about us

ThinkFirst/Pensez dAbord Quebec was established in 1993 under the leadership of Mr. Jean Pothier, a Montreal businessman and parent of a brain injured child. In 1999, Jean Pothier and Think First Quebec were the recipient of the 2nd Annual Trauma Achievement Award given by the McGill University Health Centre. The Foundations Board of Directors assists and advises the organizations Quebec officers and any other staff member responsible for implementing, within the province, programs that are in line with the national organizations mission. The Board offers the community's perspectives and resources in the design and delivery of provincial programs.

ThinkFirst Pensez d'Abord Quebec has been endorsed by Hôpital Sainte-Justine, the Quebec Association of Neurosurgeons, the Association of Pediatricians of Quebec, the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, the McGill University Health Centre, the Montreal General Hospital, the Montreal Children's Hospital and Hôpital Enfant-Jésus in Quebec City.

Our mission is to raise public awareness, particularly among young people, with respect to the prevention of brain and spinal cord injuries. Our in-school educational programs help young people realize the consequences of their actions and strengthen their autonomy by encouraging them to making wiser choices.

ThinkFirst/Pensez d'Abord Quebec seeks to safeguard the health of our country's most precious resource our youth. We believe that young people must use their heads in order to protect their bodies. There is no one in Quebec who has not been touched in one way or another by such devastating injuries. We all agree that these permanent injuries must be prevented. In Quebec, at this time, at the grass roots level, no organization, other than Think First/Pensez d'Abord Quebec, is educating our youth about the consequences of their risk-taking behavior.

For more information on our work and how to book your school presentation, please contact Natalie Auclair, Provincial Coordinator at 450-968-0055 or email at natauc@aol.com.

what we do:

We deliver our prevention message through five educational programs designed to reach young people. These programs seek to inform and raise awareness among young people, their parents and the general public regarding the consequences of risky behaviour and to make it clearly understood that neurological injuries are permanent.

Presentations lasting between 20 to 75 minutes and tailored to young people ranging from pre-schoolers to Secondary V students are given at schools that request them. The Think First teams are made up of a main presenter and a VIP (Voice of Injury Prevention), a person who has suffered a head or spinal cord injury.

The presentation covers the following subjects:

• The brain and the spinal cord: what are they?
• How to prevent an "accident"
• The importance of practicing safe habits and a number of tips to make this easier
• The VIP story
• An exchange then takes place between the students and presenters during which questions raised by the presentation are answered

We also partner with many local community agencies:

Since 1999, presentations on the prevention of impaired driving have been given to Secondary V students in the area covered by Station 28 of the SPVM (Montreal police department). These presentations have been improved year by year, notably through the partnership established in 2001 with the ThinkFirst/Pensez dAbord. Various subjects are dealt with in these presentations, including the effects of alcohol, the zero-tolerance measure applicable to new drivers, legal consequences, the effects of cannabis, possible alternatives and speeding. A PowerPoint presentation was also created by ThinkFirst/Pensez dAbord Qubec in collaboration with the Montreal police department.

Association Québécoise des Traumatisés Crâniens (AQTC)

The Association Québécoise des Traumatisés Crâniens (Quebec association of brain-trauma victims) and the ThinkFirst/Pensez dAbord Quebec developed closer ties to one another during 2007-2008. Although the AQTCs mandate does not involve prevention and working with young people, there are many ways we can work together. With the number of presentations given by ThinkFirst/Pensez d'Abord Quebec, we always need more people who want to speak to our audience about their personal experiences. While this type of prevention presentation is not part of the services provided by the AQTC, many AQTC members are interested in giving one. Thus, there is a collaboration opportunity that may well benefit both agencies members.

The Montreal Children's Hospital

ThinkFirst/Pensez dAbord Quebec teams up with nurses from the Montreal Childrens' Hospital to visit elementary and secondary schools across Quebec to bring awareness to students about the importance of the brain and spinal cord. Together we strive to reduce the incidence of preventable brain and spinal cord injuries through educational school programs, interactive demonstrations and activities which have been developed to increase public awareness.

The Montreal Childrens' Hospital is the paediatric hospital of the McGill University Health Centre. This bilingual institution aims to be a leader in the care and treatment of sick infants, children, and adolescents, to be a source of support for their families, and to be an advocate for the rights of all children to reach their full potential.

Our mandate, TOGETHER, is to join forces to intensify and increase the reach of our message.

success stories

• Pensez d'Abord Quebec's VIP, Enrico Quilico took part in a triathlon on September 12, 2009. Enrico raised $5500 in support of Pensez d'Abord's injury prevention work. The money will be used to provide bicycle helmets to students in Montreal. Click here to read a 'thank-you' from Enrico.
• We have delivered our prevention programs in Québec to 1789 schools in 11 230 presentations to 223 619 students.
• Over the 2007-2008 School year we saw 19 797 students and 3043 adults in 149 presentations. We also:
• Distributed 58 571 brochures
• Distributed 256 helmets
• Gave away 353 t-shirts
• We have received more than $1 million from the private sector to meet our needs.
• We are a volunteer organization:
• 9 VIPs (Voices of Prevention)
• 5 Speakers
• Regional office opened in the following areas:
• Laval
• Laurentians
• Lanaudire
• Montreal
• Quebec City
• Estrie (Fall 2008)

fundraising initiatives

Please check back soon for updates on our fundraising initiatives. In the interim we are happy to receive donations of any size. Please send cheques to the National office at 750 Dundas St W, Suite 3-314, Toronto, ON, M6J 3S3. Please be sure to note that the donation should be directed to the Quebec Chapter.

board of directors:

Léo Cantin - Président de l'Association des Neurochirurgiens du Québec Neurosuregeon & President of the Québec Association of Neurosurgeon

René Dallaire - CA -Accountant

Royal Govain Chef de la Direction de Grenzebach Glier Canada

Jacques Lamontagne Consultant en intervention sociale et professionnelle - Consultant

Steeve Martel Confrencier - Speaker

François Morin Associ depuis 1997 chez Borden Ladner Gervais - Associate at Borden Ladner Gervais

Normand Newberry Administrateur et Confrencier - Administrator & Speaker

Carole Perron Mtre. Perron Directrice, Aviva -Mtre. Perron Director, Aviva

Jean Pothier - Homme daffaires - Businessman

Kathryn Stephenson Musicienne et Administrateur Musician & Administrator

Barbara-Ann Thompson Administrateur - Administrator

278


278 helmets given away this year!

187


187 classrooms presented to!



contact us

Natalie Auclair Provincial Coordinator

T: 450-968-0055 E: natauc@aol.com