Photo by RCMP

It’s National Police Week! Police officers will be out and about in communities across Canada participating in special activities.

Sometimes it may be nerve racking to approach an officer. When we see them out in communities, it’s often because something has happened; whether there was an accident, a crime was committed, or anything else! But believe it or not, police officers also have a community based role that doesn’t involve dangerous situations. Some police officers have even told me that they’d rather be in the community and working with people, whether it’s to promote crime prevention initiatives or raise awareness about important issues, than being out on a call. I’ve had the opportunity to see RCMP officers and youth from across Canada work together, and it made me realize that RCMP officers are very approachable and happy to lend you a hand, even if it isn’t National Police Week!

This year, during Police Week, officers will be focusing extra hard on helping Canadians get set for Safe Boating Week (RCMP). There will be many presentations open to the public, on boating safety, so if you have the chance, check one out! If you can’t make it out to a Police Week presentation, there are some boating tips that Transport Canada has posted online. They suggest packing stuff like: lifejackets, flashlights, flares, a whistle, etc. Transport Canada also has a Safe Boating Guide: it’s got tips on everything from buying a boat to keeping it in good condition (Transport Canada).

So before you paddle, sail or motor off into the distance, remember to stay safe and if you see a police officer on the water during your epic boat trip – say hey!

Links

Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons – Safe Boating Week
DEAL.org – Don’t judge a… police officer by his/her cover!
DEAL.org – National Police Week
DEAL.org – Our Leaders In Red
Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Clare Coney Safety Session
Royal Canadian Mounted Police – Police Week 2012
Transport Canada – Office of Boating Safety

Photo by Steve Corey on Flickr

Summer is knocking on our doors and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to go biking, swimming, sun bathing… and all of the other things you can’t do with four feet of snow on the ground! But when it comes to finding stuff to do, our imagination can sometimes run wild. For example, things like “car surfing” and “road surfing” may sound pretty sweet at first… but are they really?

Car surfing is when someone rides on the outside of a moving car (or other vehicle like an ATV or ORV, etc.) (Canada Safety Council). Road surfing is when someone is towed behind a moving vehicle on a skateboard or rollerblades. You may have heard about a recent incident involving a teenager who, as a result of car surfing stunt in a parking lot in Mississauga (Ontario), was hospitalized in critical condition. The driver didn’t walk away un-touched either; the 18 year old was charged with dangerous driving and criminal neglect causing bodily harm (CBC news).

While making a video of car or road surfing may get me a lot of views on YouTube, there are a lot of other things I would rather do that involve a little less risk and I’m sure everyone can come up with a few activities that are safer and just as fun to occupy our summer with. This is exactly what Dixie, a young Saskatchewanian, decided to do in her community when she noticed that a lot of people were turning to, well, not so constructive activities because they had nothing better to do. She organized an open-school night that would allow her friends and classmates to get together and participate in dances, games, etc. (DEAL.org). This is just one example of what can be done to conquer boredom; hopefully it will inspire you as well!

Links

Canada Safety Council: Car Surfing: A deadly phenomenon
CBC news: Car surfing death in B.C. leads to charges
CBC news: Teen critically injured when car surfing, police say
Cyberpresse.ca : Surf de voiture à Brossard : Une blessée grave (in French only)
Wheels.ca: Car surfing a growing and deadly problem

Photo by Dominique & Shawn

As you may already know, May is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk about it.

Sexual assault includes rape or any other act carried out in a sexual context without the consent of at least one of the people involved, whether they are men, women or children (DEAL.org). For a long time, many thought that victims of sexual assault were not completely innocent, suspecting them of having asked for their situation by dressing in a “provocative” way (ex. short skirt), by their attitude, etc. However, even if the person seemed to be flirting or was walking alone on his or her way home, nobody chooses to become a victim of sexual assault and nothing should ever justify it – No Means No!

Even if you haven’t personally been affected by sexual assault, that doesn’t mean this issue shouldn’t concern you. Since 2001, the initiative Walk a Mile in Her Shoes has proven that. To raise awareness and prevent sexual assault, guys of all ages get together in their communities; take off their sneakers and boots to throw on a pair of high heels and walk (or wobble) for a whole mile (Royal Canadian Mounted Police)! By doing so, the participants literally put themselves in women’s shoes to tell victims and survivors of sexual assault that “they’re not to blame, it’s not their fault” and that they are not alone (Ottawa Sun).

