Retire Your Ride proves to be a breath of fresh air

Canada's National Vehicle Recycling Program encourages Canadians to choose more sustainable forms of transportation


TORONTO, March 29, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - According to new research, one in five participants of Canada's Retire Your Ride program will not replace their retired car with another vehicle. Instead, they plan to use more sustainable transportation alternatives, such as taking public transit, carpooling or riding a bicycle.

"The goal of Retire Your Ride is to improve air quality by rewarding Canadians for retiring their older, higher polluting vehicles," said Carla Kearns, national program director at Summerhill Impact (formerly Clean Air Foundation), who is the national delivery agent for Retire Your Ride. "We are extremely proud that the program is also encouraging Canadians to change their transportation behaviour and choose more sustainable options."

The study of 1,000 Retire Your Ride participants, which was conducted in January, revealed that more than half of participants said the program encouraged them to get rid of their vehicle earlier than planned. Additionally, of the one in five participants that decided not to replace their vehicles:

- 46 per cent will take public transit

- 35 per cent will use another household vehicle

- 24 per cent will bicycle

- 11 per cent will carpool

- 11 per cent will walk more often


Of the participants who will replace their vehicle with another car, 70 per cent said they will purchase a vehicle of model year 2004 or newer. As vehicles 1995 and older emit 19 times more smog-forming emissions than 2004 and newer vehicles, this will significantly reduce smog-forming emissions.

"Retire Your Ride is encouraging people to take action and help improve the air quality in Canada," said Kearns. "The program appeals not only to Canadians' environmental conscience, but provides economic benefit as well."

According to the same study, 73 per cent of participants retired their car due to economic or environmental reasons. Regardless of the reason for participation, in the first year, Retire Your Ride has exceeded the objectives set out by Summerhill Impact and the Government of Canada. Retire Your Ride is successfully engaging Canadians to participate and is rewarding them for their environmentally conscious efforts.

As of March 2010, more than 56,000 vehicles have been responsibly recycled through the program, with 11,200 applications pending, reducing smog-forming emissions by 2,500 tonnes.

The Government of Canada has committed up to $92 million to the Retire Your Ride program to help Canadians recycle their older, higher polluting vehicles and to encourage them to shift to sustainable transportation choices, leading to reduced air pollution. The program, which runs until March 31, 2011, offers participants incentives such as transit passes, car sharing program discounts, $300 cash, or a manufacturer supported rebate on the purchase of a new vehicle.

The Retire Your Ride network of delivery partners includes the following: Scrap-it in British Columbia; Climate Change Central in Alberta; Saskatchewan Environmental Society in Saskatchewan; Manitoba Lung Association in Manitoba; Summerhill Impact in Ontario, Association Québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique (AQLPA) in Quebec; the New Brunswick Lung Association in New Brunswick; the Prince Edward Island Lung Association (in collaboration with New Brunswick Lung Association) in Prince Edward Island; Clean Nova Scotia in Nova Scotia; Newfoundland and Labrador Lung Association in Newfoundland and Labrador.

About Retire Your Ride - retireyourride.ca

Retire Your Ride is a national program designed to effectively and efficiently retire 1995 model year or older vehicles in an environmentally responsible manner, in an effort to improve air quality and encourage the use of sustainable transportation. The Retire Your Ride program is delivered nationally by Summerhill Impact, funded by the Government of Canada and supported by a network of experienced regional delivery agents across the country, as well as a national network of automotive recyclers.

The Military Museums launches The Navy: A Century in Art

a 1916 photo of the Battleship "HMS Canada"

CALGARY, March 25, 2010 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - A new travelling exhibition by the Canadian War Museum had its national premiere earlier today at Calgary's Military Museums.

The Navy: A Century in Art marks the centennial of the founding of the Canadian Navy. It features a selection of paintings from many of Canada's leading war artists, and demonstrates how geography, history and war have shaped the Navy through its first century of service. The works in this exhibition are drawn mainly from the War Museum's Beaverbrook Collection of War Art. They capture the diverse roles, traditions and activities of this national institution.

