A word of caution– On average, children are twice as likely to be hit by a vehicle on Halloween than on any other day of the year.
Keep Children Safe While They Are Out Trick-or-Treating
Attach reflective tape or stickers to costumes and trick-or-treat bags; if possible use glow sticks or flashlights to increase children’s visibility
Use face paint or make-up in place of masks that can restrict vision
An adult should accompany children under the age of 12 while they are trick-or-treating
Drivers — use extra caution when driving on Halloween; particularly between the hours of 5:30pm and 9>30pm when most trick-or-treating takes place in neighbourhoods
Parents – Inspect All Treats
Don’t let kids eat any candy or other treats until you or another adult has checked it.
Throw away anything homemade.
Check all commercially wrapped treats for small holes in the wrappers. Throw out anything that’s torn, unwrapped or in loose packaging.
Be cautious before giving treats that could be potential choking hazards (e.g., chewy candies, gum, hard candies, lollipops, peanuts).
In addition to the fatalities, a further 175 people are injured every day in our country as a result of drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs.
Let’s be honest — there isn’t a driver out there who’s not aware of the dangers and penalties for drunk driving. This isn’t an awareness problem — its a decision-making one.
Its about making the right choice at the time it matters.
Three Choices You Should Always Make
1) Plan Ahead — if you are going to drink alcohol or consume drugs, be prepared for alternate ways to get home.
You have options:
Keep the contact info for a local taxi or Uber ride handy and use it
Surrender your keys to a sober friend early on
Arrange for a designated driver who will get you home safely
Know the public transit options and take a bus or commuter train
Today is National Day of Mourning, dedicated to remembering those who have lost their lives, or suffered injury or illness on the job or due to a work-related tragedy.
Each year in Canada, hundreds of people lose their lives while working at their jobs. Thousands more are seriously injured at work, or are impacted by work-related illnesses.
My thoughts today are about my daughter who nearly lost her life in a workplace accident a number of years ago. She was a young woman, starting a new job at a large department store in Vancouver when it happened.
Her supervisor asked her to get Christmas decorations from an upstairs storage area. Unfortunately someone had placed the decorations in an unsafe area, and when she stepped out to retrieve them, she fell 14 feet onto a cement floor below. She suffered a serious head injury and spent many pain-filled days in the intensive care unit of a local hospital.
It took her more than 2 years to fully recover from her injuries.
On this special day of recognition, I am also expressing thanks that my daughter made a full recovery, went on to marry a great guy and now has two beautiful little girls of her own..
Please take a moment today to remember people you know who have been hurt or killed in the workplace.
Take another moment to think about ways you can be safer in your workplace, and keep others safe from injury or illness.
Your Life is Valuable… Don’t Leave Work Without It
Today is the Earth’s birthday, and a time to celebrate this big, beautiful rock we live on.
If you haven’t planned an activity to recognize Earth Day its not too late.
One idea is to do something that helps the environment while enhancing your neighbourhood.
5 Easy Things You Can Do on Earth Day
These activities can be done today or anytime in the near future:
Pick up litter and trash that has accumulated in your neighbourhood during the winter. Invite your neighbours to join in a spring clean-up. It’s more fun when people work together.
Donate money to support an environmental cause – there are lots of choices out there. Pick a charity that is working on everyone’s behalf, and support them with a financial contribution.
Changing the world starts by changing your own little corner of it
Start a conversation with your neighbours about the types of projects and activities you can do together to make your neighbourhood a better, more environmentally friendly place for everyone.
Involve neighbourhood youth in the planning and activities. They will have some great ideas.
Earth Day was created 46 years ago (1970), after major oil spill damaged the environment. Today it is celebrated worldwide with a collective mandate to encourage people to be more environmentally conscious and active.
Although this type of violent crime happens infrequently in Canadian communities, anyone who uses parking garages or lots is vulnerable.
Parking garages can be scary places, especially at night when there are few people around.
Reduce your risk of becoming a victim of violence or robbery by taking a few precautions.
Be aware of what is happening near you, and trust your instincts. If something does not feel right, drive your vehicle out of the parking garage immediately.
Know where the exits are located; if possible park near an exit.
