January 18, 2021

The need for blood doesn’t stop, even during a pandemic

Winnipeg, MB, January 18, 2021. . . Canada Life today announced that they have partnered with Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec for the Canada Life Week to Save Lives campaign, encouraging people across Canada to donate blood and blood products in their local communities from January 18-24.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Canadian Blood Services has recorded a significant drop in blood donations due to mobile events venue cancellations and other unforeseen issues. In 2020, the organization’s group donation appointments dropped by almost 70 per cent, compared to an average of over 10,000 group appointments in previous years.

“Every day, someone in Canada needs blood, and even with a global pandemic, this need doesn’t stop,” said Jeff Macoun, President and Chief Operating Officer, Canada, Canada Life. “We’re proud to be partnering with Canadian Blood Services and Héma-Québec to raise awareness of Canada’s lifeline in communities across the country. Together, we can help ensure a strong, national blood supply is available to patients where and when they need it.”

Macoun added that other meaningful ways to support include registering to be a stem cell donor, making a one-time or recurring financial donation to Canadian Blood Services or Héma-Québec Foundation, or registering your intent to donate organs and tissues.

Both organizations have made significant shifts to adapt their daily operations to the pandemic, including introducing enhanced wellness measures at their permanent donor centres to protect the safety of their donors, staff and volunteers. Appointments are required to ensure physical distancing. Currently, only donors with scheduled appointments can enter donation centres.

Canada Life has been a dedicated supporter of Canadian Blood Services for more than 50 years and is proud to partner with Héma-Québec for the first time this year. In 2015, Canada Life made a national commitment to support Canadian Blood Services by officially joining the Partners for Life program. The company is also the founding national sponsor of Canadian Blood Services’ NextGen Lifeline youth recruitment program and is recognized as a National Lifeline Partner. In 2019, Canada Life extended their support for Canadian Blood Services by partnering with them for select Canadian Hockey League Game Nights in communities across the country. In 2020, Canada Life teamed up with Canadian Blood Services and Hockey Gives Blood as presenting sponsor of the Hockey Gives Blood Player Ambassador Program for the 2020-2021 hockey season.

Find a Canadian Blood Services permanent donor centre near you and book your appointment now at blood.ca/CanadaLife. In Québec, visit hema-quebec.qc.ca/trois-facons-simples.en.html.

For more information on Canadian Blood Services’ enhanced wellness measures, visit blood.ca/COVID19. For more information about the measures Héma-Québec has put in place during the pandemic, visit hema-quebec.qc.ca/coronavirus/faq.en.html.

About Canadian Blood Services

Canadian Blood Services is a not-for-profit charitable organization. Regulated by Health Canada as a biologics manufacturer and primarily funded by the provincial and territorial ministries of health, Canadian Blood Services operates with a national scope, infrastructure and governance that make it unique within Canadian healthcare. In the domain of blood, plasma and stem cells, they provide services for patients on behalf of all provincial and territorial governments (except Quebec). The national transplant registry for interprovincial organ sharing and related programs reaches into all provinces and territories, as a biological lifeline for Canadians. Learn more at blood.ca.

About Héma-Québec

Héma-Québec is a non-profit organization whose mission is to efficiently meet the Quebec population’s needs for blood and other high-quality biological products of human origin. Héma-Québec has more than 1,300 employees, nearly 225,000 donors of blood, plasma, stem cells, mother’s milk and human tissue, as well as thousands of volunteers at blood drive sites. Héma-Québec delivers nearly 750,000 human-derived biological products to Quebec hospitals every year to meet patients’ needs. Learn more at hema-quebec.qc.ca.

About The Canada Life Assurance Company

Canada Life is a leading insurance, wealth management and benefits provider focused on improving the financial, physical and mental well-being of Canadians. For more than 170 years, individuals, families and business owners across Canada have trusted us to provide sound guidance and deliver on the promises we’ve made.

As of January 1, 2020, Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life became one company – Canada Life, and today, we proudly serve more than 13 million customer relationships from coast to coast to coast.

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

For more information, contact:

Liz Kulyk
AVP, Media Relations & Public Affairs
Canada Life 
204-391-8515
Media.Relations@canadalife.com