• Introductory letter expressing why you would like to sit on the Board and what you feel you can contribute to BIAC
• Curriculum vitae
BIAC is looking for particularly for persons with experience in finances, business management, governance, policy, government relations as well as persons involved in the field of acquired brain injury. However, all submissions will be given serious consideration.
Deadline for submission of expressions of interest is September 15, 2010. Those persons selected to nomination to the Board will be asked to attend the Annual General Meeting to be held in Regina, Saskatchewan, on October 1, 2010.
My name is Brad Cownden and I am life-long resident of Victoria. After attending high school at Oak Bay, I became a student at the University of Victoria where I am still enrolled. I have been an active member of my community since a very young age,participating in local sports teams, choirs, community theatre, the arts and by giving back by volunteering my time for fundraisers and coaching young baseball players. Approximately a year and a half ago I created a charity called the brainStormRIDE with my cousin, Carin Cownden, to help provide funding for local and national brain injury support groups. The main focus of our charity is a cross-Canada bicycle journey set to begin June 1st, 2010 from Victoria. I will embark alone on a 7500 km journey from Victoria, B.C. to St. John’s, N.L. to raise money for the Victoria Brain Injury Society (VBIS) and for the Brain Injury Association of Canada (BIAC) while educating the public on brain injury awareness and prevention.
My involvement with the VBIS began in 2000 when my aunt, Connie MacKenzie, was involved in a near-fatal automobile accident that left her with a severe brain injury. Upon returning home to Victoria, my family immediately rallied around her to provide the support and care that she desperately needed. Unfortunately, there are no long-term rehabilitation programs offered through hospital systems and so it fell upon the VBIS, run by a group of dedicated volunteers, to facilitate Connie’s recovery. Although it has been ten years since she received her injury, Connie has not been able to return to her job as a nurse because of the permanent damage to her critical-thinking centres and her inability to deal with high stimulus situations (i.e., an environment with a combination of excessive noise, movement, and multi-tasking). Throughout that time, Connie’s life has been forever changed and has demanded that she relearn even the most basic of tasks to ensure her autonomy. Her recovery has been an incredible battle and has provided the inspiration and direction of the brainStormRIDE.
Due to the hidden nature of brain injuries, many people are not aware that they are currently the leading cause of death for Canadians under 45, as well as the leading cause of death in infants and children, is acquired brain injuries. The results of not receiving adequate treatment for a brain injury can range from seizure disorders, to homelessness, divorce, or death. Along with the increasing body of scientific research on brain injuries, public knowledge is an essential tool to aid prevention and treatment in Canada. The BIAC and the VBIS provide rehabilitation and support for the thousands of Canadians that suffer traumatic brain injuries each year, as well as supporting awareness campaigns and federal legislation. To provide these essential services, these associations rely on the generosity of volunteers and professionals; the BIAC and the VBIS could not exist without the support of locals and Canadians across the country. The services that those suffering from brain injuries require are not provided by provincial medical services.
In order to make the brainStormRIDE the success I know it can be, I ask that you sponsor a 50 km portion of my ride at a recommended rate of $10/km. Please find attached a list of cities that I will be visiting. Additionally, if you could pass on this information to any associates along the route, I will be able to continue my ride across the country. I thank you for your time and support for this worthy cause.
Donations can be made through the the brainStormRIDE’s official website: www.brainstormride.org, and I can be reached at info@brainstormride.org. Additionally, donations will receive charitable receipts when made through the Victoria Brain Injury Society (#102-651 Queens Ave, Victoria, BC ph. 1-877-598-9339, admin@vbis.ca, vbis.ca) or the Brain Injury Association of Canada (#808-155 Queen St, Ottawa, ON ph. 1-866-977-2492, info@biac-aclc.ca by specifying the recipient as the brainStormRIDE.
Change of address
Effective October 1st, 2009, The Brain Injury Association Office will no longer be located in Gatineau.
Effective October 5th, 2009, The Brain Injury Association of Canada office will be located at:
155 Queen St, Suite 808
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6L1 Our new phone coordinates are:
Phone: 613-762-1222
Toll Free: 1-866-977-2492
Fax: 613-236-5208
Our e-mail coordinates remain the same: info@biac-aclc.ca
Please bear with us as we work towards completing our move smoothly.
