BCHC Newsletter | February 2014

THE NEWS 

Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants Update

The deadline for applications for the Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants for Local Governments is March 14, 2014.

Read more about the grants on PlanH.

New Municipal Alcohol Policy (MAP) Grants Available
Interested in the BC Liquor Policy Review? Want to know what it might mean for your community? Do you want to develop polices and procedures that ensure your local government has clear guidelines regarding alcohol?  

We are pleased to announce the third round of funding for the Municipal Alcohol Policy program for local governments in our province. BCHC is accepting expressions of interest from all local governments, including First Nations communities, for seed grants of up to $7,000 to develop a MAP in their communities.

Next Steps

• Find out if MAP is right for your community by contacting us. 
• Apply for up to $7,000 to help fund the development of the MAP by completing the MAP application form and submitting it by March 21, 2014.

Questions?

Email the Healthy Communities Program Coordinator Krissi Spinoza at hccoordinator@bchealthycommunities.ca or call 250-952-9177.

Creston and Area Youth Forum Alive with Ideas

Drawing by Mormon Hills School Student.

We met with youth from Creston (Prince Charles Secondary School) and Bountiful (Mormon Hills School) last month for a series of facilitated exercises, on behalf of the Town of Creston, and with funding from Columbia Basin Trust.

We heard from youth about:

• Community assets (e.g. best places in their community, fun activities, youth spaces);
• Their skills, talents and strengths;
• Their vision for a more youth-friendly community.

The results from this forum will be collated and themed, and combined with interview and survey results from youth service providers.

We’d like to thank all the youth who participated in this forum. It’s an honour to work with this group! 

To get involved or for more information, contact BCHC.

THE COMMUNITY

Community Conversation Series Showcases Power of Local Collaboration 
With thanks to Art Martens

Community leaders and advocates from Princeton to Osoyoos to Kamloops filled the Okanagan Regional Library Seniors Centre in Hedley, B.C. for the first in a series of “Community Conversations” on February 10.

The conversation series is organized by Angelique Wood, Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen (RDOS) Director of Area G, and Kim English, a director of the Hedley Heritage Museum Association.

The series will focus on sustainable and resilient examples of successful community development initiatives, with guest speakers, panel discussions, and local participation to invoke a positive community shift.

By listening to real-life example of success stories from throughout BC, and getting a chance to related the stories back to our current reality, our community leaders will have the opportunity to meet and discover strength in shared goals, said the organizers.

“This type of meeting will enable us to form lasting bonds and grow our communities,” said Wood.

The inaugural Community Conversations event featured a presentation by Julie Fowler, Executive Director of the ArtsWells Festival, now in its eleventh year.

In her presentation, “How a Town of 250 Became a Cultural Capital with ArtWells”, Fowler shared the development of the festival and lessons learned with a lively and interested audience of 40 to 60 people.

Fowler told the group her passion is to support artists of all kinds. “I want to bring them together,” she said, “and I want to bring their art to the world.”
The festival started small.

“In the beginning we gave away a lot of tickets so people would come.” Said Fowler. “If an artist showed an interest, we begged them to come. There was little money to pay them, but we did feed them.”

Last year’s sold-out festival attracted approximately 2,000 guests, and included the efforts over 200 volunteers, with over 100 musical performances on 12 stages, and more than 20 workshops on topics ranging from Ukrainian dance to lyric writing.

This month’s Community Conversations event also included a panel discussion with representatives from the Princeton Traditional Music Festival and the Upper Similkameen Spirit Festival, who brought forward their own organizational successes and challenges.

The next Community Conversation in April will focus on food systems. For more information about this event series, please contact Kim English.

THE ARTICLE  

Nature Deficit Disorder: Reconnecting Youth With The Natural Environment 
By Michelle Sandsmark, MA Public Health (UVic) Practicum Student

We live in an era of urban sprawl and urbanization, with a dramatic increase in screen time among youth, an increase in sedentary behaviours, and a decline in physical activity.

Today, only 12 per cent of Canadian children meet daily physical activity recommendations (Government of Canada, 2014). This combination of unhealthy lifestyles and environments are related to negative health outcomes among children including chronic disease, mental illness, and obesity.

Richard Louv, the author of Last Child in the Woods, coined the term “Nature Deficit Disorder” in 2005 to describe our disintegrating relationship with the natural environment. Seventy per cent of 13-20 year olds from most provinces and territories in Canada spend less than one hour per day outdoors (AHKC, 2013). The impacts of alienation from nature are clearly detrimental to personal well-being and to the health of the environment.

