2010.11.22 – Hill Times, Page 1

More than 80 MPs take part in 'Movember' on Hill in effort to raise awareness of prostate cancer

MPs say they're growing facial hair (some of it funny looking!) for family, and friends. And a lot say they're doing it for NDP Leader Jack Layton.

By JESSICA BRUNO

The fight against prostate cancer is taking a visible turn this month in federal politics as more than 80 MPs and staffers are letting their facial hair grow free, into eye-catching Truckers, Businessmen and Connoisseurs, to focus the country's attention onto prostate cancer.

Some say they are doing it for their fathers, their party leader, or their neighbours.

They are participating in Movember—the month-long fundraising event that was started by a group of Australian buddies in a pub 11 years ago. They coined the term 'Movember' which combines 'Mo,' slang for moustache, and the month of November.

The point is to get men to take care of themselves, and to raise money for prostate research in Canada, say Parliament Hill's moustache growers.

Prostate cancer is the No. 1 cancer in Canadian men, with similar rates of incidence as breast cancer in women, says Prostate Cancer Canada.

This year, 24,600 men in Canada will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to the Canadian Cancer Society, and 4,300 will die.

While hereditary, environmental and dietary factors come into play, more research is needed to understand its causes.

The good news is, if it is detected early, 90 per cent of cases are curable, according to the prostate foundation.

That is where the moustaches come in.

"It gives me an excuse to tell men that they have an obligation to their own health, that they need to take a look at that, and just get their doctor to check it out," said Conservative Ed Holder (London West, Ont.). Mr. Holder is growing a healthy example of what Movember Canada calls an 'Under Cover Brother,' a classic moustache that curves downwards slightly at the top edges.

Mr. Holder is fundraising as an individual, and told The Hill Times last week that he had raised almost $1,000. He said he decided to participate because prostate cancer is "too easily preventable."

"If we can use this as an opportunity to increase awareness, and we save a few lives along the way, and raise a little bit of money for an important cause, I'm happy to do my part," Mr. Holder said.

Also raising funds is a group called MOmbers of Parliament. The team is captained by Liberal MP Justin Trudeau (Papineau, Que.) and consists of more than 20 MPs and staffers, including Bob Rae (Toronto Centre, Ont.), Denis Coderre (Bourassa, Que.) and Conservatives Bruce Stanton (Simcoe North, Ont.) and Larry Miller (Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, Ont.). As of the morning of Nov. 18 they had raised just over $5,000 dollars for Prostate Cancer Canada.

On his 'Mo Space' page (where moustache growers post updates and collect donations online) MOmber of Parliament grower Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West, Ont.) singled out the person he was growing his "ridiculous" facial hair for.

"It is really all about my Dad who is fighting prostate cancer, even as I write this. It actually gives me a chance to tell his story and the story of many men who are dealing with this cancer," he wrote.

Ranked 87^th country-wide is New Democrat Moustaches for a Cure. The group has 63 members and is led by MP Glenn Thibeault (Sudbury, Ont.). His teammates include Peter Stoffer (Sackville-Eastern Shore, N.S.), Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, B.C.) and more than 50 staffers, including Ira Dubinsky, deputy director of strategic communications for NDP Leader Jack Layton (Toronto Danforth, Ont.), and Marc-André Viau, one of the party's press secretaries. As of last Thursday they had raised more than $9,000.

Mr. Thibeault said that while it is his second year participating in Movember, this time it was especially important to him considering Mr. Layton's ongoing fight with the disease.

"We wanted to make sure that our caucus did something to support Jack, and at the same time get out there and make sure to get the message across the country," Mr. Thibeault explained.

"Jack's our leader, but he's also my friend. When you take the political tie off at the end of the day, we're all friends," Mr. Thibeault said. "You know we saw a show of solidarity last year when every Member of Parliament either wore a tie or a scarf in the House, it was Conservative, Liberal, Bloc, Independents, we all wore the tie to show solidarity for Jack."

Mr. Thibeault said that his moustache was called "The Layton" because if one looks closely it is slightly longer on the left side.

"Everybody in our caucus is thinking about Jack, and I've never thought about doing it in the past," said New Democrat Moustaches for a Cure member Pat Martin (Winnipeg Centre, Man.), who is growing what some have called "a porn star moustache."

