Dairy Farmers of Canada is a big winner at the International Milk Promotions Awards

MONTREAL, October 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) is pleased to announce it has received several awards at the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit held in Parma, Italy from October 17th to the 19th. DFC's marketing and nutrition teams won several awards for various projects at this year's 2011 Dairy Innovation Awards.

This year's awards have attracted more than 100 entries from 25 countries in 14 categories, ranging from products, to packaging, marketing and environmental sustainability.

"The campaigns developed from producer investment in dairy category growth and image was recognized on the international stage, particularly in the area of nutrition and nutrient density of dairy foods," says Ian MacDonald, national director, marketing & nutrition at DFC. "We accept these awards from the International Dairy Foundation with honour and pride."

DFC won in the Best Health Education or Nutri-Marketing Initiative category for its Power4Bones nutrition program. Power4Bones is a free, cross-curricular program for elementary students, which is based on multiple learning styles and helps teachers meet curriculum expectations in a variety of subjects, such as Health and Physical Education and Language, including Media Literacy.

"We've come to expect excellent work from Dairy Farmers of Canada over the years, and Power4Bones is a great example of clear education in the essential, natural bone-building benefits of dairy, catching students at just the right age with clear, interesting and excitingly presented materials," says chair of the judging panel, FoodBev Media Group editorial director, Bill Bruce. "Its success is also down to making the kit work just as well for teachers too - always a challenge, and in this case, brilliantly achieved."

Also in the nutrition category, DFC was named a finalist in the Best Health Education or Nutria-Marketing Initiative category with its Get Enough campaign. The Get Enough campaign encourages consumers to get the recommended servings of Milk and Alternatives according to Canada's Food Guide.

DFC was a finalist in the Best Print Marketing, Store Promotion or POS category with the Get a Load of Milk (GALOM) campaign for its participation at the MuchMusicVideo Awards last June. GALOM encourages teenagers to drink milk and engages them in many activities through the web, social media, contests and music to get the milk message out to teens in a 'cool' way.

Finally, DFC has been highly commended by the judging panel for its 2011 Canadian Cheese Grand Prix promotion in the Best Print Marketing, Store Promotion or POS category. The Canadian Cheese Grand Prix competition is held every two years and rewards Canadian cheese makers from across the country for excellence in innovation and quality of their products. Winners enjoy the right to use Grand Prix promotional tools, including displaying the Grand Prix logo on their products and benefit from the attention generated by the competition.

The Fédération des Producteurs de lait du Québec (FPLQ) also won big at this year's IDF Dairy Innovation Awards with three different dairy products. The FPLQ won as a finalist in the Best Consumer TV/Cinema Advertisement or Social Networking Marketing category for its Milk campaign and were highly commended in the same category for their Cheese campaign. The FPLQ was also a finalist in the Best Print Marketing, Store Promotion or POS category with its Cream campaign, and a finalist in the Best Generic Dairy Marketing category with Cream too.

About Dairy Farmers of Canada

Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) promotes the wholesome goodness of dairy products as part of a healthy, balanced diet and encourages good nutrition for all Canadians. DFC is completely funded by dairy producers.

About the International Dairy Federation

Founded in 1903, the International Dairy Federation (IDF) represents the dairy sector worldwide by providing the best global source of scientific expertise and knowledge in support of the development and promotion of quality milk and dairy products to deliver consumers with nutrition, health and well-being. IDF is represented in 57 countries and membership is growing: IDF accounts for approximately 85% of the world's milk production at present. IDF aims to identify, elaborate and disseminate best practice at international level in order to guide the dairy sector and to harmonize members' work on a variety of issues along the dairy production chain including animal health and welfare, protection of the environment, nutrition, food safety and hygiene and food standards.

OPP says now is the time to get ready for winter driving

AURORA, Ontario, October 26, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Every year, the first snow fall comes before many Ontarians are ready for it and according to the OPP, it is wise to keep one step ahead of it by getting ready for winter driving conditions on Ontario roads and highways.

"Ontario winters make for some of the most dangerous driving conditions in Canada. Over and above getting your vehicle ready, it's important for Ontarians to adopt a new mindset that defensive, responsible driving during the winter months is more crucial than any other time of year in reducing fatalities and serious injuries". - Chief Superintendent Don Bell, Commander, Highway Safety Division.