 

The Impacts

Children who spend less time outdoors, and who have a reduced exposure to the natural environment are more likely to experience negative physical, mental, and social health issues, including:

• Attention problems 
• Anxiety disorders 
• Stress 
• Depression 
• Impaired cognitive functioning 
• Aggression or violence 
• Obesity

Children who spent more time connecting with nature experience some astounding positive outcomes:

• Reduced symptoms of ADHD
• Improved mental health
• Positive social skill development
• Improved resilience
• Healthier BMI
• Improved cognitive functioning
• Less risk for chronic disease or illness
• Stronger motor skill development
• A higher likelihood to care for and respect natural resources

(Keniger et al., 2013; Largo-Wight, 2011; Ming Kuo, 2010)

The Recovery

"Playing in the Wetlands" by USFWS Pacific

The disconnection between children and nature is evident, and the data and negative health outcomes are worrisome. Yet the methods for prevention and promotion are promising. Actions can span from simply improving a private or public space to include greenery, to implementing school-based programs that allow youth time to connect with the outdoors. Here are some strategies that result in improved health outcomes:

Greening a Private or Public Space

People often cite time or weather as barriers to getting outdoors. Simple actions, such as adding potted plants to an indoor space, hanging pictures of the natural environment, playing relaxing nature sounds, or having windows that have a view of the natural environment, can be beneficial to reduce the physiological effects of stress, and may also reduce the occurrence of illness (Keniger, et al., 2013; Largo-Wight, 2011).

Greening the Community and Schoolyards

Preserving green space in communities is important so all residents are able access and connect to the natural environment. Local governments can take action to ensure green space is preserved, and parks are well maintained and aesthetically pleasing so residents will want to spend time outdoors. Other actions may include establishing well connected trails and walking paths, or implementing community or school gardens for residents and students to learn, connect, and grow.

Check out the New Westminster Pier Park or the David Thompson Schoolyard Market.

 

Greening Education

Forest schools are an exciting alternative to early childhood education that allow children to spend a large portion of school time outdoors while still meeting the provincial curriculum requirements. In 2012, the first nature kindergarten was established in Sooke, B.C. The program has experienced success as educators witnessed numerous positive outcomes, such as increased physical activity levels, strong social skills development, and a determination to learn more about the natural environment.

Award-winning Power To Be Adventure Therapy programs, Adaptive Recreation and Wilderness School, offer families and youth an opportunity to engage in activities that utilize nature based activities and outdoor education to foster positive youth development while also developing various life skills.

Another great initiative that BC Healthy Communities is part of is Get Outside BC, an exciting leadership program and learning opportunity for youth in BC who have a passion for getting more youth out in nature. To find out more about this program click here

References
Active Healthy Kids Canada. (2013). Are we driving our kids to unhealthy habits? Retrieved from http://dvqdas9jty7g6.cloudfront.net/reportcard2013/AHKC-Summary-2013.pdf 

Government of Canada. (2014). Children and physical activity. Retrieved from http://healthycanadians.gc.ca/kids-enfants/physical-physique/tips-conseils-eng.php

Keniger, L.E., Gaston, K.J., Irvine, K.N., & Fuller, R.A. (2013). What are the benefits of interacting with nature? Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, 10, 913-935. doi:10.3390/ijerph10030913

Largo-Wight, E. (2011). Cultivating healthy places and communities: Evidenced-based nature contact recommendations. Intl J Envtl Health Res, 21(1), 41–61. doi 10.1080/09603123.2010.499452

Ming Kuo, F.E. (2010). Parks and other green environments: Essential components of a healthy human habitat. Retrieved from http://arris.ca/~arris2/ARCHIVE/ Parks%20and%20Other%20Greens.pdf

THE EVENTS 

Northern BC Citizen Series Webinars

We're partnering with Northern Health to host our fourth year of ‘Citizens Series’ webinars. These two-hour sessions invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people, recognizing that community and civic involvement is a cornerstone to healthy people and populations.

Each session panel will include strong northern-based voices, as well provincial or national leaders in the topic area. All you need is access to a phone and computer with an internet connection. This is a opportunity to gather colleagues and interested advocates, and access this learning webinar at a very low cost – free! Please contact us for more information or to register. To find out more about these webinar series please click here

Upcoming Webinar: Too Much of a Good Thing? Social Impacts of Rapid Industrial Growth in Rural Communities
When: April 24, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm (PST)
Register now

Upcoming Webinar: Social Retrofit: Equipping Our Communities to Support Aging in Place
When: June 12, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm (PST)
Register now

THE READ

ThinkerToys: A Handbook of Creative Thinking Techniques
By Michael Michalko

Thinker Toys is a good read for people interested in innovation and developing their own creativity and is great for getting new facilitation tips and ideas. It also reminds us that we are all capable of developing, changing, and being fully alive rather than passive beings on this planet.

Recommended by Deirdre Goudriaan, BCHC Associate Facilitator.

