Conservative MP Rob Nicholson has introduced a private member's bill, calling for a Canada-wide dementia strategy. Foothills MP John Barlow says the bill won't put together a focused plan or funding commitment to the issue, but hopefully it will start a discussion.

"It does bring awareness to this disease, something that many Canadians across the country are afflicted with. It will maybe start a discussion on the importance of working together on research, collaboration and partnerships with other medical care and other professionals and government to hopefully find a cure and early diagnosis to support treatment of this disease."

Barlow says there's a long way to go, but this will bring more awareness to the issue.

"It's certainly something that we've talked about as parliament for a few years. Alzheimer's and dementia, certainly a discussion we need to have and if there's some way to address it."

He says he thinks the bill will have good support among all parties and raise awareness for Alzheimer's and dementia.

"When these types of issues do come up in parliament, it usually has some pretty good universal support from all parties. There's a long way for this to go yet, it's a private member's bill. It will take it's time to go through the process. But this will definitely bring awareness to this issue. It's definitely worth while for not only parliamentarians to have a discussion about it, but Canadians across the country, and that's what this will do."