Several factors undoubtedly influenced the development of listening and spoken language options for children with hearing loss in Canada. The concept of providing auditory-based rehabilitation was popularized in Canada in the 1960s through the work of Drs. Daniel Ling and Agnes Ling in Montreal. The Lings founded the McGill University Project for Deaf Children in 1966, and through their work brought attention and a research focus to early identification and intervention as well as recognition that parent guidance and participation are fundamental to rehabilitation. Several years later in 1975, Daniel Ling and the McGill University School of Human Communication Disorders established a training program in Auditory/Oral (Re)habilitation and Education of the Hearing-Impaired, the first in Canada and one of few worldwide dedicated to the training of professions in aural rehabilitation. Through teaching, research, and publications, and subsequently through many graduates, the Lings had considerable influence on the development of rehabilitation and education for children with hearing loss in Canada, particularly in central Canada. Professionals and parents who directly trained with the Lings or who interacted with them through other learning opportunities have gone on to become leaders in the field of auditory-verbal studies. Parents who received services from the Lings and who were encouraged by the outcomes undoubtedly influenced and contributed to the development of new programs and parent support groups. Since then, many other regions of Canada have established auditory intervention programs; however, therapy methods and service delivery models are often geographic-specific, with considerable variation between provinces and cities. Parent associations have also had a tremendous impact on developing and shaping new programs throughout Canada. (Contains 1 footnote.)