BCHC Newsletter | January 2014

THE NEWS
Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants
Resources for Applicants Available on PlanH

The Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants for local governments are open for applications until March 14, 2014. Applicants and interested parties who were unable to attend our over-subscribed webinar on January 23 can access the webinar recording, slides, and related resources on the PlanH website.

The grants support local government learning about the community context for health and well-being, partnership development between sectors, collaborative priority setting for health and well-being in local planning and policy, and innovative action to influence local health outcomes.


Municipal Alcohol Policy Funding Support Available

Earlier this week, BCHC Healthy Communities Coordinator Krissi Spinoza gave a presentation to the Winds of Change Committee in Pemberton. The Winds of Change is a collaborative public policy initiative of the Mount Currie Band and the Village of Pemberton that works to reduce the harm associated with drug and alcohol misuse. The group is currently working to develop a Community Alcohol Policy using funding from BC Healthy Communities Society. If your community is interested in reducing the harm caused by alcohol, contact Krissi to find out more about the help available.


Recognition for Age-Friendly Communities

Has your community been working on an age-friendly plan or a project to improve life in the community for older adults? If so, you may be eligible to join 17 other communities who have been awarded for their efforts to support healthy aging. Local governments can be formally recognized as an Age-friendly BC community after completing four steps that focus on community engagement, commitment, assessment and action. Recognized communities receive a recognition poster, a $1,000 reward and promotion on SeniorsBC.ca.

E-mail AgefriendlyBC@gov.bc.ca for an application form or visit: www.gov.bc.ca/agefriendly and search “Getting Recognized – Age-friendly”.  Applications received by March 31, 2014 are eligible for the 2014 award.

Introducing Angela Bello
New BCHC Program Support Coordinator

Angela joined the BC Healthy Communities Society team after graduating from and working at the University of Victoria. In 2011, she earned a BA Social Sciences (Sociology major, Geography minor) with three co-op work terms focused on communication. Angela played a major role in organizing events to raise awareness about mental health and systemic violence while employed at the Equity and Human Rights Office. She also gained administrative and project management skills as a Research Assistant at the WITS Programs: Creating Responsive Communities for the Prevention of Peer Victimization. Angela grew up in the northern interior of British Columbia, and is excited to connect with people across the province and to support a holistic approach to health.



Town of Creston Fosters Youth Engagement

We're delighted to help the Town of Creston and the Regional District of Central Kootenay coordinate an integrated youth engagement plan in a project funded by the Columbia Basin Trust. The Creston Area Youth Forum runs on January 29 at the Prince Charles Secondary School & Mormon Hills School in Creston. Check out the event and the multimedia contest on Facebook.


THE COMMUNITY
CVYC'S New Website Makes a Splash
By Kluane Buser-Rivet, CVYC Youth Facilitator

The City of Victoria Youth Council is so pleased to announce our brand new website! The redesign of the website is a great example of our "by youth, for youth" approach to community initiatives. First, a revamping of our website was identified as a priority by the Youth Council's Media Team.

The Media Team then developed a site plan, colour scheme and "vibe" for the website over the course of a couple months with the support of the other Youth Council members and our Coordinator. Lastly, our young web developer Nev Gibson from The Indivision Network (http://indivision.ca/) made our vision a reality and we could not be more pleased with the result! Check it out at cvyc.ca!


PedalBox Gallery Gets Around
By Kluane Buser-Rivet, CVYC Youth Facilitator

The PedalBox Gallery was pleased to participate in the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition’s public consultation event for the re-vamping of the decade-old City of Victoria Bicycling Master Plan. Hosted at the Central Library on November 30th, the event gave members of the Victoria cycling community an opportunity to start a meaningful discussion about the future of cycle friendly infrastructure in the CRD. We set up PedalBox in the courtyard with the photography of Alex Bennett-Colpman (pictured). The artist chatted with attendees after the event about his art, and the relationship between art and cycling.

In the upcoming weeks, PedalBox will be touring the city on locations along the Galloping Goose and Lochside trail displaying a sculpture made by local youth artist Zoe Cassidy. What's next? There will be a curatorial committee formed from members of the City of Victoria Youth Council to choose the next artist. Keep the loop by liking us on Facebook.

2014 Youth Poet Laureate Announced
By Kluane Buser-Rivet, CVYC Youth Facilitator

In April 2012, prominent local spoken word poet and activist, Jeremy Loveday approached the City of Victoria Youth Council with an exciting proposal for a City of Victoria Youth Poet Laureate. After some Internet sleuthing and Google searches, and reaching out to Youth Councils across Canada, we realized we would be the first city in Canada to have a Youth Poet Laureate.

Talk about innovative! Loveday's original vision for the Youth Poet Laureate was, "A youth poet who can speak for the youth of Victoria and document what youth culture is like in Victoria." A steering committee, comprised of Loveday, Youth Council Coordinator Kluane Buser-Rivet, Victoria Poet Laureate Janet Rogers, and City Councillor Lisa Helps was assembled to find funding for the position, establish terms of reference, and ultimately, select Canada's first Youth Poet Laureate.

