Ontario is supporting concussion research with an investment of $25,000 to the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada (CLFC) to prevent and manage the treatment of brain injuries in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound.
MPP for Grey-Bruce-Owen Sound Bill Walker said this investment will be used to develop and launch a social media campaign to increase awareness about concussion safety, host local virtual medical symposiums, empower local leadership, and strengthen community engagement.
Walker said, “Concussion rates in Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound are significantly higher than in other areas of the province and this funding will be extremely beneficial.”
This announcement was made on Rowan’s Law Day, September 30, after visiting the Brain Injury Resource Centre on behalf of Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.
The law designates the last Wednesday in September as "Rowan's Law Day" in honour of the memory of Rowan Stringer, a 17-year-old Ottawa rugby player who died in the spring of 2013 from a condition known as second impact syndrome (catastrophic swelling of the brain).
Rowan’s Law requires amateur sports organizations to establish removal-from-sport and return-to-sport protocols to ensure that an athlete is taken care of if they have sustained a concussion or are suspected of having sustained a concussion.
The law will also ensure that they get medical clearance from a physician or nurse practitioner before they are permitted to return to training, practice or competition.