Marc Garneau left lasting legacy on Earth and in space, former colleagues say
While best-known in later years as a federal cabinet minister, Garneau, who died this week at 76, was also a Navy officer, a systems engineer, and an astronaut with a lifelong passion for science, according to his friends and colleagues.
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Ottawa Citizen
a day ago
- Ottawa Citizen
Saving the precious resource of blood during major liver surgery
Article content Between a quarter to a third of people having major liver surgery, often due to cancer, will need a blood transfusion. Now, imagine being able to reduce the need for this type of transfusion and the impact it would have on a global scale. This has been a vision for Dr. Guillaume Martel, a surgeon and scientist, who holds the donor-funded Arnie Vered Family Chair in Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Research at The Ottawa Hospital and University of Ottawa. Article content Article content When Dr. Martel was training as a fellow in Montreal, he witnessed a technique for liver surgery that was new to him. It reduces the amount of blood loss during a liver operation, and the idea both fascinated and intrigued him. But when he did some digging, the young doctor realized there wasn't much background on the technique and there were no clinical trials — no concrete evidence to prove its value. Article content When he arrived at The Ottawa Hospital, it became a personal mission to learn more about the technique, known as hypovolemic phlebotomy, where a controlled amount of blood is removed from the patient before liver surgery, then re-infused back into the patient afterward. Once he and his team, including anesthetist Dr. Chris Wherrett, perfected the technique, they decided to do their own research, in order to have concrete evidence showing the impact of this practice-changing medicine. Article content Article content Often donations from the community help get the early phase research projects off the ground, attracting large-scale funding through grants to launch in-depth investigations. Article content Once Dr. Martel's team had tested the safety and feasibility of the technique in major liver surgery as part of a Phase 1 trial at the hospital, they launched the largest trial of its kind, thanks to funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Article content Over five years, ending in 2023, 446 people were recruited at four Canadian hospitals, including The Ottawa Hospital, to participate. 'Once under anesthetic, patients were randomly selected to receive either hypovolemic phlebotomy, to decrease blood transfusions, or to receive usual care,' explains Dr. Martel.
Toronto Sun
a day ago
- Toronto Sun
William Shatner opens up about ‘ups and downs' of living with permanent hearing loss
William Shatner attends the 52nd Annual Saturn Awards at Hilton Universal City Hotel on February 02, 2025 in Universal City, California. Photo by Victoria Sirakova / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. William Shatner is speaking out about the difficulties of living with tinnitus. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The primary causes of the condition, also known as permanent hearing loss, are age and exposure to loud sounds, according to Health Canada. The Canadian actor, 94, was diagnosed in the '90s long after filming on the Star Trek set, but noted that his tinnitus has worsened as he has gotten older. 'My own journey with tinnitus started when I was filming a Star Trek episode called 'Arena,' and I was too close to the special effects explosion, and the result was that I was left with permanent tinnitus,' Shatner shared in a new video for the nonprofit Tinnitus Quest, which aims to raise money for research aimed at finding a cure or treatment for the condition. 'And over the years, I've had many ups and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get,' Shatner continued. The Boston Legal actor also said in the video that 'about 1% to 2% of the population suffer from a chronic, debilitating form of tinnitus' and 'there are no effective treatments' for it. 'The more money we can raise for Tinnitus Quest, the quicker we can find a solution to help the millions of people suffering,' Shatner added. 'Thank you so much for watching, and I hope you will consider donating to Tinnitus Quest.' Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Most people who have mild hearing loss aren't even aware they have it, according to Health Canada, which notes that in a study that looked at hearing loss among people in Canada between the ages of 40 and 79, 8% of men and 5% of women self-reported hearing impairment. However, when researchers measured the hearing of participants in the study, they found that 63% of men and 46% of women had measurable hearing loss. The T.J. Hooker star previously spoke candidly about his condition in an interview with E! News , recalling in an interview when he realized he had tinnitus and how it has impacted his life. RECOMMENDED VIDEO 'I was on the beach and it's a vivid moment, and you know how the waves go out — the wave comes in [roars] and then it goes 'ssss' [as it] goes out. All of a sudden, I kept hearing a 'ssss' even though there was another wave coming. And that's how I discovered [I had tinnitus],' he explained. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Shatner went to the doctor who said 'it might not' get worse, the actor knew. 'But of course it does as you age,' he said. Read More Shatner said he eventually got used to the sound, explaining, 'your brain starts to assimilate the sound, like it would if you were living beside an airport,' but admitted that it can be overwhelming at times. 'Sometimes it's really bad, but I know it's not going to kill me.' Toronto Maple Leafs World World World Toronto Maple Leafs
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Globe and Mail
I remember Marc Garneau
The Stars and Stripes on the flagpole at the front of the Johnson Space Center is enormous, as you'd expect from a major American institution. I had been at Johnson for a couple of days, as a reporter covering the shuttle flight of Canadian astronaut Steve MacLean, and I remember being struck by the sheer size of the place – some 100 buildings on more than 1,600 acres of land. And, of course, that giant, brash flag. I first met Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, on Oct. 24, 1992, at JSC, where he was with the Canadian Space Agency. MacLean's shuttle had been launched from Kennedy Space Center two days earlier and I had flown across the U.S. to follow the flight from mission control at JSC. Marc Garneau, first Canadian in space, remembered for aspirations he held for his country That Saturday evening, there was also some baseball being played. The Toronto Blue Jays, leading the World Series with the Atlanta Braves 3-2, were in the Georgia city for Game 6. After filing my report for the day to the Toronto Star, I joined other journalists and members of the Canadian Space Agency in a hotel room to watch the game. Garneau, as I recall, was not expected, owing to pressure of work on the mission, but showed up anyway, a couple of innings into the game. Someone had organized a betting pool, in which you picked a number. If that number turned out to equal the sum of the runs scored in the game, you took the kitty. As it happened, both Garneau and I had 7; the Jays won the game 4-3 to take their first World Series so Garneau and I shared the small prize. The party broke up soon after the game ended. The shuttle mission was still under way and we all had work the next day. That Sunday, as I drove into the JSC complex, I noticed an oddity. Atop the flagpole, above the U.S. flag, was a small red and white banner. Somehow, the Maple Leaf had been hoisted during the night. And because it was Sunday, with only the shuttle mission staff on the premises, it stayed there all day. When it comes to space, Canada has always reached for the stars I met Garneau a couple of times later, in the course of my work as The Star's science reporter, and asked him about the flag. He said he couldn't possibly comment. You can find more obituaries from The Globe and Mail here. To submit a memory about someone we have recently profiled on the Obituaries page, e-mail us at obit@