If approached by a stranger while parking, stay inside your vehicle with the doors locked until you are certain this person is not a threat.
When you leave your vehicle, close all windows and lock the doors.
Have your keys ready when returning to your vehicle, so you can quickly unlock the doors.
Before getting in, look through the windows to see if anyone is hiding inside.
If You See Something — Say Something
Help keep parking garages safe for everyone. If you see something suspicious, tell Building Management or Security about your concerns.
Call 911 if there is an immediate danger to you or others.
Burnt out lights, broken pavement, or other obstacles can pose a danger to people using the parking garage. Report these to Building Management or Security as soon as possible.
Spring is here, and with it comes an increased safety risk for children and young adults.
Rivers and creeks are filling with fast-flowing cold waters.
Creek and river banks are muddy and slippery. Children can easily slip and fall into dangerous currents.
Lakes and ponds are thawing rapidly, leaving dangerously thin ice.
Tragically, each year children and young adults drown because they fall into unsafe waters caused by the Spring thaw.
If your children walk or play near water, now is a good time to have a talk with them about water safety.
5 Things You Should Say to Your Kids About Spring Water Safety
Creeks, rivers, and water-filled ditches are very dangerous this time of year, with deep, cold water and slippery banks. Stay away from these places.
The ice on lakes and ponds may look safe but it is melting from underneath and may be too thin to support a person. Don’t go out onto ice-covered water.
Dams, culverts and bridges are extremely unsafe due to strong water currents and undertows. Don’t play or explore near these structures.
When playing or walking near water, always go with a friend so someone is nearby if you fall in.
If you fall into water, call loudly for help. If another person falls in, get help from an adult as quickly as possible. If you have a cell phone, call 911.
Who hasn’t taken a hard knock to the head at one time or another?
Whether from a fall, a mishap on the sports field, a car crash or an object striking your head or neck, a head injury should never be ignored.
Even when there is no visible damage, a bump can cause a concussion that may have serious impacts such as bruised brain tissue, bleeding inside the brain, nerve damage, brain swelling or seizures.
What Is A Concussion?
A concussion happens when a person’s brain is shaken quickly back and forth after an impact to the head, or from a whiplash-type injury.
Called a mild traumatic brain injury, a concussion is not usually life-threatening, but can result in serious symptoms that require medical attention.
Signs of a Concussion
Dizziness that persists for more than a few minutes
A headache that continues after the incident
Trouble focusing, or blurred vision
Vomiting or feeling nauseous
Difficulties with balance
A hard time concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
Trouble speaking or saying things that don’t make sense
Feeling confused, sleepy, grouchy, sad, or emotional for no reason
Sensitivity to light or noise
Symptoms that require calling 911 immediately
Inability to wake up from a state of unconsciousness
Seizures
Blood or clear liquid draining from the ears or nose
One pupil is larger than the other
What to do if you think someone has a concussion
If you or someone near you experiences an injury with a potential concussion, the concussed person should stop the activity they were doing and be diagnosed by a medical physician as soon as possible.
After-concussion activity may intensify the symptoms and increase the risk of further brain injury.
A second brain injury, happening before the first concussion is healed, can be much more dangerous than the first one– even fatal. Read more: 2nd impact syndrome.
How to avoid a concussion
The best way to prevent a concussion is to wear proper helmets and protective gear when engaging in sports or other activities that could result in a head injury.
If you are a sports coach, health care professional or someone responsible for the safety of others, learn how to prevent, recognize and respond to concussions.
The decision when to remove your winter tires can be a dilemma.
If you take them off too soon, you may find yourself skidding or sliding with poor traction in a late season snowstorm.
If you leave them on too long, it can be costly and even dangerous.
The simple answer is 7 degrees Celsius (7°C).
Below 7° C, winter tires perform better. Above 7°, all-weather or summer tires will give you better control of your vehicle.
Winter Tire Change Guideline
If you are switching from winter tires to all-season tires, consider making the change when the daily low temperatures are consistently above freezing ( 0° C) and the long-term forecast does not indicate heavy snowfall.
If you are switching directly to summer tires, hold off a bit longer than you would for all-seasons.
