City expands free sunscreen to more Toronto parks this summer

About 50 dispensers along the stretch between Marie Curtis Park and Rouge Beach will be supplied with free sunscreen.

Thestar.com
May 8, 2018
Bryann Aguilar

The City of Toronto is partnering with two melanoma foundations to expand a free sunscreen program to more parks this summer after the success of last year’s pilot project.

The city announced Monday that it is working again with the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund and the Douglas Wright Foundation, both of which will be covering the costs.

Last year during the pilot project, it provided sunscreens to five parks near the Waterfront Trail. It won the 2017 Canadian Dermatology Association Public Education Award.

This year, the 30 broad-spectrum sunscreens will be available at 50 dispensers in parks along a 50-kilometre stretch of the waterfront, from Marie Curtis Park to Rouge Beach.

Crews from the foundations will maintain and stock the dispensers.

“Our waterfront parks are well-loved and well-used by Torontonians and visitors alike,” Mayor John Tory said in a statement. “With the success of the pilot and expansion of this program, it’s great to see that so many will be able to enjoy our common grounds with easy access to sun safety.”

Representatives from both foundations said the sunscreen dispensers would help raise awareness of sun safety and melanoma, which they described as one of the fastest rising cancers in Canada.

“We’re having increasing rates of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Every year, it’s increasing by 2 per cent for women annually, and 2.1 per cent for men,” Dr. Jennifer Beecker, national chair of Canadian Dermatology Association sun awareness working group, said in an interview.

“One of the most important things in skin cancer prevention is sun protection.”

Beecker cited a study conducted in Australia that found regular application of sunscreen could decrease the incidents of melanoma by 50 per cent over an 11-year period.

She added that seeking shade during sunny days could prove to be helpful as well, especially for children, whose skin is particularly vulnerable to sun damage.