Attracting new donors is a top priority for Canadian Blood Services. The goal is to attract 100,000 new donors across Canada this fiscal year, and so far they've only attracted 45,000 new donors. Canadian Blood Services still hopes to secure another 55,000 by the end of March.

Manitoba Territory Manager Steve Raisen, says in general, the blood supply is doing fine, but there is an on-going need for new donors to make appointments in the near future.

Raisen says one of the reasons the need for new donors is so great is changes in eligibility. He says as of December 2016, instead of having to wait 56 days in between donations, women now have to wait 84 days. "As a result, there's a gap in terms of the donation," added Raisen.

In addition, in the best interest of the donor, Raisen says minimum hemoglobin requirements will also be going up. Both changes creating a greater need.

Raisen says they're definitely seeing new donors walking into the clinics, but not as many as they'd like. "We find that most folks who aren't currently donating, don't donate because they've never been asked, or they weren't aware there was a need for blood donations."

Raisen notes they are in need of all types of blood, but the most in demand is O-Negative.