Preparing yourself and your vehicle for the harsh winter weather ahead can go a long way in reducing collisions - something the OPP sees far too many of every winter.

Getting Your Vehicle Ready:

...Install four winter-rated tires before the first snowfall.

...Have an ice scraper or snow brush in your vehicle to keep your windows, signals and lights clear.

...Top up your windshield washer reservoir and keep an extra one handy.

...Keep your fuel tank at least ½ full so you don't run out of gas should you become stranded and to prevent condensation from forming in your gas tank.

...Keep a fully stocked emergency kit in your vehicle.
* Have your vehicle serviced to avoid preventable breakdowns.

Adjusting your driving habits:

...Drivers must SLOW DOWN! - Speed too fast for road conditions is the #1 cause of winter collisions.

...Drive according to the road and weather conditions.

...Leave extra spaces between vehicles - Stopping distances are at least doubled on snowy roads and even longer in icy conditions.

...Know where you are - If you require help in an emergency it will delay the arrival of emergency responders if you don't know your location when asked.

...Monitor road and weather conditions - Plan your trip and check local weather conditions before heading out.

...Check the Ministry of Transportation website prior to heading out on any trip during the winter - Please do not call 9-1-1 or the OPP for road reports); instead log onto: www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/traveller/conditions

"Most of the collisions we see during winter are preventable, yet far too many people blame these collisions on poor driving conditions. If all motorists got into the habit of adjusting their driving to the conditions at hand, there would be far fewer collisions on our roads and highways". - Deputy Commissioner Larry Beechey, Provincial Commander, Traffic Safety and Operational Support.

LEARN MORE

Winter Driving - Be Prepared, Be Safe!

Transport Canada - Winter Driving Tips

Transportation Health & Safety Association of Ontario

Lift-Off For Rural 4G Broadband! Proton Rocket Carrying New 4G Broadband Satellite Successfully Launched

"The Proton rocket containing ViaSat-1 on the launch pad at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Oct 18 2011. Courtesy ILS International Launch Services, Inc. (CNW Group/Xplornet Communications Inc.)"

MARKHAM, Ontario, October 20, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Xplornet Communications Inc. is delighted to announce the successful launch of ViaSat-1, North America's first 4G broadband satellite. The satellite was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and will be stationed in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of 35,786 km.

A game-changer in terms of ubiquitous broadband access in Canada, ViaSat-1 will allow for previously unavailable speed and bandwidth economics, and will provide rural and remote Canadians a broadband connection that is truly fast and affordable. Together with the planned launch of a second, similar 4G satellite in 2012 and with its national fixed-wireless 4G network, Xplornet will effectively end Canada's urban/rural digital-divide, once and for all.

"We recognized that satellite broadband needed to be faster and more affordable. With this new 4G satellite service, Xplornet will offer satellite broadband service that is both" said John Maduri, Xplornet's Chief Executive Officer.

ViaSat-1 will support customer download speeds of up to 25 Mbps, with more capacity than all current North American broadband satellites combined. Xplornet Communications Inc., Canada's leading provider of rural broadband, has purchased 100% of the Canadian Ka-band capacity on the satellite, entirely for rural broadband use. Xplornet expects the satellite service to be available to Canadians late this year.

"Video: Lift-Off For Rural 4G Broadband: Proton Rocket Carrying New 4G Broadband Satellite Successfully Launched".

"This is an historic launch. The technology is revolutionary. Our investment of hundreds of millions in rural broadband infrastructure is unprecedented. And Canada is now joining a group of other regions, like the UK, the US, and Europe, that have endorsed 4G satellite broadband as the solution for ensuring 100% access to affordable broadband." said Maduri.

"Most important though, is the impact this satellite is going to have on people. I am proud to say that Xplornet has done what no other Canadian company could do, and what some people said that private industry would never do: make fast, affordable broadband available everywhere in Canada. By 2012, every Canadian will be able to experience the transformative benefits of broadband." concluded Maduri.

Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. (formerly Barrett Xplore Inc.) is Canada's leading rural broadband provider, with customers and dealers in every province and territory. Xplornet aims to eliminate the urban/rural digital divide by ensuring that every Canadian, regardless of where they live, has access to broadband, thereby enabling them to compete effectively in the global economy and gain access to essential government and educational services.

