National Program Gets Children Out of Cars on Way to School

Results from pilot project show increase in active travel, decrease in traffic congestion around schools

PETERBOROUGH, Ontario, May 31, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - New data from Canada Walks shows that a whopping 41 per cent of children were driven to school before a School Travel Planning project took aim to reduce that number by increasing the rate of walking and cycling for the school journey.

After School Travel Planning projects began to improve street infrastructure, increase awareness of the benefits of active travel and establish walking and cycling groups, the project saw a one per cent shift of children being driven to using active transportation. As more improvements are made, that number is expected to increase.

The data also revealed that over 1100 of the near 7000 families who responded in follow-up surveys have cut down their driving for the trip, reducing traffic congestion by as much as 28% around some schools.

Bruce Krentz, a parent at Westwood School in Thompson, MB, likes what School Travel Planning has done for his children. He says

"Having them walk and bike when they can to school has been excellent for them in terms of getting a little bit more activity every day. I think they're happier when they get to school and even when they get home. I know when they walk it's a great feeling for them."

Convenience was cited by parents as the topmost reason for driving children to school, followed by weather and traffic safety. But many Canadian communities are simply not designed to allow children the freedom of independent mobility. The School Travel Planning model tackles all of these issues head on, and the results of this two-year project show that model can shift the trend from driving to active travel.

"Every time a family walks or cycles to school rather than taking the car, they show support for healthier bodies and livelier neighbourhoods" says Jacky Kennedy, Director of Canada Walks. "The results of our School Travel Planning project prove that with organized active transportation plans, policies and programs that support walking or cycling to school, the rate of children being driven by their parents can be lowered. When walking and cycling to school is the norm for Canadian children, we should see rates of obesity, chronic illness and some cancers decrease while also contributing to more connected communities and cleaner air in our neighbourhoods."

About Canada Walks and Green Communities Canada

Canada Walks is a department of Green Communities Canada, a national association of non-profit organizations that deliver innovative, practical environmental solutions to Canadian households and communities. For more information, visit www.saferoutestoschool.ca/schooltravel.asp.

The School Travel Planning project is funded by the Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention (CLASP), an initiative of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer with additional funds from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

TELUS Health partners with Sanofi Canada to launch STARsystem platform

Innovative web-based platform will help educate, empower and encourage
Canadians living with diabetes to more effectively manage their disease

MONTREAL, May 29, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - TELUS Health has partnered with Sanofi Canada to launch STARsystem, an innovative private web-based platform that gives diabetics free anywhere, anytime access to personalized education and self-management health tools. The STARsystem platform is available to diabetics who purchase BGStar and iBGStar blood glucose monitors, both developed by Sanofi Canada.

The STARsystem platform addresses the unmet needs of Canadians living with diabetes and provides tailored support and advice on five key areas of diabetes management:

...Monitoring
...Managing
...Eating
...Moving
...Feeling/emotional wellness

Following a simple, user-friendly format, users answer a series of preliminary questions to determine their level of knowledge about diabetes. This "triage" process then allows the system to suggest relevant and current content based on each patient's preferences and expertise, which users can access and track through a personalized dashboard.

"Developed, built and managed by TELUS Health, the STARsystem platform provides people living with diabetes with a wealth of authoritative, useful online information about their disease," said Paul Lepage, senior vice president,TELUS Health. "We are confident that the added value provided by the STARsystem platform will empower diabetics to take charge of their disease and make well-informed daily decisions, enabling them to lead healthier lives."

Further development of the STARsystem platform is currently being planned. Sanofi Canada is including with the launch of STARSystem free health coaching sessions (90 minutes of one-on-one health coaching by phone and six months of unlimited online support), a proven positive influence for people living with diabetes.

About TELUS Health

TELUS Health is a leader in telehealth, electronic health records, remote patient monitoring, mobile home and community care, consumer health, benefits management and pharmacy management. Our solutions give health authorities, providers, physicians, patients and consumers the power to turn information into better health outcomes. For more information about TELUS Health, please visit www.telushealth.com.

