When the Man Van rolls into a community, people notice.
It’s a $500,000 prostate cancer testing clinic on wheels, and the organization behind the mobile billboard hopes it will get more men to get checked.
Behind the wheel, and hosting some of the events is Ken Watkins, a prostate cancer survivor and volunteer with the Prostate Cancer Centre.
When they rolled into the London Drugs parking lot in South Edmonton Common, a lineup had formed before the doors of the clinic were even opened.
“We’re here to save lives, and when you see a lineup like that, it means two things. One, men care about their health and secondly, the awareness is getting out there,” said Watkins.
“The more men we can test, the more lives we can save.”
Watkins was diagnosed with Stage 3 prostate cancer in March 2024. After going through treatment, he rang the bell at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton that December. He is now officially in remission.
Now, he volunteers as a way to give back.
The Man Van program started in Calgary 16 years ago, launched by two urologists.
Two years ago, it expanded north, now travelling across every “square mile” of Alberta — small towns, large centres, and remote Indigenous communities, testing men between the ages of 40 and 70.
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The newest Man Van is fully equipped with medical staff and runs more than 250 clinics a year, fully funded by donors and corporate sponsors.
According to the Prostate Cancer Centre, one in six Alberta men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, the most common cancer among men.
This November, Prostate Cancer Canada has launched a campaign to keep the funds that are raised in Alberta here in Alberta. This November, the organization is looking at raising $500,000 as part of the Keep it in Alberta campaign.
“This campaign is about doing something tangible for the men in your community,” Jeff Davidson, CEO of the Prostate Cancer Centre, said. “Every dollar raised here, stays here and results in better outcomes for Alberta patients.
“We’re the only ones in Canada doing this with a portable clinic. I love that every bit of it goes right back to helping people here.”
Even on the tough days, like remote communities where no one shows up, Watkins keeps perspective.
“It’s disappointing. We’re there to save lives. But then you get days like today, where the line wraps around the building. And you think, ‘Yeah. This matters.’”
Watkins says stigma is still one of the biggest barriers for many men, adding it’s the women in their lives that often give them the push to get checked.
“Thank God for women,” he said. “They’ve got it figured out and you know they kind of like their spouse they kind want to keep them around a while.
“I can’t even say how many times I’ve had a guy say, ‘Well, my wife told me I got to.'”
The Man Van has also launched clinical studies to support lowering the recommended screening age to 40.
As each man registers, then steps onto the van and meets one of three clinicians onboard, a small vial of blood is drawn and sent to the lab. If PSA levels come back elevated, the team contacts them and encourages follow-up testing.
For some, like Watkins himself, that early test becomes life-changing.
“There’s fear when you’re told you have cancer,” he says quietly. “You don’t know what’s coming. But early detection gives you a fighting chance.”
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