Collective action key to creating change that will lead to better, safer roads for all
Change for Good Roads is a new initiative from Parachute, Canada's national charity dedicated to injury prevention, that brings together a wide range of sectors committed to improving urban road safety in Canada.
TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Environment. Inclusion and equity. Accessibility for the elderly and those with disabilities. All these improve when urban roads are designed to be safer through strategies such as improved access to public transit, dedicated bike infrastructure, walkable and more connected neighbourhoods and slower, more controlled traffic.
While advocating for safer roads traditionally has been the purview of injury-prevention champions such as Parachute, so many others, motivated by other goals, want to improve how we move in our urban communities. The Change for Good Roads initiative is the beginning of a national movement to bring together all these parties and strengthen our advocacy.
"Collective action across sectors is the missing link in driving positive change in urban road safety," says Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO of Parachute. "Safe, healthy and sustainable urban roads are only possible if we treat the underlying issues as a complex problem, one that involves not only urban planning, but also public health, engineering, recreation and many other sectors, and includes a focus on issues such as inclusion, equity, sustainability, and community. It's at this intersection of interests that sustainable changes in road safety will occur. Road safety is everyone's business: different populations have different needs and priorities but the safety of our roads affects us all."
Representatives from 17 organizations – from cycling groups to 880 Cities and CNIB – worked together throughout fall 2021 guided by Impakt, an organization that fosters thought leadership and helps corporations and civil society organizations solve social problems, to apply their proven Change for Good approach to support the development of a clear and cohesive strategy to support a Parachute-led collective of road safety advocates. This initiative will grow and expand to include others from government, academics, NGOs, advocates and the private sector.
This initiative has defined five strategic areas of focus to encourage unified action from across all sectors to create safe, active, healthy and sustainable urban roads across Canada.
Collaborate and communicate. Establish universal standards for safe roads, promote national and local buy-in, develop a shared language and create a unified vision.
Change the culture of road use. Lower speeds, build safer cars, support multi-modal transportation and address low perception of safety for cyclists and pedestrians. We can shift the culture around road use by ending victim blaming and promoting accountability; rethink who uses the roads; eliminate preventable deaths; and share success stories.
Transform data practices. Share data between sectors; use appropriate measures of impact; prioritize equity; collect more detailed data – for example, racial data and contextual details surrounding a road collision.
Champion equity and accessibility. Redefine accessibility; design roads for everyone; make the healthy choice the easy choice; create equity in the built environment; remove bureaucratic barriers to change.
Engage communities in co-creation. Prioritize co-creation when it comes to road design and use over consultation; emphasize safety as an effective motivation for embracing change; enable meaningful and ongoing community engagement.
"We have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that cities have fast-tracked initiatives to promote active transportation, such as implementing new bike lanes, and these have been embraced by the public," said Valérie Lavoie, President and Chief Operating Officer, Desjardins General Insurance Group. "We need to continue this momentum toward safer, healthier roads, and Desjardins Insurance is pleased to participate in Change for Good Roads and support the collective's commitment to creating safer roads for all."
Read the full report, Change for Good Roads: An intersectoral approach to urban road safety, which also outlines how this initiative is built upon the foundation of The Global Plan for the Second Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, launched in October 2021 by the World Health Organization. This Global Plan acts as a guiding document to support the implementation of the Decade of Action, which has the ambitious target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030.
We acknowledge Transport Canada for providing funding for this initiative.
About Parachute Parachute is Canada's national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries. Injury is the No. 1 killer of Canadians aged 1 to 44 and costs the Canadian economy $29.4 billion annually. Through education and advocacy, Parachute is working to save lives and create a Canada free of serious injuries. For more information, visit us at parachute.ca and follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Desjardins Group Desjardins Group is the largest co-operative financial group in North America and the fifth largest cooperative financial group in the world, with assets of $391 billion. It was ranked as one of the Canada's Top 100 Employers by Mediacorp. To meet the diverse needs of its members and clients, Desjardins offers a full range of products and services to individuals and businesses through its extensive distribution network, online platforms and subsidiaries across Canada. Ranked among the world's strongest banks according to The Banker magazine, Desjardins has one of the highest capital ratios and credit ratings in the industry.