Thank You
From: LTC Global Canada Canadians Living Longer
The good news is that Canadians are living longer thanks to healthier lifestyles and dramatic improvements in the detection and treatment of disease.
However, the longer people live, the more likely they will need help with caring for themselves at some stage due to an accident, chronic illness, the aging process and/or a cognitive impairment.
As a result of our aging population and increased longevity, the demand for long term care has risen significantly over the last decade and will continue to grow as the boomers enter into their retirement years.
In the past, Canadian families were relatively larger and thus there were a number of family members to share the responsibility of looking after aging parents. Today, the family structure in Canada has changed. Canadians are having fewer children. More women are working and are having children later in life. Increased labour mobility means that family members are more geographically dispersed and therefore less likely to be located near their parents when care is required. The end result of these changes is a major reduction in the traditional sources of care giving.
Due to spiraling health care costs as a result of an aging population, publicly funded long term care services have been frozen or even reduced in recent years. Many Canadians who assist a family member in need of long term care are shocked to discover that Provincial Health Insurance Plans and private supplementary health insurance essentially does not cover long term care and that the cost of care is very expensive, whether that care is provided at home or in a facility. Unfortunately, most people learn about long term care the hard way – when they or a family member needs extended care. Long term care expenses can quickly deplete savings that took a lifetime to accumulate.
Long term care insurance programs have been established to allow individuals to reduce the risk of financial hardship, avoid burdening loved ones, protecting assets from the high costs of long term care; and to provide peace of mind.
Provided by: The Canadian Press
Written by: Peter Rakobowchuk, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Apr. 30, 2009
MONTREAL – The Canadians Standards Association can’t say if Natasha Richardson would have survived if she had been wearing a CSA-approved helmet during her fatal ski accident last month.
The actress died from a brain injury she sustained after a fall while skiing at Quebec’s Mont-Tremblant ski resort.
“There’s no way of knowing whether it (a helmet) would have protected her,” association spokesman Anthony Toderian said Thursday. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you have questions about traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other psychological health issues involving yourself or a loved one?
The Outreach Center answers questions about psychological health and traumatic brain injury around the clock and every day of the year from members of all the military services (including the National Guard and Reserve), veterans, families, healthcare providers, military leaders, and employers.
Call in your questions to the Outreach Center at 866-966-1020 toll-free or send an e-mail inquiry to resources@dcoeoutreach.org.
The Outreach Center provides valuable tools, tips, and resources. It is staffed by health consultants and nurses with advanced degrees and expertise in psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues.
In addition to answering questions, our consultants refer callers to centers in other parts of the Department of Defense, other federal agencies and outside organizations when appropriate.
DCoE, which is part of the Department of Defense Military Health System, promotes resilience, recovery and reintegration of service members facing psychological health and traumatic brain injury issues. DCoE also works to advance research, education, diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.
You’ll never find answers if you don’t ask questions. Remember, seeking support is an act of courage and strength. You are not alone.
The Bulkey Valley Brain Injury Association requires a part-time Executive Director.
This position is 15 hr/wk for direct client service provision with 7 hr/wk for development and operational management of the Association and BVBIA programs Read the rest of this entry »
It’s Saturday afternoon and we’re just starting to recover from the Tri The World Sweet 16 party, and are preparing for our last long run before Clearwater.
We think it’s safe to say that the party was a huge success and once again we are overwhelmed with the support we’ve received from our family and friends and the tri\running community as a whole. Many thanks to everyone who came out and celebrated with us – special thanks to Soundcheck for the fantastic music; we wish we could have done a little more dancing…
With ticket sales, proceeds from the silent auction and a very generous donation from Morley Hoppner Construction, Tri The World raised over $3500 for each of our charities: Brain Injury Association of Canada and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. Again, we are overwhelmed and speechless. We truly are blessed.
Now we’re setting our sights for the final race in Clearwater on November 8th, and are looking forward to being down there with some family and friends. Hard to believe we’re almost done. It’s been quite the journey.
Starting March 29th, 2008, Brian and Heather will be racing in 16 Half Ironman Triathlons in 11 countries, on 4 continents in 8 months to raise AWARENESS about both Testicular Cancer and Acquired Brain Injury. Learn More
