They affected our lives, families, businesses, and communities, in significant and long-lasting ways. They affected our physical and mental health, civil liberties and fundamental freedoms, jobs and livelihoods, and overall social and economic well-being.

Could COVID-19 have been handled differently? Many Canadians believe so, and many believe these circumstances demand a comprehensive, transparent, objective and independent inquiry into how governments responded over the past three years.

For this reason, a group of concerned citizens formed the National Citizens Inquiry—to ask hard questions, hear from those affected, and learn how to do better in future.

What has happened so far?

In spring 2023, the NCI held 24 days of hearings from Truro to Vancouver, where commissioners heard testimony from over 300 witnesses. The NCI now awaits the report of the Commissioners, with their recommendations on what—if anything—could be done differently or better should Canada experience another pandemic.

Join Us

If you too have questions about how governments responded to COVID-19, we invite you to join us on this journey. Please:

• Sign the petition to show your support for the NCI
• Sign up for the NCI newsletter to stay updated
• Follow and share our social media posts
• Watch or listen to the testimony of our witnesses
• Read and the share the commissioners’ report when it is released

These circumstances demand a comprehensive, transparent, and objective national inquiry into the appropriateness and efficacy of these interventions, and to determine what lessons can be learned for the future. Such an inquiry cannot be commissioned or conducted impartially by our governments as it is their responses and actions to the COVID-19 which would be under investigation.

The National Citizens Inquiry (NCI) is a citizen-led and citizen-funded initiative that is completely independent from government. In early 2023, the NCI will hear from Canadians and experts and investigate governments’ COVID-19 policies in a fair and impartial manner.

The NCI’s purpose is to listen, to learn, and to recommend. What went right? What went wrong? How can Canadians and our governments better react to national crises in the future in a manner that balances the interests of all members of our society?