Cabbies give blood as donor levels 'lowest in decades': Canadian Blood Services
Canadian Blood Services (CBS) is once again putting out the call for donations, as taxi drivers from across Winnipeg roll up their sleeves for a good cause.
Unicity Taxi held its first-ever blood donor clinic Thursday, filling all ten donor slots available at 777 William Avenue for the day.
"It is not just a blood donation; it is an act of kindness through which you can save a life," said Satwinder Singh, a spokesperson for Unicity. He challenged other local corporations to hold clinics for their employees as well.
"We have more than 1,000 drivers with Unicity who are working with us, we will encourage our drivers to donate in the future," said Singh.
CBS is in desperate need of blood, according to Community Development Coordinator Brett Lawrence.
"In the last three years we've seen a drop of 31,000 regular donors across Canada … the lowest donor base we've had in decades," he said.
Lawrence says the decrease in blood donations has led to a total drop of 17 per cent in Canada's national blood inventory.
"In Winnipeg alone, we have around 1,200 open appointments for the month of August," said Lawrence.
He attributes the drop in appointments to several factors, including COVID-related restrictions. However, Lawrence also says this summer is particularly slow compared to the last few years.
"Last two summers, we've been stuck inside, right? And this summer, people are wanting to go outside, go on vacation, go to the cabin, and they're not making as much time to donate blood as they used to."
For Singh, the message is simple.
"Please support Canadian blood banks so we can save lives together."
More information on how to donate can be found here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.