In this colab.paper, we examine the response to COVID19 and explore how it can be used to inform a renewed political effort to address the growing burden of cancer. We examine the role of governments, healthcare systems, partners, and communities, and shed light on the steps.  We argue that by applying the lessons learned from the prioritization of the COVID19 pandemic, Canada can make meaningful progress towards improving outcomes for cancer patients. This will require a coordinated effort among government and nongovernment agencies, healthcare providers, patients and patient groups, and pharmaceutical industry (industry) stakeholders to reimagine cancer care and ensure that resources are appropriately allocated to address this urgent public health issue.