BCHC Newsletter - May 2012

THE NEWS

Welcome Naomi Phillips!
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BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) is pleased to announce that co-op student Naomi Phillips will be joining the BCHC team for the summer. Naomi will be working and learning with BCHC as our Communications Coordinator. Naomi is currently enrolled as a Political Science student at the University of Victoria, she has worked with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and is pursuing a career as a policy analyst. With her strong writing skills Naomi will be an excellent addition to the team and we’re very happy to have her on board!

Canadian Healthy Communities Network website launched

The Canadian Healthy Communities Network is proud to announce the launch of their new website. The website contains useful resources, such as tool kits, manuals and reports, that embody Healthy Communities principles to assist researchers, policy makers and practitioners.

The Canadian Healthy Communities Network was established by four provincial Healthy Communities Networks, including BC Healthy Communities , Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition, Reseau quebecois de Villes et Villages en sante and Mouvement Acadian des Communautes en Sante. These organizations have worked together since October 2009 to advance and exchange knowledge across Canada about Healthy Community (HC) initiatives. Its purpose is to support provincial, regional and local HC networks and coalitions by providing access to educational resources and opportunities for peer learning and sharing expertise, experiences and success stories.

Click here to visit the website and don’t forget to check out the Storytelling Corner section where you can find some inspiring Healthy Communities stories.

THE COMMUNITY

Victoria Youth in Action at the Youth Arts and Music Festival
by Emily Cordeaux

As part of the City of Victoria’s 150 year celebrations, The City of Victoria Youth Council (CVYC) hosted a Youth Arts and Music Festival on Sunday, May 27 in Centennial Square. The event entitled, “Love Your Art!” highlighted the spectrum of artistic talents of young Victorians artistic talents.

Community members of all ages and walks of life attended and showed their support for youth arts in Victoria. Highlights included an energetic performance by local favourites, Animal Astronauts; a moving piece on the topic of teen bullying and suicide by students from Central Middle School; and the involvement of many local talented artists.

The event was family friendly; many kids and folks young at heart stopped by for face painting, chalk drawing, and bubble blowing! For more information on the event or to view event photos, be sure to check out the City of Victoria Youth Council’s Facebook page . The CVYC would like to gratefully extend their gratitude to the City of Victoria for providing the venue and funding to make this event possible.

The CVYC is a youth-driven, grassroots project that offers opportunities for civic engagement to youth who live, work, hang out or got to school in the City of Victoria. The CVYC is hosted by BC Healthy Communities. For more information about the CVYC please visit the CVYC website or contact Sarah Amyot at info@cvyc.net

THE CHAMPION

Storytellers' Foundation

Storytellers' Foundation is a registered non-profit society established in 1994 located in the Village of Hazelton on the traditional territories of the Gitxsan people in northwest BC. Their practice promotes community development through an integrated approach that stems from the diverse values and socioeconomic visions of community members. Cultural and environmental competence is a foundation for all their relationships and practice.

For the past ten years Storytellers’ has served several functions in connection with community organizing. These functions have included facilitating community development discussions and initiatives, research about the conditions in which rural people live, participatory action research with youth, analysis of the local economy and our socioeconomic potential for non-industrial economies, communication and public education around Gitxsan issues, and general socioeconomic analysis.

Through their work, Storytellers’ aims to foster personal and political mobilization through the development of an active citizenry in order that residents of the Northwest can further define their social and economic destiny.

The Storytellers' Foundation and BCHC have recently worked together on the Living Life Fully (LLF) project. The project, developed by and for youth, focused on promoting Healthy Living in the North Region through educating and engaging the community on local and traditional foods. Visit the Storytellers' Foundation website to  find out more about the exciting work that they're involved in. 

THE ARTICLE

The Good Food Gap

By: Amanda Ng, Master’s in Public Health and Social Policy

The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for [their] health and well-being…including food (The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 2012). In Canada, access to a food system that is economically viable, socially just, and environmentally sustainable is a difficult feat that seems riddled with health inequities. Much of the current food system perpetuates an unhealthy pattern where processed, nutritionally empty foods are more affordable than fresh nutrient-rich foods. The 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) found that almost one in ten Canadian households (representing approximately 2.7 million individuals) were not able to afford the foods needed for a healthy, balanced diet at least once in the previous 12 months (Heart and Stroke, 2009). Food insecurity can be closely linked to a geographical gradient and associated with poverty. Low-income neighbourhoods often experience food deserts due to a lack of grocery stores with affordable nutritious foods, as these businesses tend to situate themselves in affluent communities.

The persistence of a good food gap is gaining attention in our society and is described as “the policy space separating the farm income crisis from the health crisis — in other words, the fact that farmers find it difficult to make a living growing food, and consumers find it difficult to make the good food choices they want to make (Metcalf Foundation, 2011).” The good food gap accurately depicts the plethora of ways in which our food system is not meeting the needs of those who rely on it. Food security disproportionately affects communities of lower income compared to neighbourhoods of high socioeconomic status. There is a strong association between food insecurity and higher obesity levels due to low cost foods being higher in fat, calories, and nearly devoid of nutritional value. It is easier to make unhealthy food choices based on resources available in one’s immediate environment.

