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Our History

Decades of fighting for healthy lungs

Alberta Lung has been a leader in the fight for healthy lungs and air since the 1930s. Whether searching for treatments and cures, keeping kids free from tobacco and e-cigarettes, or fighting for laws that protect the air we all breathe — Alberta Lung continues its quest for better health.

1939

The year we incorporated

Incorporated as the Alberta Tuberculosis Association.

Built on years of community work — from the Kinsmen Christmas Seal campaigns of 1933 to the field-defining scientific advances of the early 20th century — Alberta Lung’s roots reach back to a time when tuberculosis was the most feared respiratory disease in the province.

Our journey

Historical milestones

Some entries below are scientific milestones that shaped lung medicine globally — others are moments in our own organisation’s story. Together, they trace how the field of lung health has evolved, and how we’ve evolved with it.

1892
Asthma characterised as an inflammatory disease
A landmark shift in understanding — recognising asthma as more than a mechanical breathing problem. This insight lays the groundwork for every modern asthma treatment.
1907
Known as the Alberta Tuberculosis Society
For much of the 20th century, we played a critical role in funding the weapons needed to prevent, detect, and treat tuberculosis — at a time when TB was one of the leading causes of death in the province.
1914
First public health vaccines produced · Thoracic surgery emerges
Two breakthroughs reshape what's possible in lung medicine — the rise of vaccination as public health, and the birth of thoracic surgery as a field that can intervene directly in the lungs.
1933
Kinsmen begin selling Christmas Seals
Annual Christmas Seal stamps fund tuberculosis treatment and screening efforts across Alberta — becoming one of the province's most beloved fundraising traditions and a foundational source of support for our work.
1939
Incorporated as the Alberta Tuberculosis Association
Formal incorporation marks the start of Alberta Lung as we know it — a unified charitable organisation dedicated to fighting tuberculosis and supporting families touched by it.
1940
Pulmonary damage caused by smoking identified · Chest X-rays detect early TB
Two parallel breakthroughs: medical science confirms that smoking causes lung damage, and chest X-ray technology becomes a powerful tool for catching TB before symptoms appear.
1942
First mobile chest X-ray unit in Alberta
A mobile X-ray unit travels across the province, providing free chest X-rays to communities that would otherwise go without screening — reaching rural Albertans where they live, work, and worship. A turning point in equitable access.
1967
Became the Alberta Lung Association
As TB rates declined, other lung diseases — particularly those linked to cigarette smoking — were on the rise. We recognised the need to address the entire scope of respiratory disease, and the new name reflected the broader mission.
1970
First successful trials of cyclosporine
An anti-rejection drug that would prove critical for the future of organ transplantation — including lung transplants — clears its earliest clinical hurdles.
1970s
Dedicated TB hospitals are no longer necessary
Thanks to advances in research and the arrival of effective drugs, TB patients can be treated at home or in regular hospitals. The era of TB sanatoria comes to an end — and the field of lung health enters a new chapter.
1970s
Dedicated TB hospitals are no longer necessary
Thanks to advances in research and the arrival of effective drugs, TB patients can be treated at home or in regular hospitals. The era of TB sanatoria comes to an end — and the field of lung health enters a new chapter.
1983
First successful single lung transplant
A medical milestone that would change the prognosis for thousands of patients with end-stage lung disease — and over time, give Alberta families a new option that previous generations didn't have.
1998
Discovery of the gene that causes cystic fibrosis
A breakthrough in understanding one of the most devastating inherited lung diseases — opening the door to the targeted therapies that have since transformed cystic fibrosis care.
2003
Draft sequence of the SARS virus developed
In the middle of a global respiratory outbreak, scientists race to sequence SARS-CoV-1 — laying critical groundwork for the rapid response capabilities the world would need again decades later.
2021
Ended membership agreement with the Canadian Lung Association
Becoming fully independent allowed us to maximise our investments in much-needed support, education, and programs for lung patients and families — right here in Alberta and across Canada.
Today
Strong advocates for the lungs of every Albertan
Today, we are strong advocates for the protection of our children from the harmful effects of tobacco and vaping. We promote immunization, support families, and fund critical research. We continue our efforts to prevent lung disease and promote lung health — addressing new and emerging threats including COVID-19.

Eras of progress

From fighting one disease to supporting every breath

Every era expanded what we believed possible — and what an Albertan could expect when they came to us for help.

The TB era

1907 — 1966

Christmas Seals fundraising, mobile X-ray clinics, sanatorium support, public health partnerships. Albertans learned what TB was — and how to survive it together.

The expansion era

1967 — 2020

Asthma, COPD, smoking cessation, environmental health, lung transplant support, cystic fibrosis advocacy. The mission grew alongside Alberta's understanding of lung disease.

The independent era

2021 — Now

A fully independent Alberta charity. Tobacco and vaping advocacy, COVID-19 response, immunization, family support, and research — all funded by Albertans, for Albertans.

The next chapter
is written by donors.

Two decades of work don’t happen on their own. Every program we launched, every family we supported — it started with someone choosing to give.

Support our next chapter
Meet our team