Terry Fox Day officially declared for second Sunday after Labour Day
Earlier this morning, the provincial government passed legislation to designate every second Sunday after Labour Day as Terry Fox Day.
This date also coincides with the annual cross-Canada Terry Fox Runs which act to celebrate Fox’s Marathon of Hope while fundraising for cancer research.
The bill was first introduced in late-October by Port Moody-Coquitlam MLA Linda Reimer and it went through a legislature vote today.
“Terry Fox is an inspiration for British Columbians, Canadians, and people all over the world,” said Premier Christy Clark in a statement. “His message of hope and the movement he started continue to impact countless lives. This legislation that MLA Linda Reimer championed shows B.C. recognizes the difference he made in the world, and we will commemorate him every second Sunday after Labour Day from now on.”
Fox began his cross-country trek in April 1980 from St. John’s Newfoundland. However, in September of that year, he was forced to cut his journey short at Thunder Bay, Ontario when his cancer returned.
He ran a distance of 5,373 kilometres from the Atlantic Ocean for 143 consecutive days with one leg having been amputated from an earlier bout with cancer.
His Marathon of Hope captured the nation’s attention and raised $23-million before he passed away in June 1981 at the age of 22. To date, Fox’s namesake foundation has raised more than $650 million for cancer research.
“Our sincere thanks to MLA Linda Reimer for taking the lead and introducing the Terry Fox Day act to the legislature,” said Rolly Fox, father of Terry Fox. “We have been moved by the kind, generous and sincere words expressed by all members of the house since the bill was introduced.”
Fox was born in Winnipeg and raised in Port Coquitlam. Over one hundreds physical monuments across Canada are named after him, including 32 roads, 14 schools and a Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker. In Vancouver, a monument featuring a series of bronze sculptures, designed by Vancouver artist and author Douglas Coupland, depicts his run across the country.
Feature Image: Credit: Terry Fox Foundation
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