Children at risk of poisonings in the home, warns Safe Kids Canada

New data shows many parents are not taking proper precautions to reduce the risk of poisoning from common household products

TORONTO, May 28, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - A recent survey demonstrates a wide gap between what parents know they should do and their actual behavior when it comes to poison prevention in the home. The survey was conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of Safe Kids Canada, and is being unveiled today as part of the kick off to national Safe Kids Week: May 28 to June 3, 2012.

The poll showed nearly all parents (98 per cent) with children age 14 and under feel it's important to lock up medications and cleaning products. Yet half of them store medications in a medicine cabinet and more than 60 per cent store cleaning products under the sink. Unfortunately, these common spots are often too accessible to little hands. Each year an estimated seven children under 14 die and close to 1,700 end up in the hospital with serious injuries due to poisoning, according to hospital data.

"Young children are curious by nature and explore their environment by touching and putting things in their mouths," says Pamela Fuselli, the executive director of Safe Kids Canada. "So it's crucial to check your home for potential poisons and store them where children can't see them and lock them up so children can't get at them."

The most common causes of child poisoning are medications and cleaning products, as well as other household items like gardening and pest control products; car supplies like windshield washer fluid; health and beauty products like nail polish remover; and art supplies.

Selina Esteves, mother of three-year-old Hudson and six-year-old Ethan, now stores her family's medications in a locked box, out of sight of her children. Selina was motivated to take these important steps because Hudson recently ended up in the emergency department after drinking the contents of two bottles of children's medications.

"I thought he was in bed," says his mother. "But, he had dragged a stool over to the bathroom cupboard, climbed up the shelves and reached the family medicine bin. He then opened two child-resistant medicine bottles and drank them. Until the doctors told me he was fine, every worst-case scenario went through my mind."

"Poison centres across Canada receive about 160,000 phone calls each year and almost half of those calls are from frantic parents involving children younger than six," reports Dr. Martin Laliberté, president of the Canadian Association of Poison Control Centres. "Parents who think their child has been poisoned, should immediately contact the nearest poison centre or call 911."

Make your home a poison-proof zone

Here are five poison prevention tips to guide parents:

...Buy medications with a child-resistant cap whenever possible and store all medications and vitamins in a locked box (a small toolbox with a combination lock or padlock works well). Keep the locked box, and the key, out of sight and out of reach of children.

...Store household cleaners, like dishwasher detergent and bleach; car supplies, such as windshield washer fluid; cosmetics, like nail polish remover; and garden supplies like pesticides, in locked bins, cupboards or drawers. A child safety latch is an acceptable alternative.

...Keep all medications and other household poisons in their original containers with their original labels.

...Do not refer to medication as candy; children may seek it out when you're not around.

...If you suspect your child has been poisoned, call your local poison centre or 911. Add the number of your area poison centre to your cell and home phones.

Video: Safe Kids Week 2012 : Poison Prevention

Safe Kids Week 2012

Today marks the launch of Safe Kids Week 2012, Out of Sight & Locked up Tight!, which is sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Inc., with community grants supported by Kidde Canada. Across Canada, Safe Kids Canada partners are conducting Out of Sight & Locked up Tight! events from May 28 to June 3, educating families on poison prevention in the home.

About Safe Kids Canada

Safe Kids Canada's mission is to lead and inspire a culture of safety across the country in order to reduce unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death among children and youth in Canada. As a national leader, Safe Kids Canada uses a collaborative and innovative approach to develop partnerships, conduct research, raise awareness and advocate in order to prevent serious injuries among children, youth and their families. Our vision is Fewer Injuries. Healthier Children. A Safer Canada. Safe Kids Canada is the national injury prevention program of The Hospital for Sick Children. To learn more about Safe Kids Canada and child safety, visit www.safekidscanada.ca.