SOURCE Parachute
Heart Month: The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation Launches an Awareness Campaign to Promote the Importance of Research in the Fight Against Cardiovascular Disease
MONTREAL, Feb. 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- February is Heart Month, a time to bring attention to the importance of cardiovascular health. The Montreal Heart Institute Foundation (MHIF) is launching a vast awareness campaign about the importance of research in the fight against cardiovascular disease. Through a fundraising campaign, the publication of its second magazine and interviews with various experts, the Foundation will invite the public to support the Montreal Heart Institute’s (MHI) promising projects to overcome the world’s leading cause of death.
Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders affecting the heart and blood vessels. Here are some key facts.
The main risk factor is hypertension, which alone is responsible for 20% of deaths worldwide.i
Hypertension onset before age 45 doubles the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature mortality.ii
In Canada, cardiovascular disease affects approximately 2.4 million adults.iii
Every year, 70,000 Canadians suffer a heart attack.iv
More than 80% of cardiovascular diseases can be prevented by adopting five healthy lifestyle habits: stop smoking, maintain healthy body weight, moderate alcohol consumption, regular physical activity, and a healthy diet.v
Research, Crucial to Saving Sensitive Hearts For 45 years, the MHIF community has been strongly committed to a common goal: protecting sensitive hearts. Every year, research brings us closer to this important goal. The generosity of the Foundation’s donors is one of the reasons why the MHI Research Centre has one of the highest average funding levels per researcher in Canada. Such invaluable support makes it possible to innovate by designing future medicine. This will transform cardiovascular disease, particularly through improved management and patient care. In fact, in the next ten years, research could reduce incidents of cardiovascular disease by 50%.
It is for patients like Philippe Marcotte that medical research takes its full meaning. Victim of a heart attack at only 38 years old, he underwent a triple bypass. This surgical procedure consists of restoring normal blood circulation by bypassing the blocked arteries with other blood vessels. Following this intervention, his medical exams will reveal that he has heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, a form of hereditary cholesterol that has caused him to suffer numerous silent heart attacks since his late twenties. After trying a first medication that was not effective in reducing his cholesterol level, he decided to take part in a clinical study at the MHI Research Center to test repatha. Thanks to this medication, which he still takes today, his cholesterol level fell below the risk threshold for heart attack and he enjoys a good quality of life.
Prevention, a Key Ally Prevention is the best way to reduce cardiovascular disease risk. For Heart Month, the MHI’s experts have teamed up with nutritionist Isabelle Huot to present two interviews that will be broadcast live on the MHI and Isabelle Huot’s Facebook pages.
February 2 at 12:15 p.m.: Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease With Dr. Martin Juneau, Director of Prevention at the MHI
February 9 at 12:15 p.m.: The Benefits of Nature on Cardiovascular Health With Dr. Louis Bherer, Neuropsychologist at the MHI
“A healthy diet plays a significant role in both primary and secondary prevention and the Mediterranean diet has largely proven its benefits in the prevention of cardiovascular disease,” says Isabelle Huot, doctor of nutrition. “I invite all Quebecers to reduce their meat consumption to leave more room for vegetables proteins and fish. A movement that is already underway that can only bring benefits on the health.”
The doctor of nutrition also maintains that particular attention should be paid to fruits and vegetables. Today, one in two people does not meet the recommended minimum of 5 servings whiles studies show more benefits with a consumption of 7 to 10 servings a day. Other tips from the nutrition expert include the consumption of whole grains, nuts and seeds which should occupy more space in our menus. Learn more about healthy eating and heart health: isabellehuot.com
About the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation Created in 1977, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation raises and manages funds to support the Institute’s innovative and priority projects and fight cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the world. Its philanthropic events and donors’ contributions have enabled this leader in cardiovascular health to become the largest cardiac research centre in the country. Over the years, the Montreal Heart Institute Foundation has raised more than $336 million in donations. Its 27,235 donors have made it possible to make important discoveries and support the Institute’s specialists, professionals, and researchers to provide state-of-the-art care to tens of thousands of patients in Quebec. fondationicm.org
About the Montreal Heart Institute Founded in 1954, the Montreal Heart Institute constantly strives for the highest standards of excellence in the cardiovascular field through its leadership in clinical and fundamental research, ultra-specialized care, professional training, and prevention. It is home to Canada’s largest cardiology research centre, cardiovascular prevention centre, and cardiovascular genetics centre. The Institute is affiliated with the Université de Montréal and has more than 2,000 employees, including 245 physicians and more than 85 researchers. icm-mhi.org
DOLPHIN VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION RECEIVES APPROVAL FROM HEALTH CANADA FOR TREATMENT OF COVID-19 ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS (ARDS)
TORONTO, Feb. 2, 2022 /CNW/ - Center for Pain & Stress Research Ltd., a bioelectronic medical research company, today announced that its Dolphin VNS device has received breakthrough approval from Health Canada as Canada's first Vagal Nerve Stimulation Therapy specifically for treating COVID-19.
