Ontario shines bright on Doctors’ Day

By Paul Forrest, Member Relations, Advocacy & Communications

Earlier this month, thousands of people across Ontario raised a light in appreciation of you, Ontario’s doctors. It was a provincewide act of thanks. Thank you for leading Ontario to better health. Thank you for putting your patients before yourselves. Thank you for showing courage so patients can find theirs.

Why shine a light?

A phone flashlight has become the modern form of appreciation for people who perform. It is something anyone can do from the safety of quarantine. The light symbolizes ‘finding a way in the dark,’ and that’s what Ontario’s doctors have been doing for months while putting themselves at risk.

This simple act of tribute inspired thousands to spread the word, making this year’s Doctors’ Day one of the most successful.

Shine a Light For Them campaign

Leading up to Doctors’ Day, the OMA launched an Ontario-wide integrated marketing campaign to spread the word, and mobilize Ontario to #ShineALightForThem. Within days, social media reached tens of thousands of people, and the campaign grew. The overwhelming sense of appreciation the people of Ontario, its officials and organizations have for you, the doctors of Ontario, led to the campaign’s growth.

Social content promoting the event was shared across the province. On May 1, Canada’s #1 and #2 Twitter trend were #DoctorsDay and #ShineALIghtForThem. Media interest was high in advance and on Doctors’ Day. We also received notable public support from Toronto Mayor John Tory, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, and Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott on the floor of the legislature.

From Sault St. Marie to Sarnia, more than 20 cities from across the province participated, lighting more than 24 landmarks, including for the second year in a row, the CN Tower and Niagara Falls.   

The results

• thousands of people declared their support for doctors on social media
• Doctors’ Day was Twitter’s #1 trending topic on May 1
• landmarks across Ontario like the CN Tower and Niagara Falls were lit blue in support
• numerous political leaders declared their support for Ontario’s doctors
• thousands of people helped make the night bright
• there was extensive media coverage leading up to, and on the day across the province

We hope every doctor in Ontario felt the appreciation and respect citizens of Ontario have for them and all they do to lead Ontario to better health. Check out all Doctors’ Day coverage from across the province.

Doctors’ Day was proclaimed in 2011 and is celebrated every year on May 1 to commemorate the birthday of Canada’s first woman physician, Dr. Emily Stowe.