About Johnson & Johnson

Johnson & Johnson is the founding sponsor of Safe Kids in North America (Canada, U.S., and Puerto Rico), and in 17 other countries around the world. In Canada, Johnson & Johnson Inc. also sponsors Safe Kids Week, Safe Kids Canada's largest annual public awareness program designed to help reduce the frequency and severity of preventable childhood injuries, the leading cause of death and disability of Canadian children. As part of the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies, the employees of Johnson & Johnson Inc. in Canada are united and inspired by caring for the world, one person at a time. Together with our partners in health care we touch the lives of over a billion people every day, throughout the world. Johnson & Johnson has more than 250 operating companies in 57 countries around the world, employing 115,500 people and selling products in more than 175 countries. Johnson & Johnson worldwide headquarters is in New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA. Johnson & Johnson Inc. Canadian head office is located in Markham, Ontario.

Climate Change is Frying Our Cities

from TreeHugger.com by Brian Merchant Business / Environmental Policy

A new report from NRDC that finds that thanks to climate change, most American cities will be seeing an exponential uptick in heat-related deaths (Mat took a look at it here). The conclusion shouldn't be much of a shocker—as the world heats up, more people will perish from that heat. The report, Killer Heat, finds that "more than 150,000 Americans could die by the end of this century due to the excessive heat caused by climate change."

And that's certainly a pretty horrifying wide-lens impact. It makes for a big, ugly number that will certainly get thrown around the blogosphere, and justifiably so. But what we're really talking about here is the heat getting cranked up on our cities. The report, which only considers the impacts of a warming climate on the nation's 40 biggest cities, finds that the number of yearly deaths from extreme heat will triple by the end of the century.

As the NRDC notes, "Illnesses that are caused or made worse by extreme heat -- including heat exhaustion, heat stroke, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease -- currently lead to hundreds of deaths each year." Well over a thirteen hundred Americans die from the heat every year as it is, and that number will soon balloon to over 4,500. The report is focused only on cities because that's where most of heat-related deaths occur. Kate Sheppard explains over at Mother Jones:

asphalt and glass amplify the heat and the dense population leaves more people vulnerable. Thirty-seven of 40 cities studied will see increases in heat-related deaths, [the researchers] predict. The hardest hit will be Louisville, Detroit, and Cleveland, researchers found. The average number of deaths in Louisville was 39 per summer from 1975 to 2004. That figure is expected to grow to 257 per summer by mid-century and to 376 by 2100.

That means more stress on already budget-strapped, recession-clobbered cities. More expensive health services, more electricity demand, much, much more unpleasantness. Excessive heat drains productivity, too.

And it's going to be both a tough sell and expensive to adapt to these changes—but doing so could head off the nastier impacts. For instance, Chicago is already bracing for skyrocketing temps:

Thermal radar is being used to map the city's hottest spots, which are then targets for pavement removal and the addition of vegetation to roofs. And air-conditioners are being considered for all 750 public schools, which until now have been heated but rarely cooled.

Cities everywhere are going to need to start considering such measures—children and the elderly are going to be most vulnerable, and some good city planning could prevent tragedy.

I probably don't need to say it, but this is the ugly reality for dozens of cities across the nation—scientists expect global temps to rise between 4° and 11° Fahrenheit by the end of the century. It's just going to happen. We must continue to draw down carbon emissions worldwide, but adaptation efforts must be undertaken too. Municipal governments must look at how and where they can reduce their vulnerability to extreme heat events, and how they might find innovative ways to keep residents cool.

Because the NRDC has a fairly grim prognosis:

"rising temperatures driven by unabated climate change will increase the number of life-threatening excessive heat events, resulting in thousands of additional heat-related premature deaths each year, with a cumulative toll of approximately 33,000 additional heat-related deaths by midcentury in these cities, and more than 150,000 additional heat-related deaths by the century’s end."

... Buckle up.

Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths with children younger than 5

Learn as much as you can about drowning prevention!

FERGUS, Ontario - May 24, 2012 Health and Safety Watch - As the weather heats-up, health authorities are reminding of the importance of recreational water safety. According to recent reports by the Consumer Product Safety Commission, 75 percent of reported drowning incidents in U.S. involve children younger than 5. Below is information summarized from a number of warnings and advisories.