The Vagus Nerve represents 80% of our bodies parasympathetic "brakes" and NATURALLY controls our breathing and anti-inflammatory responses. Vagus nerve is a natural defense against COVID-19 ARDS.
As North American COVID-19 related deaths reaching the 1 million milestone, this effective, safe & approved COVID-19 therapy SHOULD be shared by the media with the public.
Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stim Applications: PREVENTION: Dolphin may be applied to preventatively to friends, FAMILY members or front-line workers to enhance vagal tone & improve immunity. (Home application time <15 min). ACUTE RESPIRATORY DISTRESS: Dolphin Vagal Stim can IMMEDIATELY enhance respiratory functioning, providing a potentially lifesaving intervention into any hospital, clinical or HOME setting (applied in under <10 min/patient). COVID-19 LONG HAUL RECOVERY: Dolphin Vagal Stim may be applied by front line workers or the suffering public to improve vagal tone/immunity and therefore reduce risk of serious COVID-19 hospitalization.
DOLPHIN VAGAL STIM KIT: The Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS) Kit comes with Dolphin device, Vagal Up protocol manual and instructions for at-home or clinical application. Dolphin Vagal Nerve Stimulator (VNS) Kit retails for $699.00 Cdn and may be purchased directly from the company's website.
St. Paul, MN, Feb. 2, 2022 — How does a nation, and a world, respond to one of the greatest public health crises of our times? And at what cost?
With the logic of a lawyer and the scientific expertise of an immunologist, Hugh McTavish, J.D., Ph.D., walks readers through the COVID-19 pandemic and the policy decisions that were made to keep the virus in check in his eye-opening book, COVID Lockdown Insanity. Dr. McTavish’s fact-filled exploration reaches beyond the simple metrics of case and death counts and reveals the unsettling consequences of society’s responses to this disease. His careful examination of the scientific evidence related to COVID-19 transmission and his analyses of both the human and economic costs of the lockdown strategy illuminate the dysfunctionality of the government’s policy response. In the end, he lights a path toward making more enlightened decisions that offer hope of real solutions.
In the book, Dr. McTavish dissects the data that shows:
- The COVID lockdowns threw 63 million Americans into major depression.
- All evidence suggests that the lockdown response to COVID failed to decrease COVID deaths at all.
- Even if the lockdowns prevented 200,000 COVID deaths, which they probably did not, the lockdowns caused more loss of life in increased suicides, drug overdose deaths, cancer deaths and heart disease deaths than they saved in prevented COVID deaths.
- For every 1 COVID death prevented, the lockdowns caused these harms: 1/3 of a death of despair (suicide or drug overdose); 316 people thrown into major depression; 127 people out of work; 350 students out of school; 1,640 people denied the right to live their lives as they wish.
- Mask wearing has “little or no effect” on COVID cases or deaths.
- Hand washing and hand sanitizer use is the best intervention and could dramatically reduce COVID deaths, but this was underemphasized.
- Asymptomatic people very rarely spread COVID.
- Children do not spread COVID, and closing schools had no effect on COVID spread at all, and we knew that by the summer of 2020, and CDC staff wrote a paper saying so in January 2021.
In conclusion, Dr. McTavish says, “Lockdowns have no advantage at all. If you think life is better than death, a long life is better than a shorter life, happiness is better than depression, more money is better than less, education is better than ignorance, child abuse and domestic abuse are bad things, and more personal freedom is better than less, then you agree the lockdowns were a mistake.”
Hugh McTavish is a Ph.D. biochemist and immunologist and a patent attorney. He has authored 18 refereed scientific journal articles and is the inventor of 21 U.S. patents. He has also written two prior books on public policy and nature. He has started two pharmaceutical companies off his own inventions. He lives near St. Paul, Minnesota.