Margaret Atwood's New Book is Made of Straw Paper

Photo: canopy

from TreeHugger.com
by Bonnie Alter, London



The book, In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination, is the story of her relationship with science fiction and brings together three unpublished lectures on this theme.

It will be printed on "Second Harvest" paper. This is paper made from the leftover straw "after the grain harvest and all other uses, such as animal bedding and maintaining soil integrity, are accounted for." It is made without any harm to forests (or food) and contains only straw leftover after the grain harvest and recycled paper fibre. The straw would otherwise be burnt, causing significant air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The paper used in the book will be made of 36 per cent straw and 64 per cent recycled wood pulp.

Published by a Vancouver-based, Canadian company, Canopy, an environmental non-profit and forest advocacy group, they want to diversify how North American paper is made in order to reduce the stress on endangered forests. They say that "there is enough leftover straw in North America to keep up to 800 million trees standing every year and Canopy has already identified customer demand to keep four pulp mills running full time. Shifting paper production from our endangered forests to our fields would yield a new resource sector with benefits to farming communities, our economy, and forest ecosystems around the world."

Margaret Atwood is a fervent environmentalist. Years ago she invented the Long Pen. It saves authors from flying around the world for book signings by using a pen that is an internet-connected pantograph. The reader gets words with the author, a personalized note, and for a small fee, donated to charity, a copy of the video. It hasn't ended up changing the world, but was a good try.

She was keen to publish her book on Second Harvest paper because of its environmental qualities. She said:

"I joined Canopy in this trial to show that we can meet our paper needs using low-footprint straw instead of relying on endangered forests. Second Harvest Paper is the kind of practical innovation that could make paper from endangered forests ancient history. These pages were produced without any harmful impact on forests and their fragile ecosystems. Human beings need oxygen, and forests produce it; printed books require paper, but paper need not be made from virgin forests. This is an elegant solution to a pressing problem."

It's the first book to be printed on straw paper in North America but it ain't cheap. Each book in the limited run of 300, signed by the author, will cost $100. It sounds like a lot but part of that is a fundraiser to support Canopy's ongoing efforts to make their work a commercial reality within the next 2-3 years In a little straw (!) poll, 67% said they wouldn't pay that much for her book. Although one fan wrote "I would pay $100.00 for a signed first edition by Margaret Atwood if it was printed on a blackboard!"

For those unwilling to shell out that much, the main run of Atwood's book will be printed on 100% post-consumer recycled paper as part of an environmental initiative developed with Canopy ten years ago.

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TD Friends of the Environment Foundation shells outs $30,000 grant for endangered turtles

Funding will provide critical support to Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre

TORONTO, October 12, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Responding to a dire need for resources to treat injured and endangered turtles in Ontario, where seven out of eight turtle species are now at risk, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF) has donated $30,000 to Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre. As Ontario's only dedicated turtle veterinary hospital, the centre has a growing number of turtles to support with increasingly limited resources.

"TD Friends of the Environment Foundation has supported our work to save turtles for many years now, through both grants and volunteers, said Dr. Sue Carstairs, Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre's medical director. "This $30,000 donation is a huge boost at a time when Ontario turtles need support if they are to survive and thrive."

In this record breaking year alone, the centre admitted more than 500 turtles and saved more than 1,000 turtle eggs. Female turtles are routinely run over by vehicles as they cross busy roads to reach their nesting sites. As a result, monthly costs for the centre have risen to $10,000 per month, which pays for antibiotics, veterinary supplies and equipment, x-rays and maintenance of the space. TD FEF's $30,000 grant will help the centre with its expenses through to the end of the year and allow staff and volunteers to focus on long-term strategic planning.

"It's amazing to consider that the turtles hatching today may live anywhere from 15 to 100 years. Helping Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre is part of TD FEF's long-term vision of supporting communities with their environmental, conservation, and preservation causes. I hope that the Foundation's support will encourage conservation-minded citizens to support Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre's important work," said Mary Desjardins, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation's executive director.

Individuals or organizations interested in supporting Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre can donate money online through Canadahelps.org (# 857524409RR0001), by cheque or by throwing their own fundraiser (www.kawarthaturtle.org).

About Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre:

The Kawartha Turtle Trauma Centre is a non-profit, registered charity that operates a hospital for injured wild turtles. Once healed these turtles are released back into their natural habitat. KTTC also provides an outreach program to promote healthy turtle populations and stewardship. The Centre opened in 2002 and is located in Peterborough, Ontario. Visit www.kawarthaturtle.org for more information.

Since 1990, TD FEF has provided more than $55 million in funding to more than 20,000 grassroots environment and wildlife projects across Canada. In 2010, TD FEF provided more than $3.5 million in support of 970 projects. Thousands of donors give to TD FEF on a monthly basis and TD Bank Group contributes in excess of $1 million annually. TD also covers the management costs of running TD FEF, which guarantees 100 per cent of every dollar donated goes directly to funding environment and wildlife projects in the community where the donation was made. For more information on how to donate and get involved in your community, visit www.tdfef.com.

From barnyard to black tie The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair has it all

- Now in its 89th year, the world's largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show returns, November 4th - 13th -

TORONTO, October 13, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Dust off your cowboy boots and get ready to experience the magic of the fair as The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair gallops into town this November. Introducing country to the city, the spectacular sights and sounds of thousands of horses and livestock animals, combined with the thrill of international competition - from equestrian to agriculture innovation - will no doubt wow fairgoers.

Running from Friday, November 4th to Sunday, November 13th, 2011, at Exhibition Place in Toronto, The Royal is the world's largest combined indoor agricultural and equestrian show. Originally started in 1922 by a group of farmers as a way to meet and catch-up on business after the busy fall harvest, The Royal has now expanded to showcase Canada's best in agricultural products and innovations. The Royal's reputation for offering best-in-class competitions was clear from the outset: the prestigious Horse Show drew in the spirited equine community with exciting and engaging shows. Today's Horse Show has expanded its reach to include a more diverse audience base who may never have had the opportunity to watch live horse competitions before.

The 2011 Royal has its best line-up of events ever, featuring celebrity appearances, highly recognized chefs, cowboys, cattle and cocktails.

Committed to local fare, The Royal will host The Annual Celebrity Chef Competition on Friday, November 4th featuring the star of Food Network Canada's Pitchin'In, Chef Lynn Crawford. As culinary curator, Crawford will create a magical dessert alongside The Thirsty Traveler's Kevin Brauch and local chefs Nick Liu (Niagara Street Café) and Howard Dubrovsky (L.A.B.), with a focus on Ontario-grown products.

Trading in blades for belt buckles Toronto Maple Leaf hockey heroes Darcy Tucker, Curtis Joseph, Darryl Sittler and Mark Napier will be in the saddle for a match of Horse Hockey on Saturday, November 5th. Played just like polo, these all-stars will put their sporting skills to the test as they trot alongside world-famous professional polo players Dave Offen and Cliff Sifton.

Proving again that The Royal will reign superior, equestrian legends and Olympic gold medalists Mark Todd and Eric Lamaze will take the reins at this year's Royal Horse Show. The Royal also welcomes special appearances by Ian Millar and internationally acclaimed Charro horseman Jerry Diaz who brings this 17th century Mexican discipline to the ring.

"The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair is not only the city's most unique event - but also the most diverse. The Royal offers experiences that encompass every aspect of our daily life," said Bob Jadavji, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. "From agriculture to entertainment, and everything in between, The Royal has something for everyone."

"Only at The Royal, can you see fairgoers in tuxedos and gowns milling through cattle barns," added Jadavji.

On Sunday, November 6th fairgoers can catch an authentic rodeo, complete with bull riding, bronc riding and barrel racing at The Ontario Toyota Dealers Royal Rodeo. The Royal boasts a nightlife scene that can't be rivalled. From sipping champagne at the posh Tanbark Club to dancing on tables alongside cowboys at the Hitching Ring Café & Bar, The Royal proves that the magic of the fair keeps going, well after the animals hit the hay. Continue to mix and mingle with locals at The Outrageous Bull Pen Saloon, The Royal Brew House, the Bit & Bridle and the Royal Harvest Grill - a high-end restaurant committed to creating a fine-dining atmosphere. Meanwhile, The café Taste Ontario Wine Pavilion provides tutored wine tasting events for new wine drinkers and aficionados alike.