At caucus last week, Mr. Martin won the "Chia Pet" award for his fast-growing follicles.

"I call it the Chia Pat award," he said.

Liberal Scott Simms (Bonavista-Gander-Windsor, Nfld.) explained that he was growing a moustache, against his better judgment, to support his constituents.

"I have a lot of people in my riding who are effected by it, so I want to do something," he said. "I've told people that I've never been the one to grow moustaches. But hey, if I can grow a moustache for the sake of a charity then I must feel that it's a good cause.

Mr. Simms's moustache extends down towards his jaw line, Hulk Hogan-style.

"What I'm growing, it's not only a 'stache, it's like a handlebar moustache. Because I'm short, and because the hair is predominantly red, I'm going to look more like a leprechaun biker from the 1970s, which is not my goal but I'll take it proudly," Mr. Simms said.

Already well-known for his moustache before Movember started, Mr. Stoffer was shaved clean Nov. 1 and began growing a full beard to get more attention.

"If I just grew the moustache then people are going to say, 'So what, you already had one?' So I figured I'd grow a full beard, and people would say, 'What's that all about?' and then I could talk about their prostate," he explained.

He said that during break week, while he went to Legion Halls to commemorate Remembrance Day, he asked, "Have you got your butt checked lately?" whenever anyone asked about the stubble.

As a result, Mr. Stoffer said the men he encountered are booking their prostate exams.

Mr. Stoffer said he was dedicating his effort to "any person in the country that goes through prostate cancer."

Mr. Layton, he pointed out, is not the only MP to have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Former Liberal Finance minister Allan Rock, Reform Party leader Preston Manning and Independent MP André Arthur (Portneuf-Jacques Cartier, Que.) have all battled the disease.

And there is a long list of MPs who have dealt with cancer in its various incarnations.

Mr. Layton's wife, NDP MP Olivia Chow (Trinity-Spadina Ont.) was diagnosed and treated for with thyroid cancer in 2000.

Minister of Transport Chuck Strahl (Chilliwack-Fraser Canyon, B.C.) found out he had an untreatable form of lung cancer in 2005, though it has not spread in the aggressive manner expected.

Bloc Québécois MP Nicole Demers (Laval, Que.) was treated for a rapidly-growing breast lump in 2000. Yolande Brunelle, wife of Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe (Laurier Sainte Marie, Que.) has also had that cancer.

Former Liberal MP Belinda Stronach is a breast cancer survivor. Mr. Stronach underwent a mastectomy in 2007. Afterwards, she partnered with the University of Toronto to establish the Belinda Stronach Chair in Breast Cancer Reconstructive Surgery.

Bloc Québécois MP Francine Lalonde (La Point-de-Île, Que.) is battling cancer in her white blood cells.

The late Chuck Cadman (Independent MP for Surrey North, B.C.) died of skin cancer in 2005. His wife, Dona Cadman, who now represents that riding, set up a series of clinics on Parliament Hill that resulted in Conservative Lee Richardson (Calgary Centre, Alta.) and now-retired Independent MP Bill Casey being diagnosed with that cancer as well.

Former Conservative MP Inky Mark, who just retired from politics this September, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2003. After surgery and four months of recovery he returned to the House of Commons. Mr. Mark's father died of prostate cancer, his mother died of breast cancer, and his sister died of liver cancer after it had spread from her colon.

As he grows a moustache, Mr. Rae said he knows no shortage of people who have been touched by cancer.

"Unfortunately I have a lot of people in mind, I have a lot of friends and relatives who have been affected by it, so it's a chance for me to try to raise awareness and make sure we're doing a little bit more, in terms of research," he explained.

"We're raising a little bit of awareness, a little bit of money, it's sort of fun," said Mr. Rae.

He said that he had started growing his moustache a week late because he was travelling in the Middle East and "decided not to inflict it on my foreign hosts."

Despite some drawbacks, from pesky crumbs of food during a television interview, to disgruntled wives and chuckles from strangers, all the MPs interviewed for this story said they would stick with their moustaches until the end of the month.

"It's a terrible thing to get diagnosed with the 'C' word as they say, so anything we can do to raise awareness," said Mr. Stoffer.

"The key is early detection, whether you have breast cancer, colon cancer, liver cancer, whatever it is, it's always early detection. If we get you early, we can save your life.'"

jbruno@hilltimes.com

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