COVID Lockdown Insanity: The COVID Deaths It Prevented, the Depression and Suicides it Caused, What We Should Have Done, and What It Shows We Could Do Now to Address Real Crises
Dying to Survive: Not in Vain, A Promise Kept ExploresLife and Death Impact of Patient Advocacy
New York, NY, Feb. 2, 2021 — They were killing her mother with negligence, Melissa Mullamphy recalls. And eight months later, Mullamphy’s mother succumbed following a cancer battle fraught with frustration, medical missteps and the endless bureaucracy that goes hand in hand with navigating our complex healthcare system.
Not in Vain, A Promise Kept isMullamphy’s candid account of her mother’s journey and the family’s roller coaster of emotions. Readers will witness the mistakes that compounded their pain, the small victories that gave them hope, and above all, the love that kept them going during an indescribably difficult time.
Each chapter in Not In Vain, A Promise Kept represents one month from her mother’s diagnosis to her passing. Mullamphy recalls the experiences with vivid detail (the names of doctors and nurses have been changed), hoping to prompt others to ask the tough questions and learn by her example.
“My goal in writing this book is to keep the promise that I made to my mom … to share her story so others don’t go through what she and my family went through,” Mullamphy says. “You can have input, control and make a difference in your loved one’s healthcare.”
Mullamphy shares shocking lapses in her mother’s care, including blood clots the doctor fails to notice, the confusion surrounding her mother’s DNR order, the time she found her mother wearing another patient’s bracelet and the unspeakable heartbreak of learning that that all along, the hospital had used the wrong type of chemotherapy drug for her mother’s specific cancer.
Not In Vain, A Promise Kept is not without moments of hope, such as when the family is told the tumor has shrunk and when her mother’s last-ditch surgery to remove the tumor is declared “wildly successful.”
Ultimately, Not In Vain, A Promise Kept pays homage to a life well-lived and a woman well-loved, and it’s Mullamphy’s aim to help other patients and their loved ones find their voices, understand their rights and learn how to navigate a deeply complex, imperfect healthcare system.
“Use your voice, and remember that you are not there to make friends,” she adds. “Sometimes you have to be the biggest mouth in the room, but speaking up can save your loved one’s life.”
Author Melissa Mullamphy has a master’s degree in clinical psychology and has worked in psychiatric emergency rooms and step-down houses. Forever a student of mental health, she has also worked with many nonprofits, including those benefiting military veterans. For almost 20 years, she worked as a domestic operations manager for a major corporation. Following her experience with her mother’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, she began blogging about current events as they relate to healthcare.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Here’s some good news. Vancouver’s largest health food and supplement store Body Energy Club (BEC) is launching a new sustainable grab-and-go shopping initiative to reduce its environmental impact, moving toward a zero-waste future. This initiative is a bulk-supplements pilot program called BEC by the Gram. It aims at reducing packaging waste in Vancouver’s communities while also providing great savings during these unprecedented times.
Starting with BEC’s Gastown store location, BEC’s customers can now purchase some of their favourite supplements in bulk-form, charged by weight, and take them home in a sustainable bag.
Body Energy Club’s founder Dominick Tousignant explains: “When we see empty packages and containers littering the streets of our beautiful city, it breaks our heart. Time is of the essence for food industry members, and more specifically health brands to innovate and offer more sustainable packaging options to its already savvy and eco-friendly customers”. “The demand is there and we’re making sure we keep our promise to be part of the solution for our communities and our future: this is another example of our efforts to practice good stewardship to Mother Nature with our environmentally friendly and sensible business practices”.
While sustainability is the predominant driving force behind launching this program, convenience for the customer is also a focus. Without an assortment of plastic containers at home, shelf space can be freed up. Filling glass jars, paper bags, or just refilling existing plastic containers can cut down on clutter. As the program rolls out to more BEC locations, the company also plans to invite customers to bring their own containers directly to the store and fill them, removing the paper bags from the equation.
