Toronto’s Woodbine Beach becomes ‘beach cemetery’ as reminder to protect against melanoma

Canada has one of the highest rates of new cases in the world and 11,300 people are expected to get that diagnosis in 2026.

Published Jul 23, 2026  •  Last updated 17 minutes ago  •  3 minute read

This is just one of 60 tombstones being set up at Toronto's Woodbine Beach on Thursday to remind people to protect their skin against the sun due to the high rate of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, in Canada. Photo by HANDOUT /The David Cornfield Melanoma Fund

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Don’t be surprised if you see 60 tombstones on Woodbine Beach on Thursday morning in Toronto.

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They are part of a startling display called Beach Cemetery being set up by the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund to remind the public that, over the next two weeks, 60 people in Canada are expected to die from melanoma, also known as the country’s deadliest skin cancer.

“We’re setting up colourful towels with stark melanoma statistics and tombstones and they’ll be laid out on the beach,” said Danielle Paterson, who is executive director of the fund. “And we think it’s a very powerful installation to illustrate the severity of melanoma in Canada. We really want Canadians to understand the importance of sun safety. The main message of our campaign is to live longer and protect your skin.”

Paterson says Canada has one of the highest rates of new melanoma cases in the world and 11,300 people are expected to get that diagnosis in 2026.

About David Cornfield

Toronto married father, David Cornfield, died from melanoma in 2005 at the age of 32. (David  Cornfield Melanoma Fund) Photo by David Cornfield Melanoma Fund

Cornfield was a married father from Toronto who died at the age of 32 from melanoma in 2005. The fund is a Canadian charity set up in his honour.

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“(David) was an amazing guy,” Paterson said. “David was a very special and talented person. He was a partner at the (accounting firm) Deloitte, the youngest partner ever. He was an extremely charismatic and special person. His life was needlessly cut short. It was his wish that the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund be created so no other family would lose a loved one to melanoma. We really want to empower people that they have the control to live longer and they can enjoy the summer safely just by protecting their skin.”

Paterson said the tombstones, while startling, send a strong message.

“The idea is to put in stark contrast that feeling of a happy day at the beach, things that people like to enjoy outside, with the real statistics with the cost of melanoma,” Paterson said.

“We know that three to four Canadians die every day from melanoma. We also know that these deaths are avoidable. Melanoma is one of the most preventable cancers, and 95% of cases can be prevented through sun safety,” she said. “So we really want people to understand their choices have consequences and we want to empower people to protect their skin so that they can reduce their risk of melanoma. If melanoma not detected early and not treated early, it spreads to other parts of your body so it’s very difficult to treat so it can be deadly and it can be death quite quickly.”

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Precautions to protect yourself

Among the precautions the fund advises is to limit time in the sun between 11 a.m.-3 p.m., seek shade, cover up with clothing, hat and sunglasses, and use sunscreen daily.

“The notion of using everything in conjunction is really, really important,” Paterson said. “I also think some people aren’t aware of the severity of the sun and a tan is a sign of permanent skin damage and UV exposure over time can really significant increase your risk. So we want to illustrate how critical it is to protect your skin in the sun.”

Also make a note of any unusual moles or changes with your physician.

“Checking your skin is really important,” Paterson said. “Melanoma is treatable if it’s detected early so we recommend that people check their skin regularly and report any changes to their doctor.”

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