Funding for the program comes from the private sector. This year Reliance Properties, developers of the Janion Building micro lofts have stepped forward to sponsor the Youth Poet Laureate Program.

Aysia Law, a 21 year old creative writing student at UVic, did an excellent job as our first Youth Poet Laureate presenting at dozens of local events and at City Council and Youth Council meetings in 2013. She also hosted a Diversity Slam, a very well attended poetry slam where mostly first time presenters were not rewarded with points for their performance, just with raucous applause from the friendly audience.

The Youth Council looks forward to hosting the Youth Poet Laureate for a second year in a row with Morgan Purvis, 2014's City of Victoria Youth Poet Laureate!

Daughter
by Morgan Purvis

My hips know already how to rock her gentle
My fingers know how best to keep her clean
Being the oldest sister taught me the canonized bookwork of motherhood.

Mary was no sexless doll
No toy of jealous macho Gawd
She was made purer in every bloody, dripping, squelching moment

Picking up the lunch dishes in the sink, one by one
Cleaning them slowly, scrubbing every millimetre
The hum of the refrigerator
Breathing sweet lavender bubbles
Visceral gratitude for a moment of control
-likely the only one today

On the day my daughter is born
I think I’ll call her Eve
And I’ll breath her scent so hungrily
Ahh that lingering cling of paradise
Sweet, like apples
Special, like a secret seed kept under the tongue
Hidden bits of eden we take with us from birth to grave

Looking out the late afternoon window
Children squabbling in play
Laughing in discovery
Sobbing out whole seas in disappointments unbearable

I spend 3 falls, 1 fight, 2 new dimensions, and a faerie visit
Washing this little pile of dishes
In silence
In reverence

And I remember
The middle aged tequila soaked friends of my stepfather
Appraising my 15-year-old breasts and ignoring my mother
They were disguised as friendly family-men.
Costumes completed with real live wife-and-kids-accessories.

the next day I painted my first giant rainbow vagina and taped it to my ceiling

And now, good “Man’s men” never ask me what I think anymore
Except when I catch them by surprise

But don’t worry, Evey. They are easily surprised by the works of God,
and you carry paradise under your tongue.


THE CHAMPION
Jin-Sun Yoon
Social Justice in Every Step of the Journey

By Angela Bello, BCHC Program Support Coordinator

Jin-Sun Yoon looks at the big picture and yet pays attention to every step she takes. She connects pieces of the social justice puzzle to illustrate the systemic processes and perspectives that contribute to discrimination and inequality in Canadian society and globally. Born in South Korea, she emigrated as a child before the advent of a multicultural policy. Jin-Sun is now a Teaching Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care (CYC) at the University of Victoria. Areas of her research interests include: intersecting identity development, colonialism, and Indigenous-settler relations.

Jin-Sun builds solidarity among Indigenous and racialized girls and women. She is a founding member of antidote: Multiracial and Indigenous Girls and Women’s Network, an award winning, not-for-profit organization focused on empowerment and creative participatory methods to bridge community, activism and research. She sat for many years on the Ethno-Cultural Advisory Council for the BC Ministry of Children and Family Development, and has delivered diversity training to the BC Federation of Teachers. She has recently contributed to the development of curriculum and videos for the Cuystwi Indigenous Youth Wellness Project, an online training quest for youth (ages 10 to 13) to increase their understanding of the cumulative impacts of colonization, to address racism, and to build personal and collective strengths. She has worked with many Indigenous organizations to engage youth in focusing on community wellness, instead of individualized mental health problems.

Well-known for inspiring students and peers, Jin-Sun is committed to providing opportunities to work collaboratively across disciplines, to participate in conferences, and to contribute to major projects, such as the “Making a Difference” video on the CYC website. “I am involved with an army of students,” she says, and it’s certain that many more would love to enlist due to her impeccable record of support, interesting projects, and global networks, such as partnering with the University College of Copenhagen to develop summer institutes and international exchanges. It’s not surprising that Jin-Sun will be awarded the Harry Hickman Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching next month.

At UVic, Jin-Sun builds community and learning connections as chair of the Community Engagement Council, and is currently working on a Course Union Sustainability Plan to build inclusion and engagement and to reduce student burn-out. She is the co-chair for the Child & Youth Care In Action IV Conference in May 2014, co-chair of the Minority and Indigenous Women Instructor’s Network, and member of the Academic Women’s Caucus Steering Committee.