Here are simple tips for smart bulk shopping:
Consider your storage space
Clean your reusable packaging
Purchase bulk as a group for cost savings
Pay attention to shelf life
BEC by the Gram is starting with 30 products. These range from their popular vegan and whey protein powders, spirulina, L-glutamine, creatine, maca and collagen, to adaptogenic gummies. There’s something for everyone in its By the Gram section! The BEC by the Gram pilot program is at the Gastown store (126 W Hastings, Vancouver. Tel.: 604-288-7009).
Helping Ensure Workflow Accuracy of Tests for Respiratory Viruses
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Microbix Biosystems Inc. (TSX: MBX, OTCQX: MBXBF, Microbix®), a life sciences innovator and exporter, announces the expansion of its portfolio of Quality Assessment Products (“QAPs™”) to include a swab-formatted control that helps validate the accuracy and integrity of the workflows of nucleic-acid based tests (e.g., “PCR” tests) for SARS-CoV-2 (“COVID”) Wuhan strain and the Omicron variant (“Omicron”) – the latter now being the most prevalent form of COVID.
Specifically, Microbix is commercializing its In-Vitro Diagnostic (“IVD”) quality control to support workflow accuracy of clinical laboratory PCR tests that aim to detect and differentiate SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and Omicron infections. This innovative, proprietary, and branded control provides a fully-compliant, comprehensive, and cost-effective quality management tool to help avoid the systemic errors that can be driven by technicians, consumables, or instruments. Users of this IVD control will include lab accreditation agencies, makers of tests oriented to clinical labs or point-of-care, and clinical labs or medical clinics.
This Microbix Omicron QAP is made using Copan® FLOQSwabs® – the optimal format for accuracy and point-of-care use, and with room-temperature stability for 12 months. As for all Microbix’s QAPs, this latest IVD control contains all possible PCR targets and is validated on multiple test platforms. This new QAPs SKU is labelled REDx™FLOQ® SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 SWAB POSITIVE CONTROL and is now available to support clinical laboratory quality management systems (“QMS”) covering central lab and point-of care workflows in both the U.S. and Canada. Research-Use-Only (“RUO”) PROCEEDx™FLOQ® versions are now available for other markets, with REDx® IVD versions to follow.
Microbix’s QAPs portfolio now consists of over 70 proprietary SKUs in the categories of respiratory, sexually-transmitted, and gastrointestinal infectious diseases. Of that portfolio, 17 QAPs are available as REDx Controls for IVD use by clinical labs. In addition to QAPs to support PCR-based testing for the most important respiratory illnesses, including all major COVID variants, Microbix also has IVD QAPs to support antigen-based respiratory pathogen tests (e.g., REDxFLOQ SARS-CoV-2 Ag). Microbix’s QAPs for PCR-test and Antigen-test support are also available as ONBOARDx™ kits that include both positive and negative controls for convenient qualification of new instruments for clinical use and for the training of laboratory staff. This portfolio of QAPs is in widespread use and can be paired with Microbix’s DxTM™ viral transport medium to enable collection and stabilization of patient test-sample specimens.
Cameron Groome, CEO and President of Microbix, commented “For optimal patient care and public health management, clinicians and lab directors need controls that can provide them justifiable confidence in the accuracy and reliability of their testing programs. Microbix’s suite of QAPs to support testing for respiratory pathogens is providing that essential support, driven by our ability to quickly respond to the emergence of new viruses or variants with pandemic-generating potential. We are pleased to add this Omicron-oriented QAP to maintain our complete coverage of all major COVID variants.”
About Microbix Biosystems Microbix develops proprietary biological technology solutions for human health and well-being, with about 100 skilled employees and sales nearing C$ 2.0 million per month. It makes a wide range of critical biological materials for the global diagnostics industry, notably antigens for immunoassays and its laboratory quality assessment products (QAPs™) that support clinical lab proficiency testing, enable assay development and validation, or help ensure the quality of clinical diagnostic workflows. Microbix antigens enable the antibody tests of over 100 international diagnostics companies, while its QAPs are sold to clinical laboratory accreditation organizations, diagnostics companies, and clinical laboratories. Microbix QAPs are now available in over 30 countries, distributed by 1WA (Oneworld Accuracy Inc.), Alpha-Tec Systems, Inc., Diagnostic International Distribution SpA., Labquality Oy, The Medical Supply Company of Ireland, R-Biopharm AG, SDT Molecular Pte Ltd, Seegene Canada Inc., and Thomas Scientific LLC. Microbix is ISO 9001 and 13485 accredited, U.S. FDA registered, Australian TGA registered, Health Canada establishment licensed, and provides CE marked products.
