BREAST CANCER ACTION MANITOBA

HISTORY

OUR PAST
Breast Cancer Action Manitoba (BCAM) is a grass roots organization which was started in the early 1990s by a small group of women living with breast cancer who met informally in a private living room to support each other and to share coping skills. After they attended the National Forum on Breast Cancer in 1993, they decided to form Breast Cancer Action Winnipeg to assist women who were recently diagnosed with breast cancer. By 1997 there were support groups throughout Manitoba and the name was changed to Breast Cancer Action Manitoba. The volunteer members of the BCAM Board are women living with breast cancer. In 1998 BCAM became a registered charitable organization (#87036 3462 RR0001). The original goal of BCAM was to provide support and education to women living with breast cancer.

Support

  • Monthly meetings were held to provide coping information and ongoing emotional support.
  • Potluck suppers were held twice a year.
  • Our telephone calling tree was used several times a year to inform members of upcoming events and to encourage members who could not attend meetings.
  • Many of our members were involved in the CCMB-BCCH Peer Support Program and/or the Cancer Connection Program of the Canadian Cancer Society Manitoba Division.

Information

  • Frequently we invited guest speakers to our monthly meetings to inform us about various topics on interest to people living with breast cancer.
  • For twelve years “News and Views”, the BCAM quarterly newsletter, was distributed province wide to breast cancer support groups, dragon boat teams, hospitals and clinics, women’s centres and BCAM members.
  • Together Conferences provided information and emotional support to those living with breast cancer in Manitoba.
    We set up displays to educate the public at the CIBC Run for the Cure, the Misericordia Health Centre and the Health Science Centre.

Past Networking
BCAM was represented on following committees:

  • The Winnipeg Breast Cancer Information and Support Network
  • The Manitoba Breast Cancer Information and Support Network
  • The Run for the Cure Planning Committee
  • The Canadian Breast Cancer Network Board of Directors.
  • The Breast Cancer Centre of Hope’s Younger and Wiser Sessions for young women living with breast cancer
  • The Manitoba Advocates for Breast Cancer Funding (now Helping Hands).
  • The Board of the World Conference on Breast Cancer Foundation for two World Conferences
  • The International Support Links Project formed at the WCBC in Victoria in 2002
  • The CCMB Breast Cancer of Hope Younger and Wiser Planning Committee
  • Assisted The Canadian Cancer Society Manitoba Division with two New Connections Conferences

Advocacy

  • At the national level BCAM was involved with the formation of the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control which evolved from 1999 to 2002 and its success at obtaining funding by the federal government to implement the strategy.
  • Working with several volunteer cancer groups, BCAM participated in the drafting of the Breast Cancer Patient Charter which specified the standard of care expected and outlined the rights of people living with breast cancer. This document was launched at the Reasons for Hope Conference in 2006. It was ultimately used by the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control to develop the Canadian Cancer Patient Charter.
    We were involved in the drafting of the Victoria Declaration which advocated for the implementation of the precautionary principle to ensure a safe and healthy environment for the peoples of the world.
  • BCAM made a presentation to the Manitoba Government on behalf of the Manitoba Advocates for Breast Cancer Funding (now Helping Hands) regarding the financial difficulties incurred by people living with breast cancer. The cost of prostheses and surgical bras are now covered in Manitoba.

THE PRESENT

Current Networking
BCAM continues to have representation on the following committees:

  • The Canadian Cancer Action Network Manitoba
  • The Breast Cancer Centre of Hope Peer Support Program
  • Canadian Cancer Society Manitoba Division Volunteer Program

Membership
BCAM is currently a member of:

  • Canadian Breast Cancer Network
  • Canadian Cancer Action Network
  • Manitoba Breast and Women’s Cancer Network

At a strategic planning meeting in 2011, the Board Members of BCAM decided to change our focus to include not only people living with breast cancer but also those at risk. We agreed on a new vision and mission statement which reflected the big picture of the current support and information available to those diagnosed with breast cancer in Manitoba.
Our commitment to promote awareness of the causes of cancer and educating people to make informed choices about the products they consume and use daily is based on our belief that although the number of breast cancer survivors is increasing, the number of people being diagnosed with breast cancer is NOT decreasing.
To achieve goals of our Mission Statement we have formed a Primary Cancer Prevention Committee composed of members of Breast Cancer Action Manitoba and non-members who have an interest in reducing the incidence of cancer.
A website committee was formed to develop a website to make people aware of the causes of cancer and to provide information on ways that they can reduce their risk of a cancer diagnosis or a recurrence by making informed choices.