News & Announcement – International Day of the Midwife 2011: A stunning success!

12 May 2011

News from walks across Canada

Midwives and their supporters walked in over 30 communities across Canada in honour of the International Day of the Midwife 2011. Congratulations and good work everyone!

We would like to share a few stories and outcomes of these walks across the country:

Ottawa:

- Midwives, supporters, colleagues and many moms and babies attended the Canadian Association of Midwives’ National Capital walk from Minto Park to Parliament Hill.

- Speakers included Anne Wilson President of CAM, Maureen McTeer of the White Ribbon Alliance, Dr. André Lalonde of the SOGC, Paul Dewar MP Ottawa Centre, and Catherine Carry from the National Aboriginal Health Organization.

British Columbia:

- BC’s Minister of Health Honorable Michael De Jong officially declared May 5th as British Columbia Midwives’ Day.

- Walks in Kamloops, Cranbrook, and Penticton were well attended and received press coverage.

Nunavut:

- A five kilometre walk was held in Rankin Inlet, despite temperatures of minus 30 degrees with the wind chill! Over 30 people, wearing white ribbons walked and then gathered for snacks provided by the Health Board.

Ontario:

- Walks in Guelph, London, Hamilton/Burlington, Kingston, Owen Sound and others received great press coverage. Over 600 participants walked in Hamilton/Burlington and over $1000 was fundraised by the Guelph walk!

- The Association of Ontario Midwives launched its campaign “Ontario Needs Birth Centres” at a press conference in Queen’s Park, with attendance from over 50 MPPs and staffers. The event was a huge success and raised the level of awareness of midwifery and the need for birth centres in Ontario.

Québec:

- Over 400 people braved the rain to walk around the Quebec National Assembly and to present a petition with 7,300 signatures.

- The Minister of Health, Yves Bolduc, announced that future birthing centres would be financed 100 percent by the Ministry and that 15 new midwife jobs would be added this spring and every year. This marks the lifting of a huge barrier to the opening of new birthing centres and a major success of the Regroupement Les Sages-femmes du Quebec’s campaign to increase access to midwifery services across the province.

Nova Scotia:

- A walk in Antigonish received local newspaper coverage and hospital staff thanked their midwives with a cake and flowers.

Newfoundland/Labrador:

- A walk in St-John’s raised over $200 for the Ghislaine Francoeur Fund and two local midwives were interviewed by CBC and Radio-Canada.

Please check our website and Facebook page for photos from across the country.

Please scroll to the bottom for an impressive list of press coverage from across Canada.

Please visit the the Facebook page of the International Confederation of Midwives to see photos of walks around the world.

Congratulations to everyone on a wonderful International Day of the Midwife!

Press Coverage:

British Columbia:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/vancouver_island_north/comoxvalleyrecord/community/121172763.html

http://www.bclocalnews.com/bc_thompson_nicola/kamloopsthisweek/news/121337973.html