Microbix also applies its biological expertise and infrastructure to develop other proprietary products and technologies, most notably viral transport medium (DxTM™) to stabilize patient samples for lab-based molecular diagnostic testing and Kinlytic® urokinase, a biologic thrombolytic drug used to treat blood clots. Microbix is traded on the TSX and OTCQX, and headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
Forward-Looking Information This news release includes “forward-looking information,” as such term is defined in applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information includes, without limitation, discussion of QAPs and their relevance or timing, Microbix’s business and business results, goals or outlook, risks associated with financial results and stability, development projects such as those referenced in its corporate presentation, regulatory compliance and approvals, sales to foreign jurisdictions, engineering and construction, production (including control over costs, quality, quantity and timeliness of delivery), foreign currency and exchange rates, maintaining adequate working capital and raising further capital on acceptable terms or at all, and other similar statements concerning anticipated future events, conditions or results that are not historical facts. These statements reflect management’s current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guarantees of future performance. The Company cautions that all forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, actual future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. All statements are made as of the date of this news release and represent the Company’s judgement as of the date of this new release, and the Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking information.
Job flexibility, mental health supports are top Canadian priorities, especially for women
Poll identifies priority needs – from government, employers and family
TORONTO, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Flexible working hours, free at-home testing kits, safe re-opening of schools and mental health supports are among the top priorities for Canadians at this stage of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the latest Prosperity Project cross-country poll.
Conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights in partnership with The Prosperity Project, CIBC and Enterprise Canada, the pulse survey found men and women largely aligned on top priorities, with the exception that women are almost twice as likely as men to cite emotional support from family (35% and 19%, respectively) and mental health support from government (30% versus 17%) as important needs.
Asked what is most needed from government, more COVID-19 home testing kits free of charge was a top choice for 35% of respondents. More mental health support was also high on the list of top priorities, cited by 24%.
From employers, working Canadians chose flexible hours (31%), increased number of sick days (31%), hazard pay for essential workers (27%), flexible working locations (22%) and opportunities to take time off work without losing their position (21%) as priority needs.
At home, emotional support from family members was cited as a top need by 27% of respondents, followed by better load sharing of household responsibilities (24%) and more time to themselves (22%).
“Moving forward from the pandemic will clearly be a group effort – at home, at work and in government,” said Pamela Jeffery, founder of The Prosperity Project, a registered charity created to ensure Canadian women are not left behind in the COVID-19 recovery. “As a society, we must recognize and respond to these needs, collectively putting the supports in place.”
Other highlights from the poll:
What Canadians Said They Need From Government
Government providing at-home testing kits free of cost was cited as a high priority for 40% of parents of children under 18, and 37% of all employed Canadians.
Safely re-opening schools is also a high priority for parents (35%).
Among employed Canadians, high priorities for government include hazard pay for essential work (30%), mandatory sick leaves (29%) and mental health support (27%).
Working mothers are more likely than working fathers to need mental health support (25% vs. 13%), financial support for a childcare provider when schools are closed (20% vs. 15%), and affordable childcare (16% vs. 7%).
What Canadians Said They Need From Employers
Women and men have slightly different requirements from their employers:
Women are more likely to want an increase in the number of sick days (35%) and hazard pay (30%), than men (27%, 24% respectively).
While more men need flexible working hours compared to women (33% vs. 28%), women need to be able to take time off from work without losing their position (24% vs. 18%).
For working parents, flexible working hours (33%) was cited as a top need from employers, followed by providing or increasing sick days (30%), hazard pay (23%) and flexible working locations (22%). Flexible hours are a more important need for fathers than mothers (35% vs. 31%), while flexible working locations are more important to mothers than fathers (27% vs. 19%).
Working mothers are more likely to want support for advancing their career, learning and development than working fathers (27% vs. 12%) and need opportunities to reduce working hours or job share without losing their jobs (22%, compared to 15% of working fathers).
What Canadians Said They Need From Family
As noted above, women are twice as likely as men to need more emotional support from family (35% vs. 19%). This is in line with women needing more mental health support. Women are also more likely to need financial support from family than men (21% vs. 15%).