Drowning is a silent danger and the second leading cause of death for Canadian children. Drowning can happen in an instant but affects a family for a lifetime. A few moments of inattention by a parent or caregiver can result in a child slipping silently under the water without anyone noticing. Learn all you can to prevent drownings and keep everyone safe around pools and natural water bodies.

Drowning facts:

...Second only to car crashes, drowning kills more Canadian children under the age of 14 than any other cause of injury; every year about 58 children die from drowning

...Children 1 to 4 years have the highest risk of drowning because they are attracted to water, but don't understand the risks and don't have any water safety or swimming skills

...Most drownings of children under age 5 happen when children are playing near water and get into the water without an adult being aware. One-third of these occur in the backyard pool. Older children are most likely to drown when they are swimming in a river, lake, or other open body of water. The most common location for infant drownings is the bathtub

...Every year about 140 children must stay in the hospital because of near-drowning

...Near-drowning can result in life-long problems like difficulty learning, remembering, planning, and paying attention

...Almost half of all child drownings happen in swimming pools

...Young children can drown in as little of 1 inch of water

...About 3/4 of the children who drown each year are boys

How to enjoy the water safely and prevent childhood drowning

...Never leave children alone around water. Children need to be supervised near water at all times. Do not depend on flotation devices as substitutes for adult supervision.

...If your child is younger than 5, stay within arm's reach at all times. Life jackets are recommended for children playing near water who are younger than 5 and children older than 5 who do not swim well. Life jackets do not replace constant adult supervision.

...Never leave an infant or toddler alone in the bathtub, not even for a few seconds. A baby or young child can drown in as little as 2.5 centimetres (1 inch) of water. Do not use bath seats or bath rings.

...Parents should wait until their child is at least 4 years of age before starting swimming lessons. However, water safety and recreation programs for infants and toddlers and their parents are encouraged.

...If you have a backyard swimming pool or hot tub, a four-sided fence should be installed around the pool with self-closing, self-latching gates.

...Pool owners should be familiar with CPR and First Aid practises and have a telephone and rescue equipment near the pool or hot tub.

Check list for pool drowning prevention:

...Are your fences and gates in good repair and do they meet the requirements of your local by-laws?

,,,Does your gate self-close and self-latch properly?

...Is the release mechanism at the top of the gate?

...Is responsible adult supervision at poolside whenever children are in or near the water?

...Are all family members up-to-date with swimming lessons and first aid instruction?

...Is safety equipment at poolside in good repair?

...Are emergency numbers and a phone at poolside at all times?

In addition to adult supervision…

...Encourage swimming lessons and first aid instruction for family members and caregivers.

...Put young children and weak swimmers in life jackets when in or around water.

...Consider additional layers of protection such as alarms, safety covers, and water rescue equipment (e.g. ring buoy, lifeline).

...Encourage walking around the poolside, as running can often lead to slips and falls.

...Discourage the use of alcohol or drugs by adults who are supervising children by the pool.

Be Safe - Be Informed

...Learn as much as you can about water safety - check with your local public health authorities

...Check with your local municipality to obtain a copy of the by-law(s) that apply to your property

Space Day Takes Off at the University of Guelph

GUELPH, Ontario May 16, 2012 - University of Guelph News Release - NASA astronaut Mike Good and Bob McDonald, host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks, will speak at the launch of the first space-themed open house at the University of Guelph. “Bringing Space Down to Earth” will take place June 2.

The family-friendly event will showcase “out-of-this-world” research in various disciplines across campus, said organizer Leah Bent, a professor in the Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences.

Geography professor Aaron Berg will discuss space-based monitoring of climate change and impacts on water supply. Visitors may tour the Controlled Environment Systems Research Facility for growing plants in space, run by Prof. Mike Dixon, School of Environmental Sciences. Attend a talk and video demonstration about a device on a Mars rover bound for the red planet that was developed by an international group of scientists led by physics professor Ralf Gellert.

