Comox Valley EchoDecember 8, 2009

The Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA) is strongly encouraging Canadians of all ages to wear helmets when downhill skiing or snowboarding.

The death of actress Natasha Richardson who fell while skiing at Mont Tremblant last spring has focused public and media attention on the issue of helmet safety. CPA joins a growing chorus of organizations who strongly recommend the use of helmets on ski hills. Those organizations include Intrawest, owner of Mont Tremblant, other major ski resorts and the Canadian Standards Association. Intrawest is making it mandatory for all young skiers and snowboarders involved in ski and snowboard programs to wear helmets on its slopes. The Canadian Standards Association has said wearing helmets on the ski hill can reduce the risk of head injury by 60 per cent. It has developed a safety standard for helmets intended to help reduce head injuries for recreational alpine skiers and snowboarders, and is waiting for final approval from Health Canada.
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By Robert Remington, Calgary HeraldFebruary 8, 2010

Richard Kinar, board member of the Brain Injury Association of Canada, with snowboard/ ski helmets at The Boardroom in Vancouver, BC Monday, April 13, 2009.
Photograph by: Jason Payne, The Province

A year ago this weekend, I woke up in a pool of blood at Mount Norquay with a ski patroller at my side asking if I knew what day it was. A few weeks later, actress Natasha Richardson died after taking a fall on a bunny hill in Quebec.

I was wearing a helmet, she was not.
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By Meghan Hurley, The Ottawa CitizenFebruary 9, 2010 6:33 AM

OTTAWA — The death of an 11-year-old girl killed in a skiing accident highlights the need for Canada-wide standards for all sports helmets, an expert in the field says.

Nicole Wren, who attended The Stewart School in Perth, was killed at the Calabogie Peaks Resort last Thursday after crashing into a tree during her school’s annual ski trip.

Richard Kinar, a helmet expert, said hockey helmets have to meet criteria set by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) to be sold in the country. No other type of helmet has to meet the standards, which means unsafe gear could be sold in Canadian stores.
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