16 July 2012 (Toronto) – Canada’s leading injury prevention organizations – Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst – are pleased to announce their transformation into a new national organization with equal voice across Canada whose vision is to be the strategic injury prevention partner for families, communities, the health sector, researchers, governments and business.

The Federal and various provincial governments, as well as leading Canadian companies, have expressed support for the new organization, recognizing the prospect that it represents in terms of strengthened voice, sustainable programs, and national reach for injury prevention awareness and expertise relevant to all Canadians. The mandate for Parachute – Leaders in injury prevention will encompass all ages as well as intentional and unintentional injuries.

The name “Parachute” was chosen as something immediately recognizable as a crucial, evidence-based solution to an urgent, life-threatening situation. The amalgamated organization will not only bring enhanced strength and efficiencies to injury prevention advocacy and programming in Canada, it will create a more concentrated and penetrating response to what continues to be an urgent need.

Injury as an aspect of human health is a matter of concern to Canadians. Each year in Canada predictable and preventable injuries result in:

  • More than 13,000 deaths, 200,000 hospital stays, 3,000,000 visits to emergency rooms, 60,000 disabilities, with 5,000 of the disabilities total.
  • Canada ranking 18th out of 23 OECD countries in terms of injury mortality for children and youth.
  • A total economic burden of more than $19.8 billion – more than $10 billion in health care costs alone.

Additional benefits to a new national injury prevention organization include focused efforts for the translation of research into practice and a concentration of injury prevention expertise within the staff component of Parachute. The single organization will help streamline operations for a better ROI of the cumulative donations that used to be consumed across the administrations of a number of organizations. The opportunities for national- level partnerships and cumulative brand-affiliation is also expected to increase.

Louise Logan, who is presently concluding her work as the inaugural President & CEO of the Public Services Health & Safety Association, has been named as the first President & CEO of Parachute, bringing with her deep and broad experience relevant to the sector. She has also held executive positions with WorkSafeBC and has a track record of significant accomplishments in the field. Louise will officially join the organization in September.

The amalgamation process:

  • Over the past couple of years there has been discussion among Canada’s leaders in the injury prevention sector – namely, Safe Kids Canada, Safe Communities Canada, SMARTRISK, and ThinkFirst Canada – toward consolidation to achieve greater impact in awareness, advocacy and action.
  • This began in 2009 when the leaders of the four organizations sat down to explore ways to work more formally together.
  • This was followed up with a national consultation that resulted in the One Voice, Safer Canada report released in June 2010.
  • From September 2010 the four organizations have investigated various ways in which an amalgamation might be structured.
  • Ultimately it was confirmed that the best course of action would be to create a new organization with a new brand that combines the best of all four key players, and is designed to meet future challenges and need.
  • The majority of Parachute’s staff has been enlisted from the four founding organizations, preserving history and maintaining continuity and valuable expertise.
  • From a public perspective, it’s business as usual, with contacts and websites remaining as they are in the short term. Phone calls, e-mails and urls will gradually be re-directed as Parachute becomes fully operational.
  • The brands of the four merged organizations will not disappear immediately. Because of their name recognition and previous commitments to sponsors, programs run under the auspices of the founding organizations will, for the time being, continue to be known by their existing brands.

Among many others, programs encapsulated under Parachute – Leaders in injury prevention, include:

  • Safe Kids Week
  • TD ThinkFirst for Kids
  • Is it worth it?
  • Passport to Safety
  • ThinkFirst SMART HOCKEY
  • Walk This Way
  • Brain Day
  • No Regrets
  • Safe Communities Day

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For more information:

Interviews regarding Parachute – Leaders in injury prevention, and the injury prevention sector in Canada are available by contacting:

Kathy Blair
Coordinator, Media Relations & Communications,
Parachute
kblair@parachutecanada.org
T: 647-776-5125

Kelly Mills
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Parachute
kmills@parachutecanada.org
T: 647-776-5117

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