“It’s exciting to be able to share this interactive science experience with the community,” said Bent. “The university’s Centre for Open Learning and Educational Support and Ph.D student Catherine Lowrey were pivotal in putting this special day together. Our hope is that others will become as fascinated with space as we’ve become and realize how findings from space research can be applied right here on Earth.”

By studying skin receptors in astronauts’ feet after space flight, Bent hopes to help improve balance in Earth-bound seniors. Her “hyper-sole” study is funded by the Canadian Space Agency.

The daylong event in Rozanski Hall will begin with a welcome by Michael Emes, dean of the College of Biological Science, and a keynote talk by McDonald.

An internationally renowned science communicator for more than 30 years, McDonald chairs Geospace, a new environmental centre and planetarium planned for the Toronto waterfront. He has received six honorary doctorates, including one from U of G; he was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2011.

He and Good will discuss the future of space research.

Good was a crew member during space shuttle missions to the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009 and the International Space Station in 2010. He has spent 25 days in space and almost 30 hours on four space walks.

The U of G event will also feature graduate Kris Lehnhardt, who is studying to become an astronaut.

Let’s Talk Science, a national charitable organization for improving science literacy, will run hands-on science activities for youth at the event. Since 2008, a U of G chapter has run activities for local schools and youth groups.

For more information and to register, visit http://www.coles.uoguelph.ca/space/.

Agroforestry Project Helping Improve Life in Ghana

photo credit: treesftf/via Flickr

GUELPH, Ontario May 15, 2012 - University of Guelph News Release - Using agroforestry to enhance livelihoods in resource-poor communities is the goal of a six-year-old collaboration by scientists from the University of Guelph and Ghana, backed by a $3-million Tier 1 grant from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

The project partners hope to improve income generation and food security, and strengthen Ghana’s vision of becoming West Africa’s centre of excellence in agroforestry.

Researchers from U of G and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana, will discuss the project during a public meeting May 22, 7 p.m., in Rozanski Hall, Room 102.

Much of Ghana is plagued by poverty, chronic food insecurity, and poor health and nutrition.

“The increasing degradation of the natural resource base relied upon by rural communities is a major contributor to a persistently low quality of life,” said Naresh Thevathasan, an adjunct professor in the School of Environmental Sciences (SES) and manager of U of G agroforestry research. He oversees the project with SES professor Andy Gordon.

Agroforestry land-use technologies (farming crops along with trees and/or animals) were identified in the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy among the most important aspects of environmentally sustainable cropping practices.

The U of G team has helped train students of agriculture and natural resources management in Ghana, established research projects, and supported sustainable farming practices to improve rural economies and community health in partner villages.

Speakers at the public meeting will discuss the project and promote further dialogue on international development, Thevathasan said.

The Ghana project marked the first time U of G had received Tier 1 funding. Tier 1 projects are managed by CIDA’s universities and colleges program and promote major development and institution-building projects.

Music Monday 2012 unites Canadian students in coast-to-coast day of celebration

Hundreds of thousands students fill the skies with song to celebrate music education

SYDNEY, Nova Scotia, May 7, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - Hundreds of thousands of students from cities and towns across Canada are uniting in song today to raise awareness about the importance of music education. On Music Monday, students and teachers take their music programs outdoors and into their communities to perform the same song on the same day, uniting the entire country in song.

The nationwide celebration of music will feature a simultaneous national performance of this year's theme song for Music Monday, "Tomorrow is Coming", written by Juno Award nominated, Canadian Folk Music Award winning artist Luke Doucet. Co-commissioned with CBC Radio 2, "Tomorrow is Coming" is available on iTunes with proceeds going to support the work of the Coalition for Music Education. A wide variety of arrangements are also available for free on the Music Monday website at www.musicmonday.ca.

The 2012 Music Monday Showcase Concert will be held in Sydney Cape Breton, as a symbol of the hundreds of celebrations taking place in communities across the country. More than 1100 students will march up to the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre by police escort with their instruments and waving flags with messages about the value of music in their lives. East Coast favourites the Barra MacNeils will sing their classic "Coal Town Road" followed by the official Music Monday song. The concert will end with everyone singing the Barra MacNeils song "We Celebrate".