Food Banks

Food banks are a community resource for food targeting individuals with lower income. However, individuals may shy away from food banks as they are linked with a certain stigma and may instigate users to feel degraded and humiliated. Food banks also tend to be devoid of fresh produce and generally provide less nutritionally dense foods with a longer shelf-life (i.e. canned products).

Communities could benefit from re-configuring the items that are provided by food banks and altering the items on stock depending on the specific needs of the community. Community involvement is an essential puzzle piece to improving the type of food provision in food banks as they can help pinpoint appropriate foods. In order for this program to be truly needs based, low income individuals should be at the table with other stakeholders since they can provide the frame of mind and personal experiences that can help create effective food security initiatives for the lower socioeconomic populations.

Closing the Gap

How can we lessen the good food gap? Increased support for community gardens among low-income neighbourhoods can help create opportunities to provide local, fresh produce, and foster a sense of community connectedness. The incorporation of community gardens in low-income housing creates skill-building opportunities, community connectedness, and providing fresh produce for the residents.

On a policy level, we need to further raise awareness surrounding this good food gap in Canada. We need to advocate for the affordability and accessibility to healthy foods for all communities across the nation. Coincidentally, the UN right-to-food envoy Olivier de Schutter recently made a visit to Canada and made several controversial comments about the Canadian government and policy around food security. He states,

“What I've seen in Canada is a system that presents barriers for the poor to access nutritious diets and that tolerates increased inequalities between rich and poor, and Aboriginal non-Aboriginal peoples. Canada is much admired for its achievements in the area of human rights, which it has championed for many years. But hunger and access to adequate diets, too, are human rights issues -- and here much remains to be done.” Olivier de Schutter

While we cannot dismiss the fact that policy changes at the federal level take time, municipal governments should educate communities on the importance of eating well, provide support for healthy eating initiatives for low-income neighbourhoods (i.e. community gardens), and foster partnerships among businesses and/or non-profit organizations within the community. In a country that is viewed by many across the globe as a land of opportunity and wealth, we should foster and maintain our reputation by fighting the good food gap. A nation with a healthy population is worth the fight.

Here are some links for ideas to beat the good food gap:

1. Article from the Globe and Mail                                                                                                                   

2. Paper on healthy eating and food security from the Dieticians Canada website

3. Heart and Stroke Foundation

4. Resource Guide for Local Governments
5. Interview with Lauren Baker, the Executive Direction for Sustain Ontario, which is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to healthy and ecologically responsible food and farming in the province.

EVENTS

Webinar ~ Nudging Us Towards the 5th Wave of Public Health - New Practices and Policies.

What: Back on popular demand! FREE webinar with Phil Hanlon and Anne Docherty. The webinar will focus on supporting healthy public policy development, the conditions necessary to support the fifth wave and emergent signs of the fifth wave.

When: June 13, 2012 - 10:00 - 11:30am (PST)

Where: Online, more details to be announced. To pre-register please send an email to bchc@bchealthycommunities.ca

Forum ~ Healthy People, Healthy City – Making Vancouver a Leader in Urban Health


What: 'Healthy People, Healthy City' will feature highlights of local people and programs doing groundbreaking work in urban health, a panel discussion with leaders in health and social sustainability, and keynote speaker Andre Picard.

When: June 22, 2012

Where: Vancouver, find out more here

THE READ

The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card

The Active Healthy Kids Canada Report Card offers the most comprehensive annual assessment of child and youth physical activity in Canada.

Active Healthy Kids Canada strives to be a trusted source for “powering the movement to get kids moving”—a ‘go to’ source for knowledge, insight and understanding that influences thinking and action among issue stakeholders to help build better programs, campaigns and policies in order to increase physical activity among children and youth.

Advancing knowledge is the cornerstone of Active Healthy Kids Canada’s work, providing the evidence base for communications and issue advocacy work related to child and youth physical activity. In an ongoing effort to advance knowledge to effect change, Active Healthy Kids Canada, together with its strategic partners the Healthy Active Living and Obesity Research Group at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (HALO-CHEO) and ParticipACTION, releases the annual Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth.

For more information on Active Healthy Kids Canada, to access archived and the most recent Report Card and resources, visit www.activehealthykids.ca.

BCHC Newsletter - April 2012

THE NEWS
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Back by Popular Demand - New Webinar with Phil Hanlon on June 13th, 2012

BC Healthy Communities is excited to host another webinar in partnership with the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer on June 13th with key speaker Dr. Phil Hanlon from the University of Glasgow. On April 3rd Dr. Hanlon presented his findings regarding some of the challenges to modern approaches to public health practices during the 1st webinar ' Calling for the 5th Wave in Public Health'.   The April 3rd webinar helped describe the challenges modernity poses in the context of health indicators and barriers.  Some of participants responded the following after the webinar:

“I have a better understanding of how to be more effective in being helpful to people who have been marginalized by developing relationships, and more generally for everyone to include the beautiful dimension in the forefront”

‘Thank you very much for this opportunity to hear important perspectives and come away refreshed with new ideas and inspiration’

You can now listen to the April 3rd webinar session online, to start the webinar click here

The June 13th webinar ‘Nudging Us Towards the 5th Wave of Public Health - New Practices and Policies’ will also include a presentation of Anne Docherty from the Storytellers Foundation. More details about the webinar and the registration procedure will be announced on the BCHC website in May. If you want to pre-register you can send an email to bchc@bchealthycommunities.ca.

