June 26, 2018 – Preventable injury is the leading cause of death among young Canadians, with one child dying every nine hours. Parachute, Canada's national charity dedicated to reducing the devastating impact of preventable injuries, is leading National Injury Prevention Day to raise awareness for this important health issue.
Preventable injury, which includes at home, at play, and on the road, accounts for 16,000 deaths every year in Canada. “We want to change those numbers, but we can’t do it alone,” says Steve Podborski, Parachute President and CEO. “We encourage Canadians to join us in sharing our messaging to help inform others, raise awareness, and drastically lower this staggering number of preventable injuries.”
Municipalities across Canada will be pledging their support for National Injury Prevention Day by lighting major landmarks in distinctive Parachute “green” on July 5, 2018. They include:
- Halifax City Hall, Halifax, NS
- Truro Library, Truro, NS
- Olympic Park Tower, Montreal, QC
- Queen’s Lantern, Ottawa, ON
- Peace Bridge, Fort Erie, ON
- 3D Hamilton Sign, Hamilton, ON
- Fountain at the Forks, London, ON
- JA Taylor Building, London, ON
- London City Hall, London, ON
- London Convention Centre, London, ON
- London Life Building, London, ON
- Niagara Falls, Niagara Falls, ON
- Ripley’s Aquarium, Toronto, ON
- Toronto City Hall, Toronto, ON
- High Level Bridge, Edmonton, AB
- BC Place Stadium, Vancouver BC
- Sails of Light, Vancouver, BC
- Science World, Vancouver, BC
- Fitzsimmons Creek Bridge, Whistler, BC
Canadians can support National Injury Prevention Day by taking photos of these landmarks that are lighting up on July 5 and posting them, and by joining the conversation on social media using #ParachuteNIPD and #TurnSafetyOn to help work towards a Canada that is free of serious injuries. Check out the NIPD website for more information and the latest news on cities joining our “Light Canada Green” campaign.
The City of Toronto will be hosting an official flag-raising ceremony on the Podium Roof at Toronto City Hall on July 5 at 12:30 p.m.
Media are invited to attend the flag-raising ceremony.
Parachute has also received proclamations from the following cities to date: Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Markham, Toronto, Windsor, and Regina.
Last year’s inaugural National Injury Prevention Day gained more than 4 million social media impressions, raising awareness across Canada about why injury prevention is a critical health issue.
Quick Facts
- Preventable injury kills more Canadian children than any single disease, and more youth than all other causes combined.
- Teen drivers die in crashes at a higher rate than any other age group in Canada.
- 40% of head injuries in children aged 10 to 19 occur during sports.
- 85% of hospitalizations of Canadian seniors are due to falls.