"The schools and community groups participating in Music Monday are among the most fortunate in Canada, because many of them have music programs," says Coalition for Music Education Executive Director, Holly Nimmons. "They are the voices for so many other young people and they remind us all of the value music education adds to our lives."

Music Monday was created by the Coalition for Music Education in 2005 to celebrate the importance of music education for the young people in our schools and communities. The nation-wide celebration highlights the need to protect and promote quality music programs for every child in Canada. Music Monday is fast becoming a global phenomenon and the event is now being celebrated in Australia and across the United States.

The Music Monday message is being taken to even greater heights for 2013, with a partnership between the CBC, the Canadian Space Agency and the Coalition for Music Education. Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield will collaborate from space while on board the International Space Station with multiple Juno Award winner Ed Robertson from the Barenaked Ladies on Earth to create a new song for Music Monday 2013 that will truly "Fill the Skies with Music."

"Music Monday is an occasion to play music and sing with Canadians all over the country. We encourage everyone to visit our website, learn about the song, create your own music, tweet about it, and tell your friends," says Nimmons. "This is a perfect time for young people from Cape Breton to Victoria to Cambridge Bay to come out of the classrooms and make music to demonstrate the importance of music education for every young person in our country."

Music Monday is celebrated on the first Monday of May each year at 10 a.m. Pacific time, 11 a.m. Mountain time, 12 p.m. Central time, 1 p.m. Eastern time, 2 p.m. Atlantic time and 2:30 p.m. in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Join us on Facebook, Twitter and sign up for our newsletter for more details.

About the Coalition for Music Education

The Coalition for Music Education works to raise awareness and understanding of the role music education plays in Canadian culture, and to promote the benefits music education brings to young people. We envision Canada as a country where the lives of all children are enriched by quality school music programs, and where their active participation in music is valued and supported in our communities. For more information, please visit www.MusicMakesUs.ca.

To find the Music Monday celebration in your community please visit http://musicmakesus.ca/musicmonday/see-whos-involved/ where you can use an interactive map to get specifics on a wide variety of events in your region.

Local stroke survivor wants families to give heart health to moms this Mother's Day

Stroke survivor, Nikki Martyn-Capobianco with son, Carson.
(CNW Group/Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario)

Heart and Stroke Foundation's The Heart Truth campaign provides kids of all ages with healthy and fun gift ideas to help moms protect their heart health

TORONTO, May 4, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - This Mother's Day, Toronto-based stroke survivor and mother Dr. Nikki Martyn-Capobianco urges families to help ensure moms commit the time they need to make their heart health a priority - today and every day.

Moms often put their family's needs first - and may neglect their own health. This Mother's Day, the Heart and Stroke Foundation's The Heart Truth campaign - in partnership with female heart disease and stroke survivors across the country - is encouraging families across Canada to celebrate Mom by "gifting" her heart health.

"Having a stroke with no risk factors was a terrifying experience," said Martyn-Capobianco. "When I was in the hospital on the gurney waiting to get a CT scan, I had a moment where I stopped fighting for my life and I let fear take over. My symptoms got much worse - then I saw my son's face. I thought, I can't die; I can't let him live his life without a mom. I fought and I won."

One year ago, Martyn-Capobianco, a Ryerson University professor, had a stroke. A tiny blood clot was lodged in her brain. When she tried to write her name and all her pen could do was draw a flat line, she knew something was wrong, but never thought she was having a stroke. A 34-year-old non-smoker, without hypertension or any family history of stroke, she certainly didn't think it would happen to her.

"I have been very fortunate and worked very hard to make a (nearly) full recovery," said Martyn-Capobianco. "Post-stroke I could not hold a fork, a pen; I struggled greatly with writing. I had lost some coordination and strength in my leg. My speech and vision were moderately affected. Today, if you met me, you wouldn't even know I'd had a stroke."

