Our Charities

The members of the City of Edmonton Fire Services, past and present, represented by the Edmonton FireFighters Memorial Society, propose the development of a firefighters memorial. The Memorial, comprised of a statue and a plaza, will honor firefighters lost in the line of duty and recognize the role of the Fire Service in our community.

The FireFighters Annual Remembrance Ceremony for 2004 will be posted on a later date. Ceremony will still be at the FireFighters Memorial Plaza, located at 83rd. Ave., between 103rd & 104th Streets., with a reception to follow at the Old Strathcona Farmers Market.

Mission Statement
To recognize the members of the City of Edmonton Fire Service by erecting a monument that will for all time allow our families and citizens to remember and honor the contribution the fire service makes to their community.

The Firefighters Burn Treatment Society, Edmonton Chapter (FBTS, EC) was established in 1977 when a small group of fire fighters met with and was supported by both Management and the Union after presenting their idea of fundraising for a burn unit at the University Hospital. The enthusiastic "small group" launched their fundraising venture for a five-bed Burn Unit, volunteering their time and services for a cause they so dearly believed in. The University of Alberta Hospital Directors had hoped for a specialized burn unit, and when approached, supported this dream by providing a location for the Burn Unit.

In 1983, a new ten-bed unit opened in the Walter C. MacKenzie Health Sciences Centre at the University of Alberta Hospital. It was officially named the Firefighters Burn Treatment Unit.

In February 2000, our Firefighters Burn Treatment Unit moved to its current location in the Walter C. MacKenzie Health Sciences Centre at the University of Alberta Hospital in Unit 3C2

Our Burn Unit, 3C2, is recognized as one of the top units not only in Canada but North America. Dr. Edward Tredget, the Director of the Unit, has received many awards and continues to be recognized for ground-breaking new techniques in the treatment of burns.

Muscular dystrophy is the name for a group of neuromuscular disorders that are characterized by progressive weakness and wasting of the voluntary muscles that control body movement. As muscle tissue weakens and wastes away, it is replaced by fatty and connective tissue.

Each form of muscular dystrophy is caused by an error in a specific gene associated with muscle function; however, specific disorders within this group vary in many ways. The muscles involved are different from one disorder to another. The severity of the symptoms, the age at which the symptoms appear, how fast the symptoms progress, and what pattern of inheritance the disorder follows, are all factors which differ among the various forms of muscular dystrophy. Even within a specific disorder, several individuals with the same disorder may experience the disorder and its symptoms quite differently.

Muscular dystrophies are genetic disorders. Forms of muscular dystrophy can be passed on from generation to generation, or they can occur spontaneously in a single individual as the result of a mutation of a particular gene. Contrary to popular belief, muscular dystrophy is not exclusively a childhood disorder - anyone can be affected. While some types of muscular dystrophy are first evident in infancy or early childhood, other types may not appear until later in life.

Muscular Dystrophy Canada’s dedicated volunteers and staff across the country raise funds and work hard to support the independence and full participation of Canadians with neuromuscular disorders, fund research to find a cure and improve the quality of life of people with neuromuscular disorders, assist our clients to participate in the decisions that affect them, and collaborate with others for social change. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we are able to make a real difference in the lives of people affected by muscular dystrophy.