Edmonton, Alberta (April 4, 2022) – Five brave Canadians are going to new heights to raise money for type 1 diabetes (T1D) research, and PCL will be there to support them — literally.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian doctors Frederick Banting and Charles Best discovering insulin, JDRF Canada is hosting the Let’s Make History Again event from Apr. 4 to 8, 2022. Five people in four cities — Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver — will camp out for 100 hours each as part of the Flagpole 100 Challenge in enclosed structures on top of 40-foot-high flagpoles fabricated and assembled by our partner, Walters Group, to raise money for T1D research. PCL will be coordinating the setup and takedown of the event.

“At PCL, we’re driven to build a better future by building people, communities and legacies. We are proud to contribute to JDRF through supporting and building the flagpoles to help commemorate the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin,” said Mike Wieninger, chief operating officer, Canadian operations. “We hope that through the combined efforts of all those involved, we can do our part to support JDRF’s mission of improving lives for those living with type 1 diabetes.”

One hundred other families living with T1D, spanning every Canadian province and territory, will be camping out at home in support of the challenge.

According to JDRF, as many as 300,000 Canadians live with T1D. Diabetes is the leading cause of several health complications, including heart disease, stroke, and kidney failure. While the discovery of insulin has saved millions of lives and is one of Canada’s greatest contributions to the world, those living with T1D still require insulin to stay alive.  

The Let’s Make History event is part of the JDRF’s larger $100M Campaign to Accelerate, which aims to transform T1D research and move beyond treating the condition with insulin towards an actual cure. To learn more and donate to the cause, visit CanadaCuresDiabetes.ca.

About PCL Construction
PCL is a group of independent construction companies that carries out work across Canada, the United States, the Caribbean and in Australia. These diverse operations in the civil infrastructure, heavy industrial, and buildings markets are supported by a strategic presence in more than 30 major centers. Together, these companies have an annual construction volume of more than $8 billion, making PCL the largest contracting organization in Canada and one of the largest in North America.