THE COMMUNITY


Citizens Series III Coming Your WayKK
Great news for Northern residents! BC Healthy Communities and the Northern Health Authority have committed to deliver another year of FREE webinar series on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people. BCHC and NHA are continuing their partnership to build on the momentum created through Citizen Series I and II delivered through 2010 -2012.  

The intention of each session will be to involve local citizens, health authorities and local government participants along with guest speakers to share best practices, success stories and challenges from the local/regional perspective. 

Citizen Series III will consist of 4 webinars focused on a specific topic and supported by a Think piece. The new dates will be posted on the BC Healthy Communities website and in our communications. 

Can't wait? Check out the past webinars on our website here. 

THE CHAMPION
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Niagara Grocery
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Jennifer McKimmie, proud owner of Niagara Grocery, located in beautiful, historic James Bay. Victoria BC’s oldest grocery store and since nicely updated!

Niagara Grocery in James Bay has been transformed from a tried convenience store into an award-winning neighborhood market. In the grocery store you can buy local produce, daily bread, artisan cheese & sausage, and house-roasted coffees. Jennifer makes the greatest effort to provide not only local foods but also gluten-free products. 


Previously working as the Afternoon Tea Manager at the Empress Hotel, Jennifer recognized that there were growing requests for gluten-free items on the menu and as the new owner of Niagara Grocery she saw this as an excellent opportunity to meet the growing demand for these products. Next time you are in the area you can stop by the original James Bay location or even the newest addition—the Fairfield Market near the corner of Fairfield & Moss street.

(Photo Credits: Eatmagazine)


THE ARTICLEK
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Chandler- Gonzales Pathway in Victoria to Re-Open!

Back in August, community member Hazel Currie submitted an update on the community vision to re-open the Chandler- Gonzales public walkway in Victoria, providing a safe route to a local elementary school and a pedestrian-friendly link for the entire community.  An exciting news release that just came out announced that Victoria City Council have unanimously agreed to re-open the walkway.  The recent article as follows: After more than 30 years the Chandler-Gonzales Pathway will be re-opened, returning this Greenway to the community and providing a safer route for children heading to and from Ecole Margaret Jenkins School.

“I’m thrilled with the unanimous decision by Victoria City Council to make this project a reality,” said Peter Nagati, spokesperson for the Committee to Re-open the Chandler-Gonzales Pathway. “With the support of hundreds of area residents, local businesses and the city, I’m confident we can have the path re-opened in time for the new school year in September.”

Victoria City Council has approved a budget that will provide for clearing along the right-of-way, chain link fencing with hedging to help ensure the neighbours’ privacy, and a gravel surface along the 250 metre pathway that links Pemberton Park with Chandler Street.  In addition, pedestrian crossings will also be installed on both Gonzales and Chandler Streets.

The Committee to Re-open the Chandler-Gonzales Pathway is made up of a dozen local residents who worked tirelessly to return this public asset to the community.  There are more than 650 letters of support and commitments from local businesses to help provide materials, along with volunteers ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work.
From the early 1900's until the mid-1970's, the pathway existed between Pemberton Park and Chandler Avenue providing a direct connection between the neighbourhoods north of Gonzales Ave. with Ecole Margaret Jenkins School and the neighbourhoods to the south.  Although closed in the 1970's, the City of Victoria had the foresight to maintain ownership of the land.

EVENTS


Youth Arts Festival – May 27 – Centennial Square, Victoria
 

As part of the City of Victoria’s 150 year celebrations The City of Victoria Youth Council (CVYC) is hosting a Youth Arts Festival which highlights the spectrum of artistic talents of young people in Victoria across three broad areas: performance arts, visual arts and crafts. The events profiles and celebrates the talents of youth in Victoria in a free and exciting, family friendly and age inclusive event.

The CVYC is a youth-driven, grassroots project that offers opportunities for civic engagement to youth who live, work, hang out or got to school in the City of Victoria. The CVYC is hosted by BC Healthy Communities. For more information about the CVYC please visit the CVYC website or contact Sarah Amyot at info@cvyc.net

THE WATCH
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Want to see age-friendly communities in action?

Seniors BC has created  Age-friendly BC (AFBC) community videos featuring seniors, local government staff and officials, and community representatives talking about what makes their community or organization age-friendly.

