The month of November has been observed across Canada as Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month. Awareness Month provides an opportunity for the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community to come together around a shared goal - to raise awareness and educate the public about IBD as part of our mission to achieve a future free of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Amplify Your Community’s Voice
To amplify the voices in our community, we’ll be sharing inspiring words, video messages, and stories from Canadians living with Crohn’s or colitis on our social media accounts. Make sure you follow us @getgutsycanada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram so you don’t miss out!
Raising awareness and familiarity with these diseases is important for a variety of reasons. Public awareness campaigns, like Crohn’s & Colitis Awareness Month, will increase public dialogue, which helps to reduce misinformation and stigma. It also helps build broad awareness that IBD is a painful, incurable disease, even though many patients may look healthy on the surface.
You can help us spread awareness. As our thanks to you, if you donate $100 or more, you'll receive a free Gutsy person pin to wear and show your compassion and support for all those living with IBD.
Red Between the Lines
What better way to brighten up your day than seeing your local landmarks illuminated in red? Be sure to snap a photo and tag us @getgutsycanada! These lightings have been confirmed so far:
British Columbia:
Canada Place (Vancouver, BC)
Science World (Vancouver, BC)
BC Place (Vancouver, BC)
Victoria Legislative Buildings (Victoria, BC)
Alberta:
Reconciliation Bridge (Calgary, AB) | November 9
Calgary Tower (Calgary, AB) | November 9
Lethbridge City Hall (Lethbridge, AB) | November 27
New Brunswick:
Moncton City Hall (Moncton, NB)
Legislative Assembly Building (Fredericton, NB)
Fredericton City Hall (Fredericton, NB)
Ontario:
CN Tower (Toronto, ON) | November 4
Niagara Falls (Niagara, ON) | November 15, 10:00 pm EST
Hamilton Sign (Hamilton, ON) | November 15
Quebec:
City Hall (Sherbrooke, QB)
Château Frontenac (Québec City, QB)
Nova Scotia:
Province House (Halifax, NS) | November 1st
Halifax City Hall (Halifax, NS) | November 2nd
Nova Scotia Legislature Building (Halifax, NS)
City Hall for Cape Breton Regional Municipality | (Sydney, NS)
Newfoundland and Labrador:
Summerside City Hall (Summerside, PEI)
Charlottetown City Hall (Charlottetown, PEI)
Legislative Assembly Building of PEI (Charlottetown, PEI)
Connect with Your Community
Back for its third year, the Jaclyn Fisher Education Symposium takes place every Sunday at noon (ET) from November 14 to December 5. If you’re a teenager affected by inflammatory bowel disease, you don’t want to miss the opportunity to learn ways to manage and enjoy life with a chronic disease!
Each Sunday, the Jaclyn Fisher Education Symposium features sessions from people living with Crohn's or colitis and healthcare professionals giving you a mix of perspectives to help inform your day-to-day care and lifestyle.
Register today!
Let your government know why treatment choice matters
We think treatment decisions should be made between you and your doctor – not the government. Policy change made at the expense of your health is not okay! Take part in our letter-writing campaign to let your local government representative know how you feel.
If you live in New Brunswick or Quebec, send a letter:
Send letter to New Brunswick government.
Send letter to Quebec government.
Raising awareness is also very personal and is something that our patients and caregivers feel passionate about. So let’s get loud this month, together!