The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair's star attractions

Royal Horse Show

The most prestigious and important indoor equestrian event in North America, The Royal Horse Show always captivates its crowds. This year's show will amaze audiences like never before with the presence of world-famous riders including Eric Lamaze and Mark Todd, competing in Olympic disciplines such as Show Jumping and The Royal's own Indoor Eventing. Set in the impressive Ricoh Coliseum, these horse and rider performances will showcase the best in equestrian sport; combining the thrill of competition with family entertainment in a package not found anywhere else.

Agri-Food Innovation

The Agri-Food Innovation Pavilion is dedicated to educating visitors on the importance of the agriculture and food sectors and how they impact our everyday lives. The pavilion encompasses five components: healthy living, renewable energy, environmental stewardship, agriculturally based bio-products, as well as safe and locally produced food.

Journey to Your Good Health

The Journey to Your Good Health Pavilion boasts an abundant bounty of locally grown food, as well as the latest trends in functional foods. Freshly prepared samples from the Canada Food Guide are served, while registered dietitians are also on-site to answer any questions you may have about the food we eat and how it affects - and benefits - our bodies.

The President's Choice® SuperDogs Show

Drawing huge crowds for every single one of its shows, The President's Choice® SuperDogs Show remains one of The Royal's biggest attractions. From dancing Dalmatians to Frisbee-playing bulldogs, these canines are not to be missed. Several shows take place daily.

Scary Chipotle Short Film on Plight of Farmers

Image: Screenshot

from TreeHugger.com
by Chris Tackett, Little Rock, Arkansas

Mini Spoiler Alert: This new short film/ad/music video from Chipotle, which is based around a group of young boys exploring an abandoned farm house, highlights the ongoing plight of American farmers. But instead of the spookiness of the dark rooms and dusty belongings of the previous inhabitants, what ends up being the scariest thing of all is how close this story hits to home for many Americans. Watch the video and learn more about the project below.



Here's how Chipotle explained the video:

"Abandoned" features a cover of the Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings classic "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" sung by Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and tells the story of three boys who are exploring and vandalizing an abandoned farmhouse. One of the boys eventually comes to the frightening realization that the abandoned home may represent the plight of his own family farm.

This is the second short film to focus on small farms from Chipotle in recent weeks. I wrote about the previous video here, which was a much happier and 100% more animated look at the shift towards factory farms and how we can and should shift back to supporting small farms.

You can view the films and find more information about what Chipotle is doing to help farmers here. Oddly part of the main ask of this campaign is to dictate what people wear for Halloween and sell discounted burritos.

I'm not sure encouraging people to buy Chipotle burritos dressed as farm animals or farmers is the best way to help fix our food system, but I suppose it's much better than having people wrap themselves in aluminum foil - "I'm a burrito, duh!" as Chipotle has done in previous years for Halloween. In any case, like I mentioned in my post on the other short film, while far from perfect, we do like that Chipotle is doing something to bring attention to the needs of small farms. Other corporate food chains would be well-served to follow the lead of Chipotle and support local ingredients and farmers.

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Xplornet Supports Campaign For Rural Spectrum

Open Letter Asks Industry Minister to Allow Rural Providers to Bid for Rural Broadband Spectrum at Auction

WOODSTOCK, New Brunswick, October 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Xplornet Communications Inc., Canada's leading provider of rural broadband services, has co-signed an open letter that calls on the Minister of Industry, Christian Paradis, to change the way spectrum is auctioned.

Rural Internet Service Providers are deeply concerned about the lack of spectrum for rural areas to build out broadband services and to expand the capacity of existing broadband services for rural Canadians. Broadband providers outside of cities use wireless signals to deliver broadband to rural and remote locations. As consumers demand more and more capacity for Internet applications, the need for the capacity that only licensed spectrum delivers is critical and growing.

However, because rural spectrum is sold together with spectrum for Canada's major cities in large geographic blocks, rural ISPs are unable to bid for and buy broadband spectrum. This precious resource ends up largely used in urban areas, even though it is desperately needed in rural.