Pretty inspiring activity, eh? In fact, I was so inspired that I managed to convince my co-worker Shawn to exchange shoes with me for a day at the office! As you can probably tell from the blog photo, he sure didn’t go unnoticed with those red stilettos and we never missed an opportunity to tell people what this was all about! As Shawn would say, “wearing heels is more painful than it looks”, it got others to think about how hard it must be to face a difficult situation like sexual assault. Although it was probably more amusing for me to see Shawn in heels then it was for him, at the end of the day, this initiative like many others, really show that we can all make a difference, “step by step”…

Links

Department of Justice Canada: Sexual Offences, Public Morals and Disorderly Conduct
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault & Gender Violence

Photo by - reuben - on Flickr

May 7th – 13th is Mental Health Week. It’s a week that is set aside to promote mental health awareness and remind Canadians that anyone can be affected by mental health challenges (DEAL.org). There is a way that you can help raise awareness for Mental Health week, and there are some surprises that could go along with it.

The Kids Help Phone is hosting a nationwide event called “Walk so Kids Can Talk”. It will be taking place on May 6th in communities across Canada, and all you need to do is register online to receive a pledge form. “Walk so Kids Can Talk” is a fundraiser to raise money for Kids Help Phone, and at the same time it raises awareness about mental health challenges people, like you and I, may face (Kids Help Phone).

Visit the Kids Help Phone website to find out if a walk is taking place near you! But even if you can’t make it to one of the walks, there are other things you can do. For instance, you can set up a walk in your own community or go for the “Virtual Walk” option, which allows you to participate to the event and raise money without attending a walk if it can’t fit in your schedule or commute (Kids Help Phone).

Why is this a great cause? Kids Help Phone is an organization that we can call if there is anything going on in our lives that we don’t feel comfortable sharing with other people. Kids Help Phone always has someone ready to chat about anything you have a concern about. For example, Sara called Kids Help Phone to ask a quick question about puberty; something she felt embarrassed to ask anyone. Sara says she was grateful, because her friends gave her the wrong information. Sara eventually ended up becoming a counsellor at Kids Help Phone because she wanted to be able to help others like her (Kids Help Phone)!

There’s one more thing you may want to know about the walk…there are prizes! Those who raise the most money in pledges could win gift cards, movie tickets and/or a Much Video Dance for their school. Sweet Deal!

Links

Canadian Mental Health Association – Mental Health Week 2012
DEAL.org – Mental Health for All
Kids Help Phone – Walk so Kids Can Talk

Photo by Tranuf on Flickr

For many people, both young and old, admitting you’re a victim of a crime isn’t something that willingly rolls off the tongue. If you’ve ever experienced something harmful or painful, you know that it can make you feel like you’re alone and you can’t imagine that anyone else ever went through what you did. You may also feel angry, frustrated, guilty, embarrassed or even upset. Because of these intense feelings, you decide not to tell anyone about your experience, not a police officer, co-worker, family member, counselor, or even a friend, and you don’t seek out any resources in your community that may be able to help you move on. But, you feel alone, so what good would they even be?

Well, for those of you who have experienced any of the feelings, you should know – you’re not alone.

Don’t just take my word for it. Next week is National Victims of Crime Awareness Week; a week that’s completely dedicated to raising awareness about victim’s issues, rights, needs and experiences. This year, from British Columbia to the Northwest Territories to Newfoundland and Labrador, events and workshops are taking place that focus on all types of victimization to show victims that they are not alone and can receive support to help them move on after these difficult times.

This year’s theme is “Moving Forward” which recognizes: victims, who need to be supported as they get through their difficult period; the government who is continuously moving forward in helping those who are victimized by crime; as well as the victim’s services agencies that are there to provide support, all need to work together to really move forward.

Links

Canadian Resource Center for Victims of Crime
Department of Justice – Victim Services Directory
Department of Justice – Victim’s Matter