Becoming Age-Friendly, Building User-Friendly Trails and Partnering on Healthy Planning

Local Governments Build Healthy Planning Initiatives Across BC

Spring is on the horizon. Fresh and exciting healthy community initiatives are popping up across the province. The Healthy Communities Capacity Building (HCCB) grant recipients are steadily working on their projects. We are hearing about some incredible community successes. Read further to learn about the CRD’s age-friendly trail systems, the District of North Vancouver’s healthy OCP and how to nominate your community.

The PlanH team is excited for the busy spring season. Silos to Systems workshops will be delivered in Kelowna (with the City of Kelowna and Interior Health) and Delta (with the Corporation of Delta and Fraser Health). We look forward to working with many of you in the near future.

Do you have a healthy community planning initiative to develop? See our workshops page to see how we can help.

Age-Friendly Communities Application: Due March 31

Hurry, applications are due soon! The Age-friendly BC Community (AFBC) Recognition Program is designed to reward and encourage communities to take action towards becoming age-friendly.

Benefits of becoming a recognized AFBC community include:

An AFBC recognition award;
Promotion of your community’s achievements in the AFBC section of the SeniorsBC.ca website and in the SeniorsBC e-Newsletter, as well as, through BC Healthy Communities Society news bulletins;
National and international recognition as an age-friendly community;
A reward to help your community develop an age-friendly community legacy project or to hold a celebration.

Get Recognized

Learn how to become a recognized AFBC community here Becoming an Age-friendly Community: Local Government Guide, Section 3.0
Apply for recognition here AFBC Recognition Application Form

For more information, please contact the Seniors’ Health Promotion Directorate by emailing AgefriendlyBC@gov.bc.ca or calling 250-387-9520.

Success Story: Planning Partnership gets Residents Talking about Healthy Built Environments on the North Shore

Healthy people is a priority for planners at the District of North Vancouver (DNV). That’s why they pursued a partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) for the DNV