All threat of snow or freezing temperatures should be gone before installing summer tires. Summer tires will be difficult to control in snow or on black ice.
Keeping Your Winter Tires on Year-round Can be Dangerous
There is a danger in keeping winter tires on during warm spring and summer months.
Drivers have less control of their vehicle and take longer to stop when they drive with winter tires in warmer months. These findings have been published in studies by the Canadian Automobile Association
Other negative impacts of keeping winter tires on too long are:
increased road noise
decreased gas mileage
reduced tire wear
What to Do If You Encounter Snow or Ice After You’ve Changed Your Winter Tires
If you’ve already switched out your winter tires when a late season storm covers roads with snow or ice:
Wherever possible, leave your vehicle parked and take alternate transportation until road conditions improve
If you must drive, go slowly and carefully
Leave extra distance when following other vehicles
I had a disturbing message left on my voicemail recently. It was from a man claiming to be an RCMP officer calling on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
He stated he had a warrant for my arrest because of unpaid back taxes.
The aggressive caller demanded that I must immediately dial a certain phone number and arrange for payment to avoid being arrested and carted off to jail.
This phone call was a tax scam. Neither the RCMP, nor the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) threaten people in this manner. The caller was impersonating a tough cop to scare me into taking action without thinking.
This type of fraud, known as the CRA Income Tax Scam, was the #1 scam in Canada last year, as reported by the Better Business Bureau, with almost $3 million bilked from victims who fell for it.
It usually happens in one of two ways. A phone call or email:
demands immediate payment of outstanding taxes by using a money-wiring service, or a pre-paid credit/debit card
informs you that you are eligible for a tax refund, but to claim it you must provide personal information over the phone or to a website (a phony site that looks like the Canada Revenue Agency site).
Protect Yourself from Phone or Email Fraud
Don’t feel pressured by callers. Take the time to check with the Canada Revenue Agency before responding to demands for money or personal information.
Go directly to the CRA website to verify if you owe taxes or have a refund pending. Never follow the links or call the phone number suggested by the person contacting you.
If you’ve actually been victimized by fraud, report it to the RCMP.
The Better Business Bureau also accepts reports about frauds and scams through their Scam Tracker program.
Be Aware of Emerging New Scams
White collar criminals are constantly thinking up devious new schemes to steal your money. Keep on top of these trends by visiting the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre regularly.
Take a look at the National Top Ten Scams of 2015 as reported by the Canadian Better Business Bureau.
Spread the word to family and friends to prevent them from becoming a victim.
I went on a back country snowmobile trip with friends this weekend.
Although safety is always top of mind when we are sledding deep in the woods far from help, sometimes things go wrong.
A slip off the trail resulted in one of our sleds overturning into the bottom of a fast-flowing, icy creek. Ouch!
Fortunately, no one was hurt but it took us two hours to get the sled out of the creek and back onto the trail. By then, it was dark and we were shivering from the cold.
The incident was a harsh reminder about safety when snowmobiling:
Know your equipment
Know where you are going
Never snowmobile alone
Be prepared for mishaps — carry a first aid kit, fire-making materials, strong rope, emergency food and water
All’s well that ends well. We made it home safely, albeit soggy and weary from our sled-venture.
Snowmobiling is an awesome outdoor winter sport. With a few safety precautions, a good snowmobile and a ready kit of emergency supplies, you can enjoy an unforgettable day in the Canadian woods.
Don’t let kids eat any candy or other treats until you or another adult has checked it.
Please take a moment today to remember people you know who have been hurt or killed in the workplace.
Today is the Earth’s birthday, and a time to celebrate this big, beautiful rock we live on.
Lakes and ponds are thawing rapidly, leaving dangerously thin ice.
If you or someone near you experiences an injury with a potential concussion, the concussed person should stop the activity they were doing and be diagnosed by a medical physician as soon as possible.
The decision when to remove your winter tires can be a dilemma.
If you’ve already switched out your winter tires when a late season storm covers roads with snow or ice:
I had a disturbing message left on my voicemail recently. It was from a man claiming to be an RCMP officer calling on behalf of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
I went on a back country snowmobile trip with friends this weekend.