The exhibition opens to the public on March 27, and closes on June 20, 2010.

"We are excited that the Canadian War Museum has partnered with The Military Museums in this prestigious exhibition," said Tom Doucette, Executive Director of The Military Museums. "We look proudly upon the Canadian Navy and its 100 years of service."

"This exhibition is a testament to the important and diverse roles fulfilled by the Canadian Navy over the past century," said Mark O'Neill, Director General of the Canadian War Museum. "It is a privilege for us to be able to share treasures from our collections with Canadians across the country."

Some of Canada's finest artists have captured the Canadian naval experience in times of war and peace - from dramatic depictions of the Battle of the Atlantic to intimate portraits of life at sea and ashore. Their works show us the human face of this experience, while helping to illuminate the important role that the Navy has played in Canadian history for the past 100 years. This exhibition will feature paintings from both official and unofficial war artists, including Arthur Lismer, Alex Colville, Harold Beament, Donald C. Mackay, Anthony Law, Ted Zuber and Pegi Nicol MacLeod.

A selection of high resolution images of artwork from the exhibition can be found online on the Canadian War Museum's media site at http://media.civilization.ca/2003/CWM_2e.htm

About The Military Museums

The Military Museums (TMM) contains seven of 68 accredited Canadian Forces museums. TMM's recent $18.5 million capital expansion and renovation has seen the facility grow from 52,000 sq ft to 107,000 sq ft. The expanded facility is now tri-service and includes the following organizations:

- Naval Museum of Alberta
- Army Museum of Alberta
- Air Force Museum of Alberta
- Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Museum
- Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry Museum and Archives
- The King's Own Calgary Regiment (Royal Canadian Armoured Corps)
Museum
- The Calgary Highlanders Regimental Museum and Archives
- The University of Calgary Military Museums Library and Archives


The Military Museums is dedicated to representing Canada's navy, army, and air force and to educate the public about Canada's military.

www.themilitarymuseums.ca

About the Canadian War Museum

The Canadian War Museum is the national Museum of military history. It attempts to help all Canadians to better understand their country's military history in its personal, national and international dimensions. The Museum emphasizes the human experience of war to explain the impact of organized human conflict on Canada and Canadians, and how - through war, conflict and peace support operations - Canadians have affected, and been affected by, the world around them. Special exhibitions and programs also explore non-Canadian and general themes related to the human experience of war and the subject of armed conflict, past and present.


www.warmuseum.ca

Nearly two-thirds of seniors using five or more types of prescription drugs

Drugs to treat cardiovascular conditions top the list in both use and cost for public drug programs


OTTAWA, March 18, 2010 /Canada NewsWire Telbec/ - Almost two-thirds (62%) of Canadians age 65 and older living in the community in six provinces are using five or more classes of prescription drugs, according to a study released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

The study, Drug Use Among Seniors on Public Drug Programs in Canada, 2002 to 2008, examined public drug claims for more than one million Canadian seniors in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island. The study found that in 2008, slightly more than one in five (21%) of these seniors were using 10 or more types of prescription drugs, and just more than 1 in 20 (6%) were using 15 or more different classes of drugs.

"Public-sector spending on prescribed drugs in Canada reached an estimated $11.4 billion in 2009, and we know that seniors account for a large portion of these expenditures," says Jean-Marie Berthelot, Vice President, Programs, CIHI. "With the aging of Canada's population, it is important to understand which drugs are being used most often by seniors and which account for the highest proportions of public drug program expenditure. This information helps to inform decisions about the future planning and delivery of public drug programs."

Older seniors were more likely to be multiple-drug users, with about one-third (29%) of seniors age 85 and older submitting claims for 10 or more types of drugs in 2008, compared to fewer than one in five (17%) seniors age 65 to 74.


