- Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day - April 19, 2025
- Human Values Day - April 24, 2025
- National Volunteer Week - April 27 to May 3, 2025
- National Day of Mourning - April 28, 2025
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Day - April 19, 2025
Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) is a devastating birth defect that affects one in every 2,500 pregnancies, taking the lives of 50% globally. In higher income countries, the survival rate is approximately 50 to 80%. In lower to middle income countries, the survival rate is less than 1%. It occurs when the diaphragm fails to fully form, allowing abdominal organs into the chest cavity and preventing lung growth. The cause is unknown. CDH occurs as often as Spina Bifida and Cystic Fibrosis, yet has little awareness and even less research funding. CDH International is working together with families in over 74 countries to raise awareness in April by telling the world about the families affected by CDH and the need for research funding.
For more information, please visit: www.cdhi.org.
Human Values Day - April 24, 2025
The Steering Committee and the dedicated community volunteers of Walk for Values propose that we take a moment each year to reflect on the importance of Human Values and commit to observing April 24 as “Human Values Day.” This year celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Human Values Day and is a commitment annually to enhancing awareness of Canada’s dedication to human values. It encourages citizens to cultivate an environment that promotes, supports, and celebrates “excellence in character” within our schools, businesses, homes, and community organizations, ultimately strengthening families and communities both in Canada and around the globe. Rekindling human values through this Canadian initiative is not only vital for our local context but also a step towards achieving universal peace and security worldwide, fostering harmonious coexistence among varied peoples and cultures.
Since 2015, April 24 has earned recognition as Human Values Day through proclamations by Premiers from several provinces and numerous mayors from various municipalities have also joined this movement. Iconic landmarks across Canada such as the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, the Toronto 3D sign, City Hall in Toronto, the Hamilton Signature Sign, the Mississauga Clock Tower, The Peace Bridge, BC Place in Vancouver, and the High-Level Bridge in Edmonton have all illuminated this significant day.
This year, the Walk for Values Committee will be organizing walks here in Canada and around the world, volunteering at local food banks, partnering with the Go Green initiative, and participating in tree planting efforts to combat climate change and enhance our environment. Join us in making a positive impact!
For more information, please visit humanvaluesday.com and walkforvalues.com
National Volunteer Week - April 27 to May 3, 2025
The theme for National Volunteer Week 2025 is Volunteers Make Waves. It highlights the power, impact and importance of individual and collective volunteer efforts across Canada. Like a wave, volunteering is movement building. Water is in constant motion, always flowing, shifting, and transforming with every powerful wave or quiet ripple. And so is each volunteer’s contribution toward creating impact in our communities. Each individual volunteer contribution, big or small, creates momentum and has the power to influence and inspire, joining a wave of positive change. Building on the tides sent out before us, waves swell with each generation of volunteers. Our actions ripple out to broader community benefits, like improved well-being, increased social cohesion, and enhanced resilience in the face of change and uncertainty. Each wave is unique and brings something vibrant and new to the ecosystem. During National Volunteer Week 2025, communities come together to recognize and celebrate all the ways volunteers make waves from coast to coast to coast. Together we create ripples of change. And through the power of our amplified impact, Volunteers Make Waves. The sharing of time, skills, empathy, and creativity is vital to the inclusivity, strength, and well-being of our communities. By coming together, committing support, and increasing our collective efforts and impact, volunteers contribute exponentially to the quality of life we all strive for. National Volunteer Week is a chance to highlight the value of volunteers and their positive impact on society.
Volunteers Make Waves
Together, we create ripples of change
#VolunteersMakeWaves #NVW2025
For more information, please visit volunteer.ca/national-volunteer-week
National Day of Mourning - April 28, 2025
Monday, April 28, 2025, is the National Day of Mourning. This year’s theme, “Workers Demand Action on Invisible Injuries and Hazards,” highlights the fact that not all workplace hazards are visible. Workers must be protected from unseen dangers and supported in recovering from invisible injuries and illnesses. The Day of Mourning was officially recognized by the Ontario Legislature in 1988 and became federal law in 1991. Today, it is observed in many countries worldwide as a time to remember workers who have been killed, injured, or made ill on the job. While we mourn the dead, we must dedicate ourselves to fight for the living and prevent this terrible and unnecessary toll by ensuring that our governments constantly review and enforce health and safety regulations, that all workplaces adhere to health and safety regulations and that all workers are regularly trained in all health and safety aspects of their workplace. At the federal, provincial, and municipal levels, our elected officials have the power to save lives by ensuring proper staffing levels and providing the necessary resources to prevent injury, illness, and burnout.
For more information, please visit durhamlabour.ca/events/day-of-mourning-2025