The videos were developed primarily for local governments, but others may find project ideas that fit their own communities as well. You can watch the full video, which includes an introduction to AFBC with all of the topics, or choose a video on one of the specific age-friendly topics from the Seniors BC website by clicking here 

BCHC Newsletter - February 2012

THE NEWS

Job Opportunity – Youth Engagement Facilitator - Abbotsford

For the Welcoming and Inclusive Communities (WIC) Legacies Project in Abbotsford we’re looking for a full-time Youth Engagement Facilitator. This project is a collaboration between BC Healthy Communities and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and focuses on better engaging multicultural youth in Abbotsford.

The Youth Engagement Facilitator position is available immediately and includes recruiting, developing, and engaging youth in community and leadership opportunities in Abbotsford. The perfect candidate would have experience in social work, professional coaching, education and working with youth with barriers to employment. To find out more about this job opportunity please click here. For additional information and questions about this position please contact Deirdre Goudriaan at: deirdre@bchealthycommunities.ca

Collaborative Approach to Prevent Youth Gang Violence

On February 7th and 9th, BC Healthy Communities hosted a learning event and planning session on Preventing Youth Gang Involvement for the greater Victoria area. BC Healthy Communities in partnership with the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General brought together key stakeholders from community organizations, RCMP and school districts to hold dialogues on the current trends of youth gang involvement in the Capital Regional District (CRD). The two sessions explored a strength based approach to understanding and address youth violence in the CRD.

In the coming months, the group will reconvene and develop a strategic, overarching vision for addressing youth violence in the region. This collaborative approach demonstrates BC Healthy Communities’ approach in action – learning together, sharing strengths and building on existing resources to identify innovative approaches to serious challenges in our communities. Stay tuned for more details as an executive summary of the final report will be released later this spring.

THE COMMUNITY

Living Life Fully Youth Engage Community on Local and Traditional Foods

The Living Life Fully (LLF) project is a BCHC project developed by youth to promote Healthy Living in the North Region. The project focused on educating and engaging the community on local and traditional foods. The LLF project is a collaborative effort between the Fraser Basin Council and Future Cents with support from BC Healthy Communities and is funded by Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), TD Friends of the Environment and Enhance PG.

The project mainly focused on promoting the use of traditional and local foods and the multiple health, social, cultural and environmental benefits of local and traditional plants and foods. Local youth worked on a variety of projects including organizing a local baby food event for young parents, developing signage about traditional plant uses and maintaining a community garden plot.

One of the outcomes of this project is the ‘Local and Traditional Food Recipes’ booklet, which includes recipes that were contributed by the participating youth. The baby food recipes were developed and collected for the BC Baby event that was hosted for young parents in Prince George. The other recipes have been contributed by friends and family, and local elders from the community. The booklet is a great way to share the knowledge that was gathered with the local youth and the community at large.

Through these projects, the youth indicated they learned new things about local and traditional foods and as a result they have come to the realization that it is important to buy and grow local foods because it is just so much easier, healthier and cheaper. To learn more about BCHC's Youth Engagement initiatives please contact bchc@bchealthycommunities.ca

THE CHAMPION

Kimberley Armour – Squamish River Watershed Society

Kimberley Armour is a community development project manager based in Squamish B.C. With a background in environmental education/communication and biology Kimberley works to bridge the collective disconnect between communities and the natural environment. Kimberley designs programs that meet participants where they are at, encouraging them to engage, and self identify as leaders of change.

Kimberley is the Communications Coordinator with the Squamish River Watershed Society a projects based organization that works with First Nations, government, industry, and community on integrated watershed management. A collaborative success of this organization was the restoration of the Squamish River Estuary, recently highlighted in the David Suzuki Foundations Making Policy Live Documentary Series on natural capital. Kimberley’s passion to systematically change our relationship with water has also led her to become an Associate with Waterlution Canada. In this role, through the Future of Water Workshop Series Kimberley will be co-hosting Living Within a Watershed: Creating Urban Water Systems That Go With the Flow March 9 – 11 at the Loon Lake Retreat Centre – there is still space to register for this interactive, informative, and inspirational event.

Kimberley is also the Program Manager/Developer of the Squamish Lillooet Regional District’s Zero Waste Education Program, an action initiative of the region’s solid waste management plan. In its first year over 500 students and teachers participated in this experiential/place based program, and collectively reduced their lunch time waste by close to 50%.

In her spare time you can find Kimberley strolling riverside with her dog, exploring the mountains, cruising on her bike, or lapping the roller derby track.

THE PRACTICE

The Positive Youth Engagement Innovation Lab

by Deirdre Goudriaan

In 2012, BC Healthy Communities began to work with the City of Surrey on an Innovation Lab focused on enhancing positive youth engagement in the region. Innovation Labs are based on a combination of the Integral Capacity Building Framework used by BC Healthy Communities and Theory U popularized by Otto Scharmer. Through Theory U, Scharmer demonstrates how groups and organizations can develop critical leadership capacities that support the creation of collaborative solutions and potential that would not otherwise be possible. Find out more about Theory U under ‘The Readings”.

The long term goal of the Positive Youth Engagement Innovation Lab is to enhance the capacity of the city staff to define, develop and integrate a framework of positive youth engagement in the City of Surrey. The shorter term objectives are: a) to enhance the capacity of a pilot group of the youth services team to define, develop and integrate a framework of positive youth engagement; and b) to innovate a new guiding framework for positive youth engagement in the City of Surrey.