While immediate medical attention saved Martyn-Capobianco's life, the experience left her with one strong message - protect and pay attention to your heart health. The truth is, heart disease and stroke is the number one killer of women in Canada, more than all cancers combined, but most women don't know it. Women often ignore their own warning signs and symptoms, increasing their risk for heart disease and stroke.

"Throughout this experience, my son Carson has been prominent for me. I think this is something all moms can relate to; we do anything we need to do for our kids," said Martyn-Capobianco. "I am sharing my story with the hope that moms will start taking better care of themselves and their children. Simple steps can reduce the risks significantly and this means fewer kids will have to grow up without a mom."

Far too many women die before their time from heart disease and stroke. This Mother's Day, with a Heart Truth e-card that includes a personalized pledge to support mom's heart, kids can inspire their moms to get heart-health aware and carve out time to protect their heart health.

Kids can access customizable Mother's Day e-cards at thehearttruth.ca/e-cards/. To ensure children of all ages can find a heartfelt message that suits them and their moms, the e-cards come in designs for younger children, teens, and adults. Each of the cards offer in-kind "gifts" of household chores kids can take off Mom's plate, freeing time for her to take care of her heart health through exercise and relaxation.

To round out a heartfelt and fun Mother's Day, families can start by serving Mom a healthy breakfast in bed, accompany her to an energizing a yoga class, give her a relaxing shoulder rub, and prepare a healthy family dinner. Finally, families can share life-saving heart health information with Mom, including prevention tips, warning signs and symptoms, a custom risk profile and questions that she can ask her doctor, all available at thehearttruth.ca.

"My stroke helped me reflect about what I want and what makes me happy and fulfilled," added Martyn-Capobianco. "It helped me appreciate the kiss on the cheek from my son or hearing, 'You're the best mommy in the whole world' - moments in life we often gloss over or take for granted. I make an effort every day to appreciate the little moments and take them in."

About The Heart Truth™ campaign

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's The Heart Truth campaign is raising awareness that heart disease and stroke is the #1 killer of women in Canada, but most don't know it. Heart disease is not a "man's disease": women are more likely than men to die of a heart attack or stroke. But by taking care of themselves and making incremental heart healthy lifestyle changes, women can add more years to their life and more life to their years. In fact, women can reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke by as much as 80 per cent by making lifestyle changes.

Canadians can show their support for The Heart Truth by purchasing and wearing a red dress pin, the official symbol of the campaign, which represents women's courage, passion and their power for change as they share the truth with others and raise awareness about the importance of heart health. Red dress pins are available for purchase at local Heart and Stroke Foundation offices. One hundred percent of proceeds will be reinvested into the Heart and Stroke Foundation's women and heart disease initiatives.

The Heart Truth campaign gratefully acknowledges the support of founding sponsor, Becel, and contributing sponsors Chatelaine, Post Shredded Wheat, and Health Check™, without whom the program would not be possible.

About The Heart and Stroke Foundation™

The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

How Solar is Giving African Kids Super Powers

Solar Aid/Video screen capture

from TreeHugger.com by Sami Grover - Energy / Renewable Energy

Things are looking up in Africa. Solar is already transforming school performance, and solar lamps are saving lives by replacing kerosene.

As solar and other decentralized energy technologies are being paired to provide access to the internet and further energize the explosive growth of cell phones, we are seeing children get educations, businesses find customers, and communities get lifted out of poverty and marginalization—all the while bypassing the dirty, outdated and slow-to-implement energy infrastructure of the 20th Century.

The latest video from solar development pioneers Solar Aid shows just what a difference a cheap, battery-powered solar lamp can make to children and their families who have previously been stuck using kerosene. And the best part is that because these lamps are now cost competitive with kerosene in many communities, and because they are being distributed through models of micro-entrepreneurship, we can expect to see this trend grow like wildfire well beyond the potential of your typical "charity" project.

May we live in interesting times.

Launching of an internet social network for the family!

