The winter issue of Heads Up! is now out. Highlights of this issue include: an article on the transformation of our travelling roadshow into the new SMARTRISK No Regrets Live and a profile of our newest injury survivor presenter who talks about how a series of bad choices led to her ending up in a wheelchair at the age of 13.

Each month, an average of almost 100 Ontarians are hospitalized after falling from a ladder. Middle-aged adult males are the most likely to be hurt. Learn more about ladder injuries in the latest issue of the Ontario Injury Compass.

SMARTRISK is very grateful to all those who helped us generate more than 17,000 votes over two weeks as a semi-finalist in the Aviva Community Fund competition. Although we finished out of the top 25 ideas and thus did not proceed to the judging round, SMARTRISK will redouble its efforts to bring its No Regrets program to many new schools and students across Canada in 2010. Thanks for your support!

Funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, a new study is being launched to find ways and means to collaborate among Canada’s four national injury prevention organizations: Safe Communities Canada, Safe Kids Canada, SMARTRISK and ThinkFirst Canada. See below for the full news release on the study.

An average of more than 30 Ontarians each day are seen in an emergency department for injuries related to household machinery or powered hand tools. Middle-aged males have the highest rate of injury. Learn more about injuries from household machinery in the latest issue of the Ontario Injury Compass.

SMARTRISK is calling on its supporters to help us reach the finals of the Aviva Community Fund competition. Ours was one of the 62 semi-finalist ideas that made it through one of three initial rounds of voting. A final round of voting takes place Dec. 2-16, after which the 25 ideas with the most votes proceed to the judging round. Visit http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf1059 to vote every day from Dec. 2-16.

Just in time for your holiday shopping needs, the 2010 Kenzie Car Calendar is now available to order. Mr. Kenzie’s calendar features monthly photos of luxury cars he’s snapped in exotic locations, along with a smart risk tip. Canada’s foremost automotive journalist donates half the profits from calendar sales to SMARTRISK each year.

Canadians are invited to sign on to the Vancouver Charter on Skiing Safety to show their support for the use of helmets during winter ski sports. Safe Kids Canada launched the charter on Nov. 20 at a winter helmet safety forum to encourage the use of helmets while skiing and snowboarding.

Wednesday, Nov. 18 marks the National Day of Remembrance for Road Crash Victims, a day to remember those killed or seriously injured on Canadian roads, often in avoidable collisions, and those left to deal with the sudden and unexpected loss of people they love. This year's theme is Raising awareness of the number of deaths on Canadian roads.

More than 125 Ontarians are seen in an emergency department for a bus related injury in an average month. Seniors have the highest rate of injury. Learn more about bus injuries in the latest issue of the Ontario Injury Compass.