MAY 2023

WHEREAS, Food Allergy Awareness Month was established as a national month of encouraging food allergy awareness and supporting those who are impacted by food allergy and anaphylaxis; and

WHEREAS, Food allergy affects over 3 million Canadians, including approximately 500,000 children; and

WHEREAS, a food allergy is an immune system response to a food the body mistakenly believes is harmful. When a person with food allergy eats the food, his or her immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, that trigger a cascade of symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal tract, the skin, and/or the cardiovascular system; and

WHEREAS, there is no cure for food allergy, strict avoidance is the only way to prevent an allergic reaction; and

WHEREAS, anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that comes on quickly and has the potential to become life-threatening; and

WHEREAS, managing a food allergy on a daily basis involves constant vigilance and small amounts of an allergen can trigger an allergic reaction in some individuals; and

WHEREAS, Food Allergy Canada is a national non-profit charity and Canada’s leading patient organization committed to educating, supporting, and advocating for the more than 3 million Canadians living with food allergy; and

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of the City of Thunder Bay, do hereby proclaim May, 2023 as Food Allergy Awareness Month in the City of Thunder Bay. I encourage all residents to increase their understanding and awareness of this potentially life-threatening medical condition, improving the quality of life of the over 3 million Canadians affected by food allergy and anaphylaxis by visiting foodallergycanada.ca.