NEW YORK and TORONTO, May 2, 2012 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - With already thousands of members from 20 different countries, WILBY.TV today officially launched its English version in the United States and Canada. "The Universe of WILBY™" is a fun, educational and 100% safe online social universe for children and their family, available free at www.wilby.tv

About the Universe of Wilby™

Founded by three entrepreneurs and fathers concerned about Internet use among young people, and education at school and in the home, "The Universe of WILBY™" is an online social universe helping children six and older and families around the world to flourish and grow healthily by offering effective personal development tools and a safe, fun and educational online entertainment environment.

An Ingeniuosly Designed Social Universe for Children

"The Universe of Wilby™" is designed for children aged 6 to 12 years. With parental support, its young members can create their own avatars, express themselves, communicate, learn other languages, earn points, watch videos, post their accomplishments, earn rewards and participate in multiplayer educational games already played in over 20,000 primary schools.

This online world also offers an educational animated TV series where the main character, a ten year old boy named Wilby, experiences the daily realities of today's children and tells his stories to correspondents who write to him from around the world.

A More Constructive Alternative

For parents, WILBY.TV represents a great alternative to other virtual worlds such clubpenguin.com, barbie.com and moshimonsters.com. Although very entertaining, they do not compare in the strength of educational and constructive support offered by "The Universe of Wilby™".

A Growing Social Movement for the Positive Development of Youth

Available for only a few months in French, WILBY.TV already has thousands of active members from around the world and its popularity is growing every day! Adaptations in Spanish and Mandarin will be available in the coming months. "The Universe of WILBY™" is much more than an online world! It's actually a fast growing social movement rallying children and families worldwide around a common cause: the positive development of the youth of today and tomorrow.

Wilby Affiliate Program

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United Church Releases Report on Israel/Palestine

TORONTO, May 1, 2012 /Canada NewsWire/ - The United Church of Canada today released the report of its Working Group on Israel/Palestine Policy. The report will be considered by the denomination's 41st General Council, which meets in Ottawa, August 11-18, 2012. Until that time the working group's report is not policy of the church, and its proposals are solely recommendations.

The 26-page report was completed following extensive consultation and discussion, including a 12-day visit to the region in February 2011. During that visit the working group met with representatives of Palestinian, Israeli, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities in Israel and the West Bank.

Former United Church Moderator, the Very Rev. David Giuliano, chaired the three-member working group. He says the working group believes that the dignity of all peoples in the region must be at the heart of the policy directions set out in the report.

"Without dignity for all the people of the land, and for the land itself, justice that leads to peace is not possible," says Giuliano.

Giuliano says the working group listened carefully to many points of view in the conflict but did not shy away from arriving at its own conclusions.

"Simply put, Israel is maintaining a harsh occupation that must end so peace can emerge. The occupation is damaging both Palestinians and Israelis. The occupation is being implemented by a democratic country and sustained and supported by Western governments, including Canada's," says the report.

The working group also

...calls for an end to the occupation, saying that it is the primary contributor to the injustice that underlies the violence of the region
...condemns actions and activities that seek to delegitimize or demonize Israel
...affirms that non-violent resistance to the occupation is justified
...calls on Israel to dismantle settlements within the occupied territories
...calls on Israel to dismantle the separation barrier in all sections where it crosses over the Green Line
...challenges Christian beliefs that theologically justify the occupation
...advises against a comprehensive boycott of Israel and Israeli goods and products
...calls for an economic boycott directed exclusively against settlement products that can be identified as produced in or related to the settlements or the occupied territories
...advises against the use of "the language of apartheid" when applied to Israel
...affirms Israel as a Jewish state, meaning a homeland for the Jewish people that "ensures complete equality of social and political rights to all of its inhabitants irrespective of religion, race, or gender"
...supports initiatives that work toward the creation of a viable Palestinian state as a homeland for the Palestinian people
...supports a negotiated settlement to the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees that maintains the demographic integrity of Israel
...calls for opportunities that will bring together Palestinian and Israeli/Jewish communities for growth in mutual understanding

"The future of Israel and of Palestine are intimately intertwined," says Giuliano. "Until Palestinian people experience justice, peace, and freedom of movement, Israel will be unable to fully claim its place among democratic nations."