Furthermore, she is an organizing committee member of the annual Provost’s Research Diversity Forum, which brings together faculty, staff, students, and the community-at-large, to generate conversations around issues of equity and social justice. As a mentor within the Positive Space Network (PSN), a visible network of campus members working to make UVic a safer and more inclusive space for people of all genders and sexualities, Jin-Sun will be facilitating the PSN 2.0 panel presentation at the Diversity Forum on January 30th. She is also looking forward to hosting her mentor, Dr. Yvonne Shorter Brown, who is speaking at the keynote address of this conference, as well as other local venues, such as a community event for the African Heritage Association of Vancouver Island.

Jin-Sun doesn’t mind making people feel uncomfortable because she believes that is how people change the status quo. She wants them to recognize their own ancestral roots and the manufactured tension that has been created between Indigenous people and racialized immigrants in relation to colonization. In her work, she endeavours to create solidarity by expanding perceptions of interpersonal experiences and how people relate to one another, as well as, by imparting the significance of shared responsibility to decolonize and to develop cultural acumen. Jin-Sun provokes her community to critique their role in colonization, connect with one another, and to continue pushing towards respect and equality for Indigenous and minoritized peoples in order to make Canada a more just nation.


THE ARTICLE
Combating Urban Sprawl
Transit Oriented Development as a Powerful Strategy

By Michelle Sandsmark, MA Public Health (UVic) Practicum Student

Urban sprawl is a multifaceted issue, but there are two major contributing factors that relate to the built environment: suburban development and urbanization (Gurin, et al., 2003). Suburban communities are often located far from the city center, are low density, and promote auto dependency. At the same time, more Canadians are leaving rural areas and are gravitating towards urban centers. With the rapid growth of urban centers, this can perpetuate urban sprawl if this expansion is not appropriately planned for. 

Tim Adams (transitpeople) photo

Human health and the natural environment are at risk if actions are not taken to mitigate urban sprawl and the consequential negative impacts. Urban sprawl can result in a reduction of green space and an increase in auto dependency, which is correlated to a loss of wildlife habitat, an increase in greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, poorer quality of life, and a rise in sedentary behaviour (Gurin et al., 2003).

Solutions to combat urban sprawl and prevent these negative impacts have been long sought after, and transit-oriented development (TOD) is one plausible strategy that can be implemented within a community’s policies and development plans. TODs are characterized as compact mixed-use residential developments that are located within 800 meters, or a 5 to 10-minute walk of a transit station or major stop. TODs incorporate smart growth principles such as densification, improving connectivity to encourage walking, biking and other forms of physical activity, and increasing mixed-land use to promote a healthier community. TODs are not only large-scale urban projects, but can occur incrementally within a community around existing transit stops or nodes (CMHC, 2009).

Typically, TODs are built as close as possible to a major transit station and have a number of pedestrian walkways or bicycle routes conveniently connecting the development to the transit node. Mixed land use is a key attribute of a TOD. Having a range of retail services and other attractions located within the development project or in close proximity to the development site has the potential to further encourage people to utilize the public transit system rather than relying on private transit to reach various amenities.

With this combination of creating mixed land use, so housing and services are conveniently located near public transit, improving connectivity to reduced proximity to essential amenities, and densifying communities around the transit system, TOD is a strategy that can result in a number of benefits to communities, for example:

•    Reduced automobile dependency
•    Reduced road traffic congestion
•    Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution
•    Increased physical activity
•    Increased mobility for people who are unable or choose not to drive
•    Improved access to public transit and the city center
(Cervero & Sullivan, 2011; TransLink, 2011)

TOD has been implemented in a number of cities across Canada including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, and Ottawa. Vancouver is an exemplary case, as the city has committed to developing and implementing a Transit-Oriented Community Plan (TransLink, 2012). This project was coordinated by TransLink in partnership with Metro Vancouver, the local municipalities, municipal planners and developers. As part of this plan, the Time building was constructed in North Vancouver. This is a prime example of TOD, as the Time residence is located just 200 meters away from the SeaBus terminal, is connected to this transit node with various walkways and bike paths, and consists of 265 residential units, a grocery store, drug store, and community center (CMCH, 2007).

Although the majority of TODs occur in major urban cities, smaller communities that are experiencing rapid expansion or that are in a phase of redevelopment may consider incorporating a TOD strategy into their official community plan to support a healthier lifestyle for their citizens. Rural communities are encouraged to seek opportunities to invest in a well-designed transit oriented system in small increments as a method of preventing urban sprawl and the negative impacts correlated with it. Although this is not the only strategy to combat urban sprawl and its effects, TODs are certainly a powerful force that can positively shape land development patterns in a way that supports environmental sustainability and also promotes healthy behaviours among the residing population.

