Train the Next Hero Launches Its First National Tour in Calgary With Free CPR Training

Free hands-on workshops in CPR and AED use, choking and opioid poisoning response open a six-city tour that started eight years ago in North York

CALGARY, ALBERTA, CANADA, November 10, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Coast2Coast First Aid, named a Top 3 Canadian Red Cross Training Partner, will launch the first national tour of Train the Next Hero, its free CPR training event, in Calgary on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The event began in North York in 2018, after bystanders were the first to help in the minutes following the Yonge Street van attack. This year it comes to Alberta for the first time, with Calgary and Edmonton sharing the national kickoff.

Fast Facts

- What: Free one-hour workshops in CPR and AED use, choking and opioid poisoning response
- When: Saturday, November 14, 2026 (session times below)
- Where: Coast2Coast First Aid Calgary, 222 16 Ave NE, Suite 225, just east of Centre Street and a few minutes north of downtown Calgary
- Who: Open to the public, with no experience needed
- Taught by: Canadian Red Cross certified instructors
- Cost: Free, but spots are limited and a free Eventbrite ticket is required

What the Free CPR Training in Calgary Covers

- CPR and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED), practised hands-on with AED trainers
- How to recognize choking and help someone who cannot breathe
- How to recognize an opioid poisoning and what to do until help arrives

All equipment is provided. The one-hour CPR classes run in small groups, so every participant practises on a CPR manikin and an AED trainer. It is an introduction to first aid training, not a full course.

Also, the “Coast2Coast’s online CPR Challenge simulates real-world CPR as a game, so people can see what it feels like and build confidence before they ever need it

"Train the Next Hero is our way of giving back to the communities that have supported us, and of making Canada safer, one hero at a time. Starting our first national tour in Calgary and Edmonton means more Albertans will know how to step in and save a life before help arrives," said Aryan Sekhavati, Co-Founder of Coast2Coast First Aid.

How Train the Next Hero Began

Train the Next Hero began in North York after the Yonge Street van attack on April 23, 2018. In the minutes after the attack, the people on the street were the first to help. Less than a month later, Coast2Coast held the first Train the Next Hero at Mel Lastman Square. Nearly 3,000 people have registered for the event since, including 880 in 2025. In 2026, for the first time, the event is touring six cities in 15 days: Calgary, Edmonton, Windsor, North York, Ottawa and Halifax.

Calgary Event Details

- Session times: One-hour workshops start at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., then 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- Address: Coast2Coast First Aid Calgary, 222 16 Ave NE, Suite 225, Calgary, AB T2E 1J8

For anyone looking for CPR classes near Crescent Heights or Tuxedo Park, the centre sits between the two neighbourhoods, a few minutes north of downtown Calgary, and is easy to reach from Centre Street and Edmonton Trail. Residents from across the city, from Bridgeland and Renfrew to the Beltline, are welcome.

How to Register

The workshops are free, but spots are limited and a free Eventbrite ticket is required. Each person registers with their own email address, there are no walk-ins, and late arrivals cannot join a later session. Registration for Calgary and every other city is available on the Train the Next Hero 2026 page.

Media are welcome to attend and film workshops in Calgary on November 14. To arrange interviews or filming times, contact Godwin Orilua at marketing@c2cfirstaidaquatics.com.

About the Training

Train the Next Hero is an introductory workshop and does not include a certificate. A full Canadian Red Cross certification typically requires 4 to 8 hours of in-class training, plus a similar amount of online learning for blended courses, followed by a skills assessment. Workshop participants will be offered a discount on full Canadian Red Cross certification courses. Full Canadian Red Cross first aid certification, including Alberta OHS approved first aid and CPR courses, is available year-round at the Coast2Coast Calgary first aid and CPR training centre.

About Coast2Coast First Aid

Founded in Toronto in 2014, Coast2Coast First Aid (legal name Coast2Coast First Aid & Aquatics Inc.) is an Authorized Training Partner for the Canadian Red Cross and has been named a Top 3 Canadian Red Cross Training Partner. It delivers First Aid, CPR/AED, Basic Life Support and Professional Responder programs from more than 35 locations and 50 service areas across Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Nova Scotia.

Godwin Orilua
Coast2Coast First Aid
+1 866-291-9121
marketing@c2cfirstaidaquatics.com
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