CCSN staff, members of CCSN’s Board of Directors and cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers visited Ottawa City Hall on June 4, 2024 for a ceremony during which Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe presented CCSN with a proclamation recognizing National Cancer Survivors Day. The proclamation stated:
“Whereas a cancer survivor is defined as anyone living with a history of cancer, from the moment of diagnosis through the remainder of their life, and since of 239,100 new cancer cases will be diagnoses in Canada this year, increased access to quality cancer care, screening and prevention must be a top priority in our community, and the great city of Ottawa has an active and productive cancer survivor population, and hundreds of communities worldwide will be celebrating life this week, I, Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of the City of Ottawa, do hereby proclaim June 2nd 2024 National Cancer Survivors Day in Ottawa, and urge citizens to join un this joyous celebration of life.”
Attending were CCSN’s President & CEO Jackie Manthorne, Community Engagement Manager Lindsay Timm, Communications Manager Trevor Smith-Millar, Public Policy Analyst Nir Hagigi, and Translator Clara Stephenne. Joining them were new staff members, including Raphaelle Ghanem and Muna Derie (Web Communications Managers), Kegie Moreau (Translator), and Cameron McGahan (Fundraiser).
CCSN’s team was joined by board members Alexandre Chevrette, Claude Richer and Richard Vroom, who is a brain cancer survivor, and his wife and caregiver, Neilda Hayes. Breast cancer survivor Pamela Cooper also took part in the ceremony, as well as Al Carl, Chair of Prostate Cancer Support Ottawa.
CEO and President Jackie Manthorne presented CCSN’s Cancer Can’t Wait reports to the Mayor, which highlights the disruption of cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Manthorne stressed that CCSN’s priority in 2024 is to ensure that the continuation of cancer care is added to emergency preparedness plans across all levels of government, and urged the Mayor to ensure that Ottawa’s emergency preparedness plan includes this so that cancer care continues during future pandemics and natural disasters. “Cancer Can’t Wait, and during the pandemic, cancer didn’t wait.”
After Manthorne’s remarks, Mayor Sutcliffe offered some of his own. “Like so many families, mine has been touched by cancer, and I have done a lot of fundraising for cancer research in my time as a marathon runner and a radio host, so I really appreciate what your group is doing.”
To see a full video of the ceremony, click HERE.