Additional Resources

BC Action Climate Toolkit: TransLink Transit Oriented Communities Overview and Design Guidelines

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: Time Building, North Vancouver, Case Study

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation: More Transit Oriented Case Studies in Canada

References 

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2007). Transit-oriented development case study: TIME, North Vancouver, British Columbia. Retrieved from http://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/inpr/su/sucopl/upload/65508-W.pdf 

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. (2009). Transit-oriented development (TOD): Canadian case studies. Retrieved from https://www03.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/catalog/productDetail.cfm?cat=150&itm=40&lang=en&fr=1390263581483 

Cervero, R., & Sullivan, C. (2011). Green TODs: marrying transit-oriented development and green urbanism. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 18(3), 210-218, doi: 10.1080/13504509.2011.57080

Gurin, D., Petrie, S., Gurin, D., Foley, D., & Carter, M. (2003). Understanding sprawl: A citizen’s guide. Retrieved from http://www.davidsuzuki.org/publications/downloads/2003/Understanding_Sprawl.pd

 TransLink. (2011). Transit-oriented communities: A primer on key concepts. Retrieved from http://www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/plans_and_projects/transit_oriented_communities/transit_oriented_communities_primer.ash

 TransLink. (2012). Transit oriented communities design guidelines. Retrieved from http://www.translink.ca/~/media/documents/plans_and_projects/transit_oriented_communities/transit_oriented_communities_design_guidelines.ashx


THE EVENTS 
Northern BC Citizen Series Webinars

We're partnering with Northern Health to host our fourth year of ‘Citizens Series’ webinars. These two-hour sessions invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people, recognizing that community and civic involvement is a cornerstone to healthy people and populations.

Each session panel will include strong northern-based voices, as well provincial or national leaders in the topic area. All you need is access to a phone and computer with an internet connection. This is a opportunity to gather colleagues and interested advocates, and access this learning webinar at a very low cost – free! Please contact us for more information or to register. 

Webinar ~ A Drop In The Bucket: Storytelling For Health And Place In The North
When: January 30, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm

Webinar ~ Too Much of a Good Thing? Social Impacts of Rapid Industrial Growth in Rural Communities
When: April 24, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm

Webinar ~ Social Retrofit: Equipping Our Communities to Support Aging in Place
When: June 12, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm


THE READ
A Simpler Way
by Margaret J. Wheatley, Myron Kellner-Rogers
 
Constructed around five major themes -- play, organization, self, emergence, and coherence -- A Simpler Way challenges the way we live and work, presenting a profound worldview.In thoughtful, creative prose, the authors help readers connect their own personal experiences to the idea that organizations are evolving systems. With its relaxed, poetic style, A Simpler Way will help readers increase their organizing capacity and free them from the daily stress that disorganization brings.

Recommended by Jodi Mucha, BCHC Executive Director

BCHC Newsletter | December 2013

THE NEWS

Save the Date!
Webinar for Applicants: Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants for Local Governments

We’re looking forward to meeting online with local governments interested in applying for a Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grant in this upcoming webinar on Thursday, January 23 from 10 am to 11 am. We’ll provide detailed information about the grants and guidance on the application process.

Registration for the webinar will open in January. Contact us for more information about the grants, and subscribe to PlanH to be notified when webinar registration opens.

New Tools & Resources for the District of Mission

We’ve been been working the District of Mission and the Mission Seniors Centre Association to develop tools and resources for the Mission Seniors Activity Centre. Collaborating with board members and volunteers, we developed a policies and procedures handbook, a guide to local services, and various tools to support volunteer management and organizational development.

Please contact us to learn more about how we can support your organization.


Comox Valley Local Governments Host Municipal Alcohol Policy Event

We visited the Comox Valley this fall to facilitate a ‘lunch and learn’ session for local community groups and non-profit organizations. The event brought together over 30 organizations from the area to talk about special occasion licenses, liability issues, and training for servers at events involving liquor.

The event was part of a collaborative effort to develop a Municipal Alcohol Policy (MAP) for the area, involving the Comox Valley Regional District, the Town of Comox, the City of Courtenay, and the Village of Cumberland.

Municipal Alcohol Policies provide clear regulations and guidelines about the management of alcohol on local government property. MAPs can reduce liability, and increase community safety, health, and well-being.

BC Healthy Communities Society and the Ministry of Health are supporting local governments to develop municipal alcohol policies. If your community is interested in developing a Municipal Alcohol Policy, please contact Krissi Spinoza at 250 952 9177.


Introducing Erica Crawford, new BCHC Program Manager 

Erica is a community and regional planner specializing in resilience and adaptation strategies. A skilled facilitator and process designer, Erica applies a systems perspective on local and regional
planning issues to craft effective engagement processes aimed at building capacity and the readiness to take action. She has worked closely with local governments, the agriculture sector, community organizations and other stakeholder groups to enhance collective capacity for decision-making in contexts characterized by complexity and uncertainty. We’re delighted to welcome Erica to the team!

Read Erica’s full bio here.

BCHC Newsletter | November 2013

THE NEWS

Applications Open November 26
for Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants - Round Two

Applications for the second round of Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grants for local governments open on November 26.