37% of working women cited emotional support from family as a top priority (compared to 19% of working men), while 30% need better sharing of household chores and responsibilities (versus 26% of men).
Family emotional support ranked even higher as a priority need for working mothers (44% vs. 21% of working fathers). For working mothers, other high priorities include better sharing of household responsibilities (42%, compared to 33% of working fathers), and better sharing of childcare responsibilities (24% vs. 15% of working fathers). Working mothers are also more likely to want time to themselves (33%) than working fathers (25%).
Parents (23%) are more likely to need financial support from their family than those who don’t have children (17%).
“Canadians know what they need,” said Pollara Vice-President Lesli Martin. “It isn’t any one thing, but a range of supports in all aspects of our lives.”
On behalf of The Prosperity Project, Pollara Strategic Insights conducted online interviews with a random sample of 1,513 Canadians 18 years and older, on January 13, 2022. The data is weighted as per the most recent national census by age, gender and region. Working parents are defined as those who are employed and are parents to children under 18 years; working mothers = women who are employed and parents to children under 18 years; and working fathers = men who are employed and parents to children under 18 years.
This survey is part of The Prosperity Project’s Canadian Households’ Perspective on the New Economy initiative. Partner organizations in the initiative are CIBC, Enterprise Canada and Pollara Strategic Insights.
About The Prosperity Project
Launched in May 2020, The Prosperity Project is a volunteer-driven, registered charity conceived by a diverse group of 62 female leaders from across the country – women who have historically made a difference and are committed to continuing to promote positive change as active participants in The Prosperity Project.
The organization was founded and is being led by Pamela Jeffery, founder of the Women’s Executive Network and Canadian Board Diversity Council. The Prosperity Project is taking action to explicitly link women and prosperity, underscoring the economic importance of gender equality. Specific initiatives include an awareness campaign – modelled on the famous “Rosie the Riveter” campaign from World War II – to promote women’s workforce participation and advancement and a matching program connecting registered charities with business expertise to bolster these organizations’ in-house skills and expertise.
Karma Box Project, Part of Larger State-Wide Effort, to be Hosted by Non Profit Vegas Stronger
Las Vegas, NV – February 1, 2022 – Vegas Stronger, a non profit whose mission is to help eradicate homelessness through treatment and housing in Las Vegas, has accepted, and drilled into the foundation of their building, the first official Karma Box of Las Vegas.
Karma Boxes are part of the Karma Box Project, a community initiative that allows people to give non-perishable food, hygiene products, toiletries, and other useful items to those in need. Karma Box is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit that relies on donations of food and other supplies.
“We are thrilled to take part in anything that helps our most underserved members of the community,” said Dave Marlon, Founder of Vegas Stronger. “When Grant approached me about a Karma Box at Vegas Stronger, I couldn’t think of a more perfect place for Vegas’ first Karma Box.”
Once a box is placed, it’s up the community to both take the supplies, and refill the supplies. Currently, there are currently 53 Karma boxes around the state of NV
“Continuing our mission of helping the community is 95% of what we are doing with Karma Boxes,” said Karma Box CEO Grant Denton. “Partnering with an organization like Vegas Stronger, is a natural step towards continuing our good work in the community.”
“One story I like to tell, is a few years ago we had a couple of preschool kids who wrote kind notes on index cards in crayon and drove around with their family placing them in boxes across town, they read things like –
You're a beautiful person
You are loved
Keep your head up
“A lot of them were misspelled and in different colored crayon. It was very cute!”
“About a month or so after that,” continued Grant, “my outreach team was taking someone from a camp by the river to a detox facility because he was ready for treatment. We had been working with this gentleman for quite a while, so it was a big deal. When they got to detox and he was digging through his pockets to find his ID, he pulled out a hand full of folded up documents, a lighter, a couple of already smoked cigarette butts, and a barely legible crumpled up index card that said, in orange and green crayon, " KEEP SMILLING."
“We realized then we are making a difference.”