Drugs for treatment of chronic illnesses most commonly used


CIHI's study shows a number of the most commonly used drug classes are for the treatment of chronic conditions in general, and cardiovascular conditions in particular, such as high blood pressure and heart failure. Examples of these drug classes include ACE inhibitors (for example, ramipril), beta blocking agents (for example, metoprolol), dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers (for example, amlodipine) and thiazide diuretics (for example, hydrochlorothiazide).

Statins (for example, atorvastatin), used to treat high cholesterol, were the most commonly used drug class among seniors younger than 85, with two out of five (40%) seniors age 65 to 84 using them. Statin use dropped in seniors age 85 and older, to about one in four (24%). ACE inhibitors, used to treat heart failure and high blood pressure, were the most commonly used among those 85 and older, used by almost one-third (32%) of these seniors. Proton pump inhibitors (for example, omeprazole), used to treat acid reflux disease, were another frequently used drug class.

"The prevalence of many chronic diseases increases with age, which may be contributing to the high number of drugs used by seniors," says Dr. Angela Juby, Associate Professor, Division of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Alberta. "Drug numbers per se are not as important as drug appropriateness. We know some chronic diseases, such as osteoporosis, are being under-treated. Therapy with multiple drugs is necessary to effectively manage chronic conditions; however, it is most important to consider the potential risks, including adverse effects and interactions between drugs or between drugs and diseases."

Top 10 drugs account for half of public program spending on seniors


The top 10 drug classes, in terms of drug program spending, accounted for almost half (48%) of public drug spending on seniors in the six provinces studied.

Public drug program expenditures were highest for statins, which accounted for 14% of total program spending on seniors. Proton pump inhibitors, used for acid reflux disease, accounted for the second-highest share, at 7% of total spending, followed by dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers, used for high blood pressure, which also accounted for 7% of total spending.

The drug class that experienced the fastest spending growth over the study period was tumour necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (anti-TNF drugs, such as etanercept), which treat conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn's disease. Total drug spending on this class of drugs increased by an average of 58% annually from 2002 to 2008, and accounted for 2% of total program spending on seniors in 2008. The study also found that four of the fastest growing drug classes are used to treat cardiovascular conditions and two are used to treat chronic lung conditions like emphysema and chronic bronchitis.


About CIHI


The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) collects and analyzes information on health and health care in Canada and makes it publicly available. Canada's federal, provincial and territorial governments created CIHI as a not-for-profit, independent organization dedicated to forging a common approach to Canadian health information. CIHI's goal: to provide timely, accurate and comparable information. CIHI's data and reports inform health policies, support the effective delivery of health services and raise awareness among Canadians of the factors that contribute to good health.

Pills or Pot Roast: More Canadians having to choose between personal and financial health

McGuinty government huge opportunity to bridge growing gulf


TORONTO, March 12, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canadians are increasingly being forced to choose between their personal health and their financial future, according to a study released today by the Canadian Council for Integrated Healthcare (CCIH).

The study, entitled: 'I'll just take my medication every other day...,' looked at the patchwork of provincial legislation across Canada. It found the combination of rising drug costs (estimated to have risen 589 per cent from 1985 to 2007) and the recent recession has left many Canadians' financial and physical health at odds. The study cites the fact that one in 12 Canadians say they have not taken necessary medication because of cost.

"The Dalton McGuinty government has the opportunity to help bridge this growing gap through its current review of the Ontario Drug and Benefit Act," says Caroline Brereton, a member of CCIH, an independent healthcare think-tank. "In the face of spiralling drug costs, Premier McGuinty has the chance to improve access to affordable drugs as a basic component of Ontarians health care."

Canadians spent $25 billion on drugs in 2008. After hospitals, it's the most expensive health care cost. As the Ontario Government undertakes a review of the Ontario Drug and Benefit Act (formerly Bill 102), the CCIH is urging the McGuinty Government to deliver a universal plan that:

- Provides incentives or funding to ensure every Ontarian has access to basic coverage for essential drugs to ensure the costs do not exceed 5 per cent of a person's net income.

