Statement made on 01 February 2011 by Senator Catherine Callbeck
Hon. Catherine S. Callbeck:
Honourable senators, February is Heart Health Month. This commemorative month provides Canadians across the country with the opportunity to learn more about the risks and impacts of heart disease and stroke. The effects are considerable. In my home province of Prince Edward Island, nearly 6 per cent of Islanders are living with the disease. Indeed, every seven minutes, someone in Canada dies from heart disease.
Heart disease has long been seen as a problem affecting mostly men, but it is now the leading cause of death in women. Every year, seven times more Canadian women die of heart disease and stroke than breast cancer. In fact, according to Statistics Canada, nearly 35,000 women died due to heart disease and stroke in 2006, more than the number of women who died from all cancers combined. The number of deaths from heart disease and stroke has become virtually the same for men and women in this country.
To combat this problem, the Women's Institute of Canada has made women's heart health its national educational project, and introduced a great program — "Walk Across Canada with Us."
In my home province, the challenge has been taken a step further. The Women's Institute of Prince Edward Island has joined with go!PEI and the provincial Heart and Stroke Foundation to reach even more Islanders.
Islanders of all ages, whether or not they are Women's Institute members, are invited to take part in this symbolic walk across the country. The Women's Institute members in my province are aiming to record 6.6 million steps over the next year, which is the number of steps necessary to walk from Newfoundland and Labrador to British Columbia.
Many Women's Institute branches across the country are holding information sessions. Through projects like this, hard-working members of the Women's Institute are carrying on their long-standing tradition of service and community involvement.
Honourable senators, as part of the Women's Institute campaign, Canadians are being asked to wear red on Friday, February 4 — National Wear Red Day — to show support for women's heart disease awareness. I commend the members of the Women's Institute, who are taking steps to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them, and for all their many worthwhile endeavours.