Movember 2023

Movember, an annual global initiative, has emerged as a powerful movement dedicated to transforming the landscape of men's health. While initially recognized for raising awareness about prostate and testicular cancer, Movember has significantly expanded its focus to include men's mental health—a critical aspect often overlooked in discussions about wellbeing.

Many men find it difficult to talk about their health, whether it be physical or mental, and this can lead to a lack of understanding and treatment of health issues. By encouraging men to talk openly and honestly about their health, Movember helps to break down these barriers and promote better health for all men.

In addition to raising awareness, Movember also raises funds for men's health initiatives. Through the efforts of individuals and organizations around the world, Movember has been able to fund numerous research projects and initiatives that are focused on improving the health of men. By participating in Movember, individuals can help to support these important efforts and make a positive impact on men's health.

Around the globe, 164 Stantec employees created 23 Movember teams and raised CAD39,069 for Movember. With a donation from the Company of CAD10,000, this brings our total contribution to CAD49,069.

“We wanted to take part this year as a bit of fun in the office while raising some money for a good cause, however, as we got into it, we started doing various presentations to raise awareness, including local office briefs,” Simon Kember, a consultant in our Leeds, UK, office said, “I also spoke at the most recent graduate conference and carbon conference where I used my time to give a brief health and safety moment on Movember. In doing these presentations, it became instantly apparent how important the work is that Movember does, and the facts and figures are astounding—especially for young men.”

The Taunton, UK, office hosted a range of fundraising activities across the office which included a “pin the moustache” game on the face of renowned moustache wearer: Tom Selleck.

“I first got involved in Movember over a decade ago having read about it online after the loss of a close friend,” Jimmy Knowles, project management lead and operations manager, in our Warrrington, UK, office said. “The charity does fantastic work supporting men’s mental health issues as well as various cancer charities. Over the years the cause has become very close to me, especially having lost friends and work colleagues to suicide, and having had close family members go through cancer treatment. This year marked the 11th year that the Warrington office have taken part in Movember and to date we’ve raised over CAD6,740.” 

Randy Sinukoff, senior associate in our Markham, Ontario, office has always been a key contributor for Stantec Movember and, along with Kevin Cunningham, instrumentation technologist in our Calgary, Alberta, office, has been a Movember participant for the past 15 years. This year alone, his team raised over CAD18,400. “As captain for Stantec Canada, I am proud to say we had more participation than last year, and we easily achieved our fundraising goal of CAD15,000 this year,” Randy said. “Stantec Canada also ended up in third place in the Canadian Engineering Movember Challenge which ended up raising over CAD156,500.”

In Australia and New Zealand, employees in Wellington, Perth, Palmerston North, Sydney, Wollongong, South Brisbane, Victoria, the Gold Coast, and Fortitude Valley raised CAD13,025. Participation also expanded to Plano, Texas, Chicago, Illinois, Rochelle Park, New Jersey, Chicoutimi, Quebec, and Redditch, UK.

Movember's impact extends beyond the individual. By fostering an environment where men are encouraged to prioritize their mental health, the initiative creates a ripple effect that positively influences families, workplaces, and communities. When men prioritize their wellbeing, they become better equipped to support those around them.

We are proud of the efforts made by Stantec employees worldwide during Movember to not only raise money for men's health, but also to also raise awareness about prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and men's suicide prevention. The moustache has become the driving symbol of a movement to help men live happier, healthier, and longer lives.

Read more about the great work Movember does and donate today.