- Enforces a ceiling or maximum on what any patient must pay for prescription drugs.

- Increases accountability by developing a more transparent process for decision making on why certain drugs or populations are, or are not, eligible for funding.

"The CCIH and the health care community have been calling for universal standards and catastrophic drug coverage for years," said Brereton. "To date, the McGuinty government's public comments suggest catastrophic drug coverage will not be part of its current reform. We believe this is a mistake. Poor access to necessary drugs only pushes up overall health costs through increased emergency room visits and other costly interventions."

The study found some positive elements in the current Quebec system. Adopted in 1997, the Quebec plan provides basic coverage and universal access to prescription drugs. It's a mixed system involving private and public insurance plans, where citizens pay a fee similar to Employment Insurance, but where children, the unemployed or residents over 65 do not have to pay a fee.

"For a growing number of Canadians, an illness is not just personally devastating, but financially as well. By pooling the risk as they do in Quebec, citizens are able to get the medication they need and not worry about whether they can pay their mortgage," says Brereton. "Quebec and Ontario have a history of working together. By adopting similar systems of universal access we'd eliminate the postal code lottery and begin to build the heath care system Canadians truly deserve."

The CCIH study can be found here: www.ccih.ca/e/working_papers.htm


The Canadian Council on Integrated Healthcare (CCIH) is a national, independent think-tank. Our mandate is to influence and be a catalyst for change, while building bridges between sectors in the health care system. Founded in 1997 our membership includes key opinion leaders from private health sector, consumers and health professionals.

New Ivey Eye Institute officially opens at St. Joseph's Hospital

LONDON, Ontario, March 3, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today, hospital officials, staff, community members, fundraising volunteers and health care partners were on hand to celebrate the opening of the Ivey Eye Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital in London. The new space was completed on time and on budget, and is more than double the space previously occupied by city-wide ophthalmology.

As part of a multi-phase health care restructuring project in London, the Ivey Eye Institute - previously located on two sites: St. Joseph's and London Health Sciences Centre's Victoria Hospital - is now consolidated on the first floor of St. Joseph's Hospital. In preparation for this consolidation, 54,000 square feet of space has been renovated to create state-of-the art space specially designed for all aspects ophthalmologic care.

This second phase of the project provided an economic boost to London and the surrounding communities. At the peak of construction, more than 100 workers were on site daily at St. Joseph's Hospital.

The opening of the Ivey Eye Institute further solidifies St. Joseph's Hospital as a provincial leader in ambulatory care.

The new space for the Institute is bright, modern and offers many improvements. The Institute sees approximately 300 patients a day and is laid out in pods of subspecialties: retina, paediatric, general/ocular plastics, cornea/anterior segment, optometry low vision, glaucoma and ophthalmic diagnostics. Having all subspecialties located in one area will enhance the level of care and accessibility for patients.

The cost of the contract between EllisDon and St. Joseph's Health Care, London to build and finance this phase of renovations at St. Joseph's Hospital is $49.2 million. The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care will pay for 90 per cent of eligible construction costs.

St. Joseph's Health Care Foundation played a significant role in providing funding for this project. Individuals and major organizations from the across the region embraced the concept of the new Institute and have donated more than $2 million for new space and important diagnostic and front line equipment used in the delivery of care.

The Foundation thanked the thousands of donors who contributed to the Institute and recognized major supporters including the Bank of Montreal for their support of the renovation of a much needed conference room space in the new clinic.

Infrastructure Ontario and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care are working with St. Joseph's Health Care, London to redevelop the hospital, which will remain publicly owned, publicly controlled and publicly accountable. Infrastructure Ontario is a Crown corporation dedicated to managing some of the province's larger and more complex infrastructure renewal projects - ensuring they are built on time and on budget.

Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.