It’s that time of year when many of us enjoy the holiday season with family and friends. Have a good one!

2009 has been a tough year financially, and we at the Canadian Cancer Society are no exception. Donations are down but cancer continues — relentlessly.

If you are in the position to help us fight back against cancer by continuing our funding of leading edge cancer research and our provision of support programs and prevention initiatives, it would be most appreciated.

Click here to learn more about what we do or to donate.

Best wishes for a happy, healthy and generous New Year!

The BC government has announced that it will soon consult with the public on the use and sale of “cosmetic chemical” pesticides. Cosmetic chemical pesticides are used to control unwanted weeds and plants in order to improve the appearance of lawns and gardens. They are not used for forestry or agriculture.

Cosmetic chemical pesticides have been linked to various cancers and children are at a greater risk. What’s more, these chemicals are unnecessary. Safe, effective, non-toxic alternatives exist and the use of these alternatives is good for business and can grow the green economy.

When it comes to cosmetic chemical pesticides, the Canadian Cancer Society endorses the precautionary principle which states that when there is reliable scientific evidence that a substance may have an adverse impact on human health – even if there is still scientific uncertainty – it is better to be safe than sorry.

A full 76% of British Columbians support the Canadian Cancer Society’s position that there should be provincial legislation to restrict cosmetic pesticide use. And so does the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

Over 25 municipalities in BC have already adopted cosmetic pesticide bylaws, and, while this is good, it isn’t enough. The BC government must act so that these products aren’t for sale in retail stores, and so that all British Columbians are protected from exposure to cosmetic chemical pesticides.

The Canadian Cancer Society, BC & Yukon, is calling for new cosmetic pesticide legislation that:

1. Prohibits the use, sale and retail display of chemical pesticides for lawns, gardens and non-agricultural landscaping.
2. Allows exemptions only to protect public health.
3. Provides for public education about the ban and alternatives to chemical pesticides.
4. Includes effective mechanisms for enforcement.
5. Is passed in 2010 and fully implemented within the first two years of the government’s current mandate.

So, what can you do to get involved?

Visit our advocacy site to learn more.

Become a fan of our Pesticide-Free BC page on Facebook and lend us your photo and/or testimonial about why you want BC to be cosmetic pesticide free.

Ask your friends and family to make their views heard too.

Together, we can make a positive difference!

Recently, an important report was released by the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance, “Cancer Research Investment in Canada 2007″.  

Consistent with CCRA reports in previous years, information is provided on cancer investments by funder, cancer site and type of cancer research. The special topic for the 2007 report, however, is childhood/adolescent cancer research.

The report identified that approximately three percent of peer-reviewed cancer research was devoted to this age group, with 23 percent of this amount coming from the Canadian Cancer Society.  Our BC/Yukon Division was proud to be the single largest contributor to the overall CCS total.

Thankfully, only about one percent of cancers occur in children and adolescents. Some have argued that this group is “over invested” when it comes to cancer research funding.

But I differ.

If all you care about is numbers, think about potential years of life lost. A child dying of cancer at age five has been robbed of some 80 years of life. Hardly seems fair! and think about the emotional hardships faced by the family as they deal with such a challenge.

It is also becoming clear that while cancer survival rates for children and adolescents are increasing, most are left with the chronic and/or late effects of their therapies.  So we need more research to discover better treatments.

Ultimately, our dream is prevention. To stop cancer before it even starts, so ‘kids’ and ‘cancer’ would never be used in the same sentence.

If you are able, please help make this dream come true.