This should be a deep concern to all Canadians. Demand for broadband capacity is growing exponentially. Without spectrum, rural Canadians could face severe restrictions on service, and a growing divide between the ability of rural and urban Canadians to access internet service. This would severely impede Canada's ability to implement a national digital strategy for all its citizens.

"Our request of the Industry Minister is remarkably simple and easy to affect - just sell urban and rural areas separately. That will allow cellular providers to buy the urban markets they want, will allow rural ISPs to bid for areas of low population density, and will bring more competition to the marketplace," said John Maduri, CEO of Xplornet Communications, "There simply is no downside to this approach - it will bring more bidders to the auction, may increase revenue for the government and will ensure that rural Canadians are not left out of Canada's digital future."

The open letter appears today in the Hill Times and will run for several weeks. It was endorsed by twelve rural ISPs and can be found here.

About Xplornet Communications Inc.

Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. (formerly Barrett Xplore Inc.) is Canada's leading rural broadband provider, with customers and dealers in every province and territory. Xplornet aims to bridge the urban/rural digital divide by ensuring that every Canadian, regardless of where they live, has access to broadband, thereby enabling them to compete effectively in the global economy and gain access to essential government and educational services.

Telestroke the next best thing to being there, study finds

photo credit: Ottawa Heart Institute

Innovative technology improves care and reduces costs

OTTAWA, October 4, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - The use of long-distance video and data hookups to link remote community hospitals with stroke neurologists in large centres provides the same level of care as having everyone in the same room, according to a new study presented today at the Canadian Stroke Congress.

The study found that rural patients examined with the aid of a technology called Telestroke received an important stroke drug, tPA, at the same rate as patients treated in specialized urban centres, says Dr. Thomas Jeerakathil, a neurologist at the University of Alberta Hospital. The drug tPA (tissue plasminogen activator) is used to break up blood clots. It can help reverse stroke damage if administered within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms.

Besides providing better care to remote communities, early projections show that Telestroke resulted in more than $1 million in health-care savings over four years, Dr. Jeerakathil says.

"Telestroke is a way to bring the expert out to the rural centre to provide treatment that wouldn't otherwise be available," Dr. Jeerakathil says. "And there is no delay in treatment despite the time required to set up video conferencing equipment and examine CT scans and blood work."

In the study, an initiative of the Alberta Provincial Stroke Strategy, University of Alberta Hospital neurologists observed the use of Telestroke in 10 primary stroke centres throughout remote parts of Northern Alberta over a four-year period.

During this time, tPA was administered to more than 500 people and, of those, 119 patients were treated with the help of Telestroke. Without access to the technology, these patients would have gone without treatment or been transferred to a bigger hospital and faced delays, says Dr. Jeerakathil.

Effective Telestroke treatment in remote areas contributed to a 50-per-cent decrease in emergency room transfers from rural areas to the University Hospital in Edmonton, says Dr. Jeerakathil. Some remote hospitals reported a decrease in transfers as high as 92 per cent.

"Cost savings are occurring while outcomes are improving and stroke mortality is decreasing in the province," says Dr. Jeerakathil.

Telestroke allows small hospitals to be designated as primary stroke centres with many of the services of a major stroke unit. These primary stroke centres have a small sectioned off area with staff specially trained in stroke care, 24-hour access to a CT scan and the ability to give tPA.

"Telestroke is severely under-utilized in Canada," says Dr. Antoine Hakim, CEO and Scientific Director of the Canadian Stroke Network. "An audit of stroke care in Canada showed that fewer than 1 per cent of stroke patients received a Telestroke consultation. This study undeniably proves that Telestroke saves both lives and money."

"Providing stroke patients fast and seamless access to stroke services regardless of where one lives in Canada will save lives and reduce disability," says Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Michael Hill. "Telestroke is another way that technology allows for an easy, cost-effective way to bridge geographic barriers to smoothly link stroke specialists with communities where on- site stroke care does not exist."

There are about 50,000 new strokes in Canada each year and 315,000 Canadians living with the after-effects of a stroke.

The Canadian Stroke Network (canadianstrokenetwork.ca) is a national research network headquartered at the University of Ottawa. It includes scientists, clinicians and health-policy experts committed to reducing the impact of stroke.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation ( heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.