One in Four Canadian Children Is Now Nearsighted: A West Broadway Optometrist on What the Research Shows
Vancouver, Canada - October 8, 2026 / Dr. Lili Liang Optometry /
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA, Nov. 3, 2026 — Research showing a sharp rise in childhood myopia, in Canada and worldwide, has prompted Dr. Lili Liang Optometry, an optometrist Vancouver Broadway clinic in Vancouver's West Broadway neighbourhood, to highlight its myopia care for children as families settle into the school-year routine of extended close-up work.
Canadian Myopia Rates Rise Sharply, Research Shows
A systematic review published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology, which analyzed 276 studies through June 2023, found that myopia among children and teens has nearly tripled worldwide over the past 30 years. More than one in three children and teens globally are now affected, a trend researchers project could reach 740 million young people — over half the world's youth — by 2050. In Canada, the same review estimates that about 25% of children are now nearsighted, up from the 17.5% (ages 6 to 13) that University of Waterloo researchers reported in 2018.
Lisa Christian, Associate Director of Clinical Practice at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, has linked part of the recent rise to pandemic-era routines that kept children indoors and focused on near work. "Myopia has increased dramatically during the period of COVID," Christian told CBC News. She explained that time indoors is mostly spent focused on near work, while time outdoors means looking far away, which relaxes the eyes. A 2018 University of Waterloo study of children aged 6 to 13 also found that just one additional hour of outdoor time per week can lower a child's odds of developing myopia by 14%.
Dr. Asim Ali, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, told CBC News that the causes behind the trend are "definitely more than just screens." Natural light plays a significant role, he said, noting that outdoor light, in sunshine or even on an overcast day, is much brighter than indoor lighting can achieve.
The Canadian Association of Optometrists reports that myopia already affects 30% of the global population and is projected to reach 50% by 2050, with the condition now emerging as early as ages 6 and 7 and progressing more quickly than in previous generations. Taken together, the Canadian and global figures point to a shift in how myopia is understood: not simply as a common need for glasses, but as a progressive condition that warrants earlier, ongoing attention.
Dr. Stephanie Dotchin, a pediatric and adult ophthalmologist in Calgary, told CBC News that myopia should not be dismissed as something glasses simply fix. She explained that as a prescription grows stronger, the lifetime risk of other eye health issues rises, adding that "there is now a push in North America to treat [myopia] not as just a condition but as a disease because of the increasing prevalence."
Local Myopia Management Program Offers Evidence-Based Support
From her practice at Broadway Pacific Plaza on West Broadway, Dr. Lili Liang offers myopia management using evidence-based tools to slow nearsightedness progression in children, alongside comprehensive eye exams for children and adults.
Dr. Lili Liang Optometry is accepting new patients for children's myopia management consultations and comprehensive eye exams for all ages at its West Broadway location.
About Dr. Lili Liang Optometry
Dr. Lili Liang Optometry is an optometry practice at Unit 401 – 1338 W Broadway in Vancouver's Broadway Pacific Plaza. Dr. Liang holds degrees in optometry and public health from Salus University and sees patients in English and Mandarin, with conversational Spanish. The practice offers comprehensive eye exams for adults and children, myopia management, dry eye treatment, contact lens fitting, pre- and post-laser surgery care, non-surgical lid lift, RetinaLogik visual field testing and telehealth consultations, and is a dedicated clinical practice rather than a retail optical. More information is available at doctorlili.com.
Contact Information:
Dr. Lili Liang Optometry
Unit 401 – 1338 W Broadway, Vancouver
Vancouver, BC V6H 1H2
Canada
Lili Liang
+1 778-909-6762
https://doctorlili.com/
