Mayor issues three proclamations for April

The City of Fort St. John issued proclamations for three health-related causes at City Council on Monday.

The first presentation was made by Jodi Staples, a family services co-ordinator at the Child Development Centre. Staples said the CDC helps families who have children with autism connect with community services, as well as offers its own support to those families. Mayor Bruce Lantz then proclaimed April 1 as World Autism Day in the city.

The second presentation was made by Linda Stirling and Manon Joice on behalf of the local branch of the Canadian Cancer Society. They are encouraging residents to show their support for the fight against cancer by wearing a daffodil pin throughout April.

They said the local organization will have members selling the pins in each grocery store in the city and in Wal-Mart on Saturday. Lantz then proclaimed April as the Canadian Cancer Society’s Daffodil month and April 27 as Daffodil Day.

Thirdly, The Mayor proclaimed that April would also be considered Parkinson’s Awareness Month in the city.

Trinda Tarling made a presentation on behalf of the local Parkinson’s Support Group. According to the Parkinson’s Society of B.C., approximately 11,000 residents are affected by the disease across the province. The local group will also be hosting its third annual walk in the city on September 11.