Victoria, B.C. — Today, a ceremony was held at the D&T Centre at Royal Jubilee Hospital (RJH) to recognize Greater Victoria Canadian Tire store owners and their teams for their significant contributions and ongoing commitment to cardiac care through their annual Fix-A-Heart campaign. From 2003 to 2020, the at-the-till initiative raised over $1 million for critical cardiac care equipment at RJH.

In a display of ongoing community commitment, the Hillside, Langford, View Royal, Royal Oak, and North Saanich Canadian Tire stores, as well as the Gordon Head Auto Centre, have also renewed their commitment to raise an additional $1 million for cardiac care at RJH over the next 10 years, with an annual goal of $100,000.

“The Fix-A-Heart campaign is all about heart: giving back to the community, our cardiac care teams and patients. Our local stores are honoured to support such an important cause in our local community alongside our customers,” says Justin Young, Owner, Canadian Tire Hillside. “My peers and I are proud to see the impact our local stores have made on cardiac care for Victoria, and we are delighted to be renewing our commitment over the next decade.”

Fix-A-Heart began in 2003 with former Langford Canadian Tire store owner Peter Spillette, a champion of cardiac care on Vancouver Island. When Peter passed away in 2008, Canadian Tire owners and staff honoured his vision with a $1 million commitment for leading-edge cardiac equipment at RJH. Five existing store owners, plus three past owners, have all contributed to this annual tradition that runs from November 24 to December 24.

Every year, over 100,000 Vancouver Island residents undergo cardiac assessments, and more than 6,300 cardiac procedures are performed through RJH’s Heart Health program. Over the past 30 years, the Heart Health program has become a national leader and pioneer in cardiac care. The medical team has forged a culture of excellence and innovation that allows patients to quickly receive the most up-to-date procedures, recover faster, and go home to their families sooner.

“Royal Jubilee Hospital is Vancouver Island’s referral centre for Heart Health. Thanks to the outstanding support of donors in our community, including Canadian Tire, we provide world-class cardiac care and have attracted some of the best and brightest clinicians from around the world,” says Ryan Davis, Director, Heart Health at Island Health. “With the stress the pandemic has placed on our hospitals, it is more important than ever to ensure Islanders have access to leading-edge cardiac care.”

In the past decade, the local Canadian Tire’s Fix-A-Heart campaign has helped fund 89 pieces of equipment for cardiac care, including: ECG machines, critical care beds, a Catheterization Lab C-Arm, Telemetry Monitors, and cardiac ultrasounds.

This year, as a new pledge starts, funds raised will support a new $150,000 echocardiography ultrasound machine for RJH as part of the Victoria Hospital Foundation’s Emerge Stronger campaign. Each echocardiography unit is used for up to 3,000 procedures every year, and this machine will be one of four new echocardiography machines to support cardiac demand at RJH.

Echocardiography helps diagnose and treat patients with suspected or known heart disease. Most commonly, an echocardiogram is used to assess heart valves, detect damage after a heart attack, and determine how well the heart is functioning at rest and during exercise. Physicians are also able to assess congenital heart disease with echocardiography.

“We are so incredibly thankful to our local Canadian Tire owners and their staff for committing $1 million once again to advance cardiac care at Royal Jubilee Hospital. As our hospitals continue to adapt and respond to this pandemic while under significant stress and demand, this dedication to advancing healthcare for our local communities is truly inspiring,” says Avery Brohman, Executive Director, Victoria Hospitals Foundation. “Canadian Tire’s Fix-A-Heart renewal is a magnificent display of community spirit, and we are so grateful to the members of our community who make a heartfelt impact during the holiday season.”

The 2021 campaign will run from November 24 to December 24, beginning on Canadian Tire’s famous Red Thursday. Customers can donate at the till at their local Canadian Tire store.

To learn more about the Heart Health program at Royal Jubilee Hospital, please visit victoriahf.ca/cardiac-care.