An exploratory study, which analyses and discusses the promotion of health in Canada, is carried out to detect its contribution to the sanitary reform processes. Important variations arose in the investigation regarding the commitment to the change of the status quo. This tends to occur mainly between the behaviourists and the supporters of the New Promotion of Health. This last trend is characterized by the ambiguity of its assumptions, which justifies, in part, the limited impact of its actions. In spite of all this, it is possible to state that this conception has contributed to the strengthening of the health system in countries belonging to the capitalist periphery. In this sense, it is important to highlight the usefulness of the concept social "empowerment" to rethink about the practices of health education and the contribution of the practices of heath care.43335347