What are Innovation Labs?

Innovation Labs are initiated by a group of people who realize that no one individual, organization, or government, can solve complex challenges on their own, and working with others across the whole system is necessary for innovation. Further, there is an understanding that:

1. Change is complex;
2. Habitual action and typical solutions are not working and innovation is required;
3. Long term change requires a shift in both our thinking/assumptions and our actions and systems; and
4. We need approaches to change that can build shared commitment and capacity for responding to issues in the community.

An Innovation Lab represents:

• An approach that is systemic, participative and emergent;
• A committed alliance of leaders;
• A rhythmic process of acting and reflecting;
• A structured container for building capacities; and
• A safe space for practicing how to change the system.
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In particular, the Innovation Lab in Surrey will involve taking a small staff team through a year-long learning and development process that includes:

1. Coming together – bringing a team of people together who care and know about the issue. 
2. Getting clear on what the system is - developing a shared understanding of what is (really) going on , immersing self in system.
3. Standing back – retreating, stepping back and reflecting – “what’s my role and what can we do about it.” 
4. Creating and destroying – trying stuff out together, many pilots, and opportunity for safe failure – feeding the learning back into the system.
5. Implementing the new – changing the way we do youth engagement into the future.

If you are interested in exploring a complex issue using the Integral Capacity Building Framework or you want to learn more about Innovation Labs please contact us at: bchc@bchealthycommunities.ca

EVENTS

Conference ~ Gathering Our Voices 2012 Aboriginal Youth Conference

What: Aboriginal Youth aged 14-24 are invited to take part in a dynamic conference that will focus on many important issues including Health, Language, Culture, the Environment, Employment, Education, Sports and Recreation. Many workshops, cultural activities, an interactive Career and Education fair, evening entertainment and afternoon sport and recreation activities will be offered.

When: March 20 - 23, 2012

Where: Nanaimo, more more information click here

Webinar ~ Beyond the Nest Egg: Feathering the Nest for Healthy Retirement

What: BCHC and Northern Health's Population Health Team have partnered to host a series of free web-based seminars on the role of citizens in building healthy communities. The webinars invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people.

When: April 19, 2012 - 1:30 - 3:30pm

Where: Online, for more information or to register click here

Summit ~ Cities fit for Children

What: 3rd Annual Provincial Summit

When: Thursday, May 10 to Friday, May 11 2012

Where: Kamloops. For more information click here

THE READINGS

Theory U: Leading from the Future as it Emerges.

Author: Otto Scharmer

Theory U explores a whole new territory of scientific research and personal leadership. By moving through the "U" we learn to connect to our originating Self. We travel down the left side of the "U" to find ourselves in the realm of presencing, where we learn to sense the future that is seeking to emerge. At that level of operating, we experience the opening of our minds, our hearts and our wills. Yes, this is an intellectual journey, but it's one that is grounded in real life experience and shared practices. On this journey of sensing, presencing and realizing, we learn new ways of being—ways crucial for each of us at this chaotic time.

Fundamental problems, as Einstein once noted, cannot be solved at the same level of thought that created them. Learning to pay attention to our attention and to illuminate the blind spot, according to Scharmer, is the key leverage point to bring forth the profound systemic changes in business, society and in science so needed now.

This "U" methodology of leading profound change invites you on an exciting and unique personal and professional journey. You will experience new levels of thought and action from within you that allow you to participate, to co-create and to bring forth the future. Read more

BCHC Newsletter - January 2012

THE NEWS

Healthy Families BC Communities Initiative Consultation

Local Government Elected Officials and Chief Administrative Officers are invited to participate in a Healthy Families BC Communities consultation session in their region with the intent to foster partnerships between local governments and health authorities.

The Healthy Families BC Communities Initiative focuses on increasing support at the local government and health authority level to create environments that support people the make healthy choices the easy choice. Since there is no "one size fits all" approach to creating a healthy community the Ministry of Health is consulting with local governments and health authorities on the development of the Healthy Families BC Communities Initiative to ensure that it meets local community needs.

Based on the feedback received from the Union of BC Municipalities and Area Associations, a series of regional consultations are organized with local governments to gather input and feedback on the development and implementation of the Healthy Families BC Communities Initiative. To find out more about the consultations, dates and locations please click here

Healthy by Nature Report

In September 2011, 200 delegates (including 27 youth) gathered in Vancouver for the Healthy by Nature forum. This interdisciplinary forum focused on the physical & mental health benefits of time spent in nature through initiating dialogues, awareness building, partnership development, and action planning. The Healthy by Nature gathering was a collaborative effort led by numerous partners including BC Healthy Communities.