Sign up for notifications, grant guidelines and an invitation to a webinar for grant applicants on PlanH.

New BCHC Report: 

Health Authority Perceptions & Capacity for Action: Health Impacts of Climate Change in BC

In partnership with BC Ministry of Environment’s Climate Action Secretariat and the
 BC Ministry of Health, BCHC conducted a survey in 2013 of how BC health authorities perceive and integrate the health effects of climate change in their work.

This new report documents the research and explores how health authorities:

• perceive the health effects of climate change in BC and across different health authority regions;
• respond to climate change in their work; and 
•  build capacity and collaborate with other partners to address climate change within the health sector.

As the impacts of climate change in BC become more severe, the role of the public health sector to proactively address human health effects will only become more urgent.

Download this publication to learn more.

THE COMMUNITY

Another Year, Another Ride!
A City of Victoria Youth Council Dispatch 

By Kluane Buser-Rivet, Youth Council Coordinator

Another year begins of holding space for community change-making by two dozen passionate and creative youth! The City of Victoria Youth Council has kicked off another stellar year with our

Orientation Retreat and first Executive meeting. As the Coordinator of the Council, I have the distinct pleasure of joining our members on the road of empowerment, awakening and action they ride each year.

Youth Council members begin their experiential education on consensus-based decision-making and team building at our Orientation Retreat. There, amongst other activities, we chatted with City Councilor Lisa Helps, mapped our upcoming year, and made a list of our preferred meeting snacks. The latter is more important than it may seem. After all, last year’s best-attended meeting was the one where we made grilled cheese sandwiches!

This year, we have an exceptional retention rate of over 50% returning members from last year, a great boon for all new members who have their wealth of experience and skills to draw on as they orient themselves in our Council. New and returning members worked together to develop some personal and collective goals for the year. Personal goals included meeting new people, completing projects that make them feel fulfilled, and staying creative! Collective goals included helping a variety of people, creating open environments for people of all abilities and building community partnerships.

With a strong variety of backgrounds within the Council, all goals are attainable! This year, we have the pleasure of having a diverse membership including a young mother, an exchange student from China, environmental activists, francophones, artists, students and a young Tibetan, all between the ages of 14 and 24!

So, what is ahead? We’ll see, we haven’t made it around the bend of project selection just yet! Sneak preview: I have heard rumors of focusing on youth employment, youth involvement in City Council, community art projects, and environmental action. One thing is certain: We’ll be travelling far!

"If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together."
N'gambai African Proverb
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Join us for the ride:
Website: cvyc.nethttp://cvyc.net/
Facebook: facebook.com/victoriayouth
Twitter: twitter.com/vicyouthcouncil
Email: info@cvyc.net

THE CHAMPION

Kerri Klein: BCHC Program Manager and Community Builder 

Kerri Klein has been working to build healthy communities in BC for over a decade. As BCHC’s Provincial Facilitator since 2006, and Program Manager since 2001, Kerri has played a leadership role in community development projects across BC that generate innovative approaches to social change.

Kerri worked alongside our program partners with the Healthy Families BC Communities strategy at the Ministry of Health to design and implement the PlanH program, which supports local government engagement and partnerships across sectors for creating healthier communities.

We chatted about the PlanH program with Kerri just a few short weeks before she departs on maternity leave.

BCHC: PlanH emphasizes local government collaboration across with multiple sectors. Why is this important?

KK: Today, many of the issues that affect the health and well-being of communities are increasingly complex. Issues such as poverty, inequity, chronic disease, and environmental sustainability not only transcend the scope of one sector—such as local governments—but also compel us to collectively seek new solutions together. It seems that solutions to these big problems are more comprehensive and impactful if they are co-owned and co-created by multiple sectors coming together, rather than one sector acting alone.

PlanH supports local governments to engage with the leadership that exists in other sectors in the community to develop a shared understanding of the root causes of problems and create a common agenda for change. This often means there is a focus on the process of learning together, building relationships, and clarifying ways of measuring success.

BCHC: The program itself involves collaboration. How do partnerships work in the delivery of PlanH?

KK: PlanH is a partnership between the provincial Healthy Families BC initiative and BC Healthy Communities Society and involves collaboration with all the health authorities, the Union of BC Municipalities, and non-profit organizations such as the BC Healthy Living Alliance. The vision of PlanH emerged from conversations and consultations between several sectors across BC, all articulating the need for more shared learning, dialogue and engagement between the health, local government and non-profit sector. PlanH works towards this vision of shared leadership for healthier communities.

BCHC: How does our understanding of the social determinants of health affect our participation in PlanH?

KK: For nearly three decades, we have known that what determines our health is much more a result of the conditions in which we live and factors such as early care and learning, income, education, the built environment and social networks than it is about our health care system.

Today, there is a growing acknowledgement that a more ‘upstream’ approach to health is required. But, too often ‘going upstream’—addressing the social and environmental factors that affect our health—is faced with obstacles which are all too familiar: e.g. addressing root causes is complex, requires time and necessitates collaboration beyond the ‘usual suspects’.

I think what BC Healthy Communities is trying to do is acknowledge that developing ‘upstream’ solutions requires a kind of thinking and working together that is unique from ‘business as usual’.

We are trying to support and nurture spaces where sectors and stakeholders can get outside of their silos, learn to see problems from new perspectives, and collectively experiment with fresh ways of thinking and working together. I see a lot of potential for this type of collective impact!

BCHC: We’ll sure miss Kerri while she’s away next year. We wish her and her family all the best!


THE PRACTICE

Health in All Policies Conference Focus on Intersectoral Collaboration

By Sukhdeep Jassar,
Public Health Workforce Development Officer, PHABC

The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) hosted a Regional Conference with the Pan American Health Organization on Health in All Policies on November 4 and 5, 2013 in Vancouver.  Health in All Policies is an approach that is a contemporary development of the ‘Building Healthy Public Policy’ action area of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion.

The key foundation for Health in All Policies work is the insight, developed by health promotion and population health, that most of the activities that contribute to the health of societies and communities are generated outside of the health care system itself. Taking action on this insight requires developing a broad, integrated, intersectoral approach to human development in order to achieve equitable and sustainable health for all people.

With this in mind, representatives from government sectors such as Warren O’Briain and Leanne Boyd, and municipal politicians such as Gordon Hogg, joined public health practitioners working in academia, policy and in the field such as Trevor Hancock, Mary Collins, and Jodi Mucha for a two-day discussion on developing stronger intersectoral collaboration and moving health into all policies. The conversations were thought provoking and timely.

With well-planned, intersectoral collaboration, we may develop healthier populations and healthier populations are more productive and happy.  The way forward, will be determined by our adaptability, flexibility and respectful communication skills as public health professionals when working with other sectors, in order to ensure that better health is considered a necessary outcome in their planning.

Access presentations from the conference here.

THE EVENTS

Building Sustainable Communities Conference

Join BCHC and Interior Health for a session exploring opportunities, challenges, and practical tools for collaborating across a diversity of sectors and organizations with the common goal of building healthier communities. Drawing on examples from around the province, panelists will share stories and emerging learning about collaboration between local governments, the health sector, and community-based organizations, and how these efforts are contributing to community health and well-being. Participants will explore and learn about best practices for multi-sector collaboration, and how local policy, planning, and leadership can support healthier people and places.

Conference ~ BCHC Session at Building Sustainable Communities Conference
Where: Kelowna
When: Thursday, November 28, 1:30-4:30

The Building Sustainable Communities Conference runs November 25-28.

Northern BC Citizen Series Webinars

We're partnering with Northern Health to host our fourth year of ‘Citizens Series’ webinars. These two-hour sessions invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people, recognizing that community and civic involvement is a cornerstone to healthy people and populations.

Each session panel will include strong northern-based voices, as well provincial or national leaders in the topic area. All you need is access to a phone and computer with an internet connection. This is a opportunity to gather colleagues and interested advocates, and access this learning webinar at a very low cost – free! Please contact us for more information or to register. 

Webinar ~ A Drop In The Bucket: Storytelling For Health And Place In The North
When: January 30, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm

Webinar ~ Too Much of a Good Thing? Social Impacts of Rapid Industrial Growth in Rural Communities
When: April 24, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm

Webinar ~ Social Retrofit: Equipping Our Communities to Support Aging in Place
When: June 12, 2014  1:30-3:30 pm

THE READ

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, 
Wealth, and Happiness, by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein

Nudge is about choices—how we make them and how we can make better ones. Drawing on decades of research in the fields of behavioral science and economics, authors Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein offer a new perspective on preventing the countless mistakes we make—ill-advised personal investments, consumption of unhealthy foods, neglect of our natural resources—and show us how sensible “choice architecture” can successfully nudge people toward the best decisions. In the tradition of The Tipping Point and Freakonomics, Nudge is straightforward, informative, and entertaining—a must-read for anyone interested in our individual and collective well-being.

BCHC Newsletter | October 2013

Introducing PlanH

We know there is a strong connection between people, place, and health.

And there is a growing understanding that health is everyone’s business.

That's why local governments in B.C. are collaborating across sectors to build local conditions that support health and well-being, not only in their own communities, but for all British Columbians.

BC Healthy Communities Society and Healthy Families BC have partnered to develop the new PlanH program to support local governments to build healthier communities.

Check out the new PlanH website to find out about tools and resources for local governments, and subscribe to PlanH to keep up to date with news and funding announcements.