We ask members of the community to stop by whenever possible and stock the Karma Box. The address is:
Vegas Stronger:
916 North Main St
LV, NV 89101
About Vegas Stronger
Vegas Stronger is a unique Non-Profit Organization 503(c)(3) focused on reversing the devastation caused to our community by the opiate epidemic and addiction. Our out-of-the box approach helps anyone afflicted, regardless of their race, socio-economic status, or housing situation, in an outpatient facility. We offer more than just traditional groups and are a growing facility with a sober boxing gym, coffee shop, bookstore, bicycle mission, and our customized “13 Core Elements Method.”
We facilitate that restoration to wholeness for individuals, families, and society at large, by creating awareness and providing access to both state-of-the-art and historically reliable remedies. Our services cater to all suffering from the depths of addiction. In many instances, residential rehab is not a viable or financial option.
About Karma Box Project
Karma Box is a community initiative that allows people to give non-perishable food, hygiene products, toiletries, and other useful items to those in need. Karma boxes are filled up with goods by anyone who wants to lend a helping hand to those in need. Visit Karma Boxes donation page here or contact them.
NFL commits $500,000 (USD) to fund concussion research at the University of Regina
More than $1 million in total will help a U of R-led team of researchers explore how medical cannabis products may help prevent and treat concussions
Regina, Saskatchewan, Feb. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dr. Patrick Neary, exercise physiologist and professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology and Health Studies at the University of Regina, has received more than $500,000 USD from the National Football League (NFL), along with $400,000 of in-kind support from My Next Health Inc. to investigate the use of cannabinoids – the naturally occurring compounds found in the cannabis plant – in the treatment of concussions and for pain management.
Concerns about the prevention and treatment of concussions in sports have been growing over the last several years.
“As with the league’s broader approach to health and safety, we want to ensure that our players are receiving care that reflects the most up-to-date medical consensus,” said Dr. Allen Sills, NFL Chief Medical Officer. “While the burden of proof is high for NFL players who want to understand the impact of any medical decision on their performance, we are grateful that we have the opportunity to fund these scientifically-sound studies on the use of cannabinoids that may lead to the discovery of data-based evidence that could impact the pain management of our players.”
Neary, who has been working in the area of concussion prevention and treatment for more than 15 years, says he’s excited to have the NFL’s support.
"Our interdisciplinary research team believes that different cannabinoid formulations found in medical cannabis have the potential to benefit athletes suffering from the acute and long-term chronic effects of concussions. Our research will also examine whether cannabinoids can be used as an alternative to opioids and other prescription medications for pain management. Ultimately, this study has the potential to change not only the lives of current and former NFL players, but also the lives of anyone who may suffer from a concussion, whether it’s sport-related or acquired elsewhere.”
The main cannabinoids are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) and Neary says the research team will investigate the effects of different CBD/THC formulations, which is being provided by My Next Health Inc., for pain management in those suffering from post-concussion syndrome and chronic pain, and as a neuroprotective treatment for concussion. The Canada-wide team includes physicians, cardiologists, psychologists, pharmacologists, neuroscientists, and researchers from other fields.
“The University of Regina’s research enterprise supports governments, industry, communities and, most importantly people,” said Dr. Kathleen McNutt, Vice-President (Research) with the University of Regina. “Dr. Neary and his team’s research on the use of cannabinoids in the treatment of concussions and pain management has the potential to help alleviate life-altering injuries affecting millions of people each year and we very much appreciate the support of the NFL and My Next Health Inc. in these endeavours.”
Preparatory work for this research project will begin immediately and the next steps will include obtaining Health Canada approval for the clinical trials.
“We anticipate our CBD/THC formulation will show significant and positive changes to what it does to the brain – that it will reduce pain and use of prescription medications (opioids), show a reduced number of concussions during athletic competition, and provide physiological and psychological benefits,” said Neary.
This research is also designed to demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of CBD.
-30-
About the University of Regina
The University of Regina—with campuses located on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories, the ancestral lands of the Cree, Saulteaux, Dakota, Lakota and Nakoda nations and the homeland of the Métis—is a comprehensive, mid-sized university that traces its roots back to the creation of Regina College in 1911. Today, more than 16,000 students study within the University's 10 faculties, 25 academic departments/schools, 18 research centres and institutes, and three federated colleges (Campion College, First Nations University of Canada, and Luther College). The University of Regina has an established reputation for excellence and innovative programs that lead to undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
TRAIN IT RIGHT NEWSLETTER
Sign Up and get a free 7 day Train it Right HIIT Program!