You can now read the full report detailing the whole forum. The report includes presentation highlights of keynote speakers Gil Penalosa and WIlliam Bird  and interesting outcomes of the panel discussions and sector workshops. It’s a great read for health practitioners, community & urban planners, and anyone who is interested in the critical links between human health, well being and nature.
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THE COMMUNITY

A Community Tables Update

Our youngest Community Tables member
 sharing her vision

The Community Tables: Engaging Neighbours Project launched in October with the first set of neighbourhood meetings taking place in Victoria’s Oaklands, North Park and Gorge-Tillicum neighbourhoods.

The Community Tables are a regional initiative of the United Way of Greater Victoria (UWGV), BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) and the Office of Community-Based Research-University of Victoria (OCBR) that focuses on building healthy, resilient neighbourhoods and mobilizing community assets to address some of Greater Victoria's most pressing issues.

During the table sessions an integral lens is used to help the groups create a vision for their neighbourhood, identify community assets and study challenges while paying attention to the tangible and intangible aspects of their community. One of the graduate interns from the University of Victoria, who support each of the table sessions, shared the following reflections after one of the sessions:
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"Residents at the Tillicum Table were really excited about the possibility of improving their communities- and many there shared strikingly similar visions for what changes could help make the neighborhood more cohesive and vibrant" 

Lisa Willott Graduate Student Intern for Gorge-Tillicum, MA Candidate, Geography

In addition to the monthly meetings a community survey is conducted to gain more knowledge about the neighbourhood’s key assets, challenges and visions for change. The survey process aims to gain insight from a broad range of residents and the inventory will be incorporated into the table’s community development process. The last of the surveys are coming in now and will be discussed at the next community table meetings in February while the groups are gearing up to create their final Plan for Action. For more information about the Community Tables please send your request to stacy@bchealthycommunities.ca

THE CHAMPION

Lisa Helps – The New City of Victoria Youth Council Liaison

Lisa Helps spends much of her time working in the community on place-based solutions to global and national challenges, and to increasing citizen engagement. She is a founder and currently the Executive Director of the Victoria Community Micro Lending Society which helps to build a vibrant local economy, foster sustainable business, reduce local poverty, and empower people. She also facilitates strategic planning and visioning sessions for organizations and small groups.

Lisa was on the the Board of Directors of Victoria’s Fernwood Neighbourhood Resource Group (Fernwood NRG) when the Society purchased and restored the Cornerstone building, built affordable housing units, and opened the Cornerstone Café as an enterprising non-profit venture. She is thrilled to be working for Community Micro Lending and is excited about the prospect of "changing everything".
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In November Lisa was elected to the Victoria City Council and invited to become the new City of Victoria Youth Council (CVYC) Liaison. The CVYC was very pleased with this news and is looking forward to work together with Lisa on building a city where citizens lead.

THE PRACTICE

Creating Change one Step at a Time

by: Deirdre Goudriaan

Over the past year, BCHC has been working on an innovation project through Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) in Prince George and the Upper Skeena’s to engage young people to address healthy weights. As I was thinking about sharing some of our learning a personal story emerged for me as well that illuminate how hard it is to change.

There is nothing like a catastrophic health challenge that requires you to change your complete diet. I decided I would share this story with you because it highlights my own exploration of having to transform my diet. Secondly it allowed me to think through first-hand what we are asking young people in our communities to do and change.

Recently my physician advised me to adopt a potassium free diet (I have nicknamed it the “white diet” but more on that later) to deal with a blood disorder. Previously I was an ovo- vegetarian which refers to people who do not eat meat or dairy products but do eat eggs (for both health and ethical reasons). The first change required me to stop eating any vegetable based proteins and a variety of fruits and veggies I really enjoy and start eating meat. I knew it was necessary and yet I really resisted because:

• I assumed healthy eating did not include meat or white flour (white bread, etc.) You see why it’s called the white diet (rice, apples, pears, white bread, white pita etc.)
• I was ethically opposed to eating meat and many of my favorite vegetables and fruits required change as well (fortunately I maintained berries, I do live in the valley so that essential)
• I had developed vegetarian habits (I knew how to shop/cook etc.)
• I did not want to support white flour producers and what I considered unhealthy products (but here I am eating them)
• My family was impacted and it has required more work
• I felt inept at cooking, shopping and had no recipes
• I did not feel the change could be healthy (even though it was ordered for health reasons)
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Now this is just a small list but it gives you some idea of the complexity involved in asking someone to change their eating habits (whether those are good or not so good). This led me to think about the multitude of messages about food young people are surrounded by including what they should eat and who controls that for them.
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In spite of all these influences, the youth involved with the PHAC project were able to look at some of the underlying and root causes of healthy eating and living and were able to illuminate blind spots, limitations but also possibilities. For me exploring possibilities is still unfolding as I unpack my mental models of healthy foods.
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What is helping for the youth and myself to explore the root causes? Reflecting on our/my actions in a systematic and coordinated way. They learned and I am learning, I can have control by experimenting, trying new ideas and this learning and excitement also bubbles over into their communities (or in my case to my family), they talk about what they have learned and how they have changed. I guess that is what I am doing with this article.

