The Priory of Canada

Who We Are

In 2008, the Priory of Canada [operating as St John Ambulance Canada] is celebrating its 125th anniversary of helping Canadians get first aid safe! For well over a century, St John Ambulance Canada has been dedicated to a single mission: to enable Canadians to improve their health, safety and quality of life by providing community services and first aid training. With more than 22,000 volunteers, St John Ambulance Canada is one of the country’s leading charities and largest volunteer-based organisations.

Our volunteers, together with the efforts of 6,000 certified instructors and 470 employees, offer a level of dedication and service that is best measured in the million lives that are touched each year and an astounding two million hours of volunteer time devoted to building safe communities across Canada.

Our first aid programmes and community services touch all stages of life – from newborns, children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly to Canadian soldiers stationed in Afghanistan. During the deadly SARS outbreak that killed 44 people in Toronto in 2003, St John Ambulance volunteers provided medical assistance at hospitals, clinics and community centres.  Again in 2003, as forest fires raged through Western Canada, volunteers from St John Ambulance assisted with mass evacuations, medical supplies and first aid services.

Our international charitable activities include contributions totaling some CDN$120,000 per year to support the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, as well as providing first aid training for caregivers who, in turn, help those living with AIDS in several southern African countries.

Canada at a glance

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean. It is the world's second largest country by total area, and shares land borders with the United States to the south and northwest.

A federation now comprising ten provinces and three territories, Canada is a parliamentary democracy and a constitutional monarchy, with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. It is a bilingual and multicultural country, with both English and French as official languages at the federal level. Its population was 31,612,897 in 2006 and it is ranked 4th out of 177 in the United Nation’s Human Development Index for 2008.
 

What We Do

Supporting Canadian Communities

In 2007, we provided first aid services to some 21,000 people who were injured among the millions of people that attended the 16,000 events covered by St John Ambulance Canada. Our volunteers have touched the lives of children with autism and the elderly through some 67,000 therapy dog visitation to schools, hospitals and eldercare facilities. St John Ambulance youth division provides structured programs for more than 2,000 young adults and complement our scholarship and bursary programs. Together, these promote leadership and personal development skills for the leaders of tomorrow. 

Skills that Save Lives – at work, home and play

Without a doubt, first aid and CPR save lives. Each year, more than 600,000 Canadians receive first aid and CPR training from St John Ambulance. We offer Canada’s most comprehensive, state-of-the-art training programs for businesses, individuals and communities. Developed in conjunction with leading health care organizations, first aid training by St John Ambulance is led by highly trained instructors and incorporates the latest teaching methods to maximize learning.

First Aid Products – Essential Tools in Any Emergency

St John Ambulance Canada offers a wide range of first aid kits and individual supplies for families and businesses, including – home and fire safety, sports, marine, wilderness, vehicle, emergency preparedness, influenza, and much more. Proceeds from the sale of St. John Ambulance first aid kits and products go directly to supporting community services and programs delivered by our volunteers.

The Order of St John – A Canadian Honour

The Order of St John in Canada, is one of Canada’s five national honours, with an active membership of approximately 5,500 Canadians who have been recognized for their outstanding work in support of the St John mission.  The Order is a humanitarian order recognized as a National order in the Canadian Honours System since 1990.