This practice helped both me and the youth to take wiser, more discerning action in a way that honours what they know and how they know it and moves to create change. For example, a lot of youth are loyal to family eating rituals (I was), yet they can also influence and change those. We believe uncovering what's under the surface lead us away from “quick fixes” and propels us in new directions to address the complexity of healthy weights in youth but also to allow me to adopt this new way of being in the world.

EVENTS

Conference ~ 5th Building SustainAble Communities Conference

What: Conference including breakouts, panels, workshops, debates, and interactive sessions to provide opportunities for enhanced communication and collaboration on diverse sustainability topics

When: February 27th to March 1st, 2012

Where: Kelowna, for more information click here

Webinars ~ Beyond the Nest Egg: Feathering the Nest for Healthy Retirement

What: BCHC and Northern Health's Population Health Team have partnered to host a series of free web-based seminars on the role of citizens in building healthy communities. The webinars invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people.

When: April 19, 2012 - 1:30 - 3:30pm
Where: Online, for more information or to register click here

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Summit ~ Cities fit for Children

What: 3rd Annual Provincial Summit

When: Thursday, May 10 to Friday, May 11 2012

Where: Kamloops. For more information click here

THE WATCH

In this era of increasingly complex problems and shrinking resources, can we find meaningful and enduring solutions to the challenges we face today as individuals, communities and nations?

Surfing the Waves of Change is an animation exploring the idea of community resilience using the metaphor of a surfer. It is produced by Cultivate's Community Resilience Centre in Ireland as a spin off of the resilience work of Fiery Spirits.

BCHC Newsletter - November 2011

THE NEWS

CVYC Youth Leadership and Action Summit a Great Success!

CVYC Members at the Summit registration table

On November 25th over a 100 Youth gathered at the City Hall to participate in the The City of Victoria Youth Council (CVYC) Youth Leadership and Action Summit. The CVYC organized this free two-day intensive learning and skills building workshop for youth 14-25 who live, work, play or study in Victoria.

The Summit kicked of with a panel and presentations with Mayor Dean Fortin, Professor Catherine McGregor and Youth Volunteer Connections Program Coordinator Leanna Hill. The panel discussed questions around what leadership is and how you know when you’re creating change. The first day of the summit was focused on learning about different topics such as Creating Inclusive Communities and Economic and Educational Equality. On the second day the summit participants got the chance to engage in skills building workshops on using video, music and graphic design for their community or social change project. The Summit was a powerful way to engage youth and to help them move forward on their projects of change. For more info visit the Youth Summit website, watch one of the video's or contact youth@bchealthycommunities.ca to learn more about how BC Healthy Communities can help you support youth leadership and action in your community

Successful Completion Phase I and Start Phase II BC Housing Project

Since December 2010 BCHC has partnered with BC Housing to design, develop, implement and evaluate a program for Tenant Engagement on Sustainability (TES) for three sites: Grandview Towers, Grandview Family Townhouses and Hall Towers II. After the successful completion of Phase I the focus for the next phase of the pilot will be on intensifying energy conservation activities and capacity building. This will include door-to-door outreach to introduce livegreen and the development of a TES tool-kit. For more information about our climate action work please visit the BCHC website or contact Kerri Klein at kerri@bchealthycommunities.ca

Register now for ‘Public Engagement and Communication: Influencing Change for Sustainability’ course

BCHC and Royal Roads University have collaborated to offer a practical 1 day course which will explore exciting new research from the psychological and social sciences on how people understand and engage with the issue of energy reduction and climate change. The course will give an introduction on a spectrum of tools, approaches and methods that participants can use in the design of the own public engagement initiatives. Participants will also apply learning to a practical project of their own throughout this the day. The course will be held on December 8th, click here for more information on how to register.

THE COMMUNITY

Youth Engagement and Mentorship with Fraser Valley Regional Library

FVRL - TAG Meeting

In July Abbotsford, B.C. ­ BC Healthy Communities and S.U.C.C.E.S.S. collaborated to launch the 'Welcoming and Inclusive Communities Legacy Project' to build on the work of the previous demonstration project and continue to engage immigrant and newcomer youth in Abbotsford. This project engages and involves youth in community leadership and mentorship and builds on the success of the ‘Food for Thought’ project for youth under 19 years of age. This project also supports the development of entrepreneurship and community leadership through development of a local Junior Chamber International Chapter and The Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce for young people between 19-40 years of age. Supporting young people requires innovative partnerships that plant the seeds to engage youth to be leaders now!

A huge success for young people has been our partnership with Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) and the co-creation of a teen advisory group known as ‘TAG’, this group consisting of more than 60 youth and a youth executive, is changing youth input and the direction of youth programming at the library and of course are supported by adult allies and community partners in doing so. We are also working with Big Brothers and Sisters on the development of youth mentorship and action projects through Go Girls as well. We believe we have collectively ignited youth passion and engagement and want to continue building on our success to encourage the development of this by youth for youth approach.

If you have a novel idea and share the desire to engage young people in meaningful ways that supports positive youth development we would love to hear from you! We are open to engaging other community partners who share the ‘by youth, for youth’ approach that supports the passion and purpose of young people to join this project. For more information contact Deirdre Goudriaan at deirdre@bchealthycommunities.ca

THE CHAMPIONS

Lilia Zaharieva and Sam Claver

At 24 and 17, Lilia Zaharieva and Sam Claver are examples of community leadership in action.

Lilia is the creator of insideOUT – a group providing support to youth between the ages of 13-18 who have a parent with a mental illness. Having a parent with a mental illness herself, Lilia recognized the need for a safe place for youth to talk and learn about mental illness and take away some of the stigma associated with this issue. Speaking at the recent City of Victoria Youth Council’s leadership and action summit Lilia inspired youth in the audience and reminded us of youth’s amazing capacity for innovation and change. Creating social change and innovation, she reminded us, is sort of like a ‘bacon cinnamon roll’- by putting unexpected things together we can create something new and delicious, and that is more than the sum of its parts!

Samantha came to Canada as a political refugee in 2007 from her home country, the Philippines. Adjusting to life in Canada was hard, she admits, but she started to feel more at home here when she started getting more involved with the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS). Since then she has been involved in two theatre projects, called ‘Where is Home’ and ‘My Forbidden Disorder-’, with VIRCS. ‘Where is Home’ documents the immigration experiences of newcomer youth, while My Forbidden Disorder tackles the challenging issue of homophobia. Sam has also been active in working with Project Respect- to bring youth perspectives to the issue of sexualized violence. Speaking at the Summit, she said of her community involvement, “even though it might seem like you are doing something minor, it is never a bad idea to do something you are passionate about.”

Lilia and Sam recently shared the Representative of Children and Youth’s 2011 Youth Leadership Award and are reminders that youth are citizens and leaders today.

THE PRACTICE

Collaborating for Community Health and Sustainability
by Jodi Mucha

BCHC has recently partnered with Fraser Basin Council (FBC) to collaborate through FBC’s Smart Planning for Communities Initiative (SPC). The SPC initiative is a BC-wide collaborative initiative to assist local and First Nations governments in addressing their long-term sustainability challenges by providing resources and tools for planning socially, culturally, economically and environmentally sustainable communities.

SPC was developed in response to the call for “Integrated Community Sustainability Planning” (ICSP) in the 2005 Federal/ Provincial/ UBCM Gas Tax Agreement. It recognizes that a flexible approach to integrated sustainability planning is needed in British Columbia — an approach that allows communities to build on, enhance and integrate existing planning processes while also exploring innovative tools and frameworks. Smart Planning for Communities calls for collaboration among organizations and teams of people working together to develop and implement integrated strategies for a sustainable future. BC Healthy Communities focuses on an integrated, healthy communities approach to community health and wellness and together we are excited to bring our collective health and planning expertise to build on capacity for community health and sustainability planning.

As part of our partnership, we have a BCHC facilitator on Vancouver Island working in a jointly shared position (wearing the hat of both organizations and making the links between the two) to support communities in their planning efforts. Together we are supporting stronger collaborations and networking opportunities between and amongst local governments, health authorities, First Nations and community groups around issues such as climate action, transportation planning, health and the built environment and chronic disease prevention. Please watch for upcoming opportunities and if you would like further information on how we can support you in your planning and collaboration efforts please contact bchc@bchealthycommunities.ca.

EVENTS

Film Festival~ Living Life Fully
What: Health Fair and Film Festival to celebrate healthy living in the North
When: Saturday December 3rd, 2011. Doors open at 6.30 pm

Where: Prince George. For more information click here

Course ~ Public Engagement and Communication: 'Influencing Change for Sustainability'

What: Course on Public Engagement and Communication

When: Thursday, December 8, 9.00 – 4.30 PM

Where: Victoria, Royal Roads University.

For more information or to register click here

Webinars ~ Northern BC Citizens Series on Health Webinars

BCHC and Northern Health's Population Health Team have partnered to host a series of free web-based seminars on the role of citizens in building healthy communities. The webinars invite dialogue from northern communities on specific topics that are critical to improving the health outcomes of northern people.

Jan. 19, 2012 - 1:30 - 3:30pm

"Beginning With the End in Mind: Creating Safe and Nurturing Environments for Our Very Young"

April 19, 2012 - 1:30 - 3:30pm

"Beyond the Nest Egg: Feathering the Nest for Healthy Retirement"

For more information or to register click here

Summit ~ Cities fit for Children

What: 3rd Annual Provincial Summit

When: Thursday, May 10 to Friday, May 11 2012

Where: Kamloops. For more information click here

THE READINGS

Author/Creator: Dr. David Butler-Jones - Public Health Agency of Canada

Report on the State of Public Health in Canada 2011 – Youth and Young Adults – Life in Transition

This is the Chief Public Health Officer's fourth annual report on the state of public health in Canada. It examines the state of health and well being of Canadian youth (aged 12 to 19 years) and young adults (aged 20 to 29 years). The report considers many health issues affecting this population such as physical and mental health, injury, sexual and reproductive health and substance use and abuse. By discussing these issues and how they are addressed, the report identifies priority areas for action to maintain healthy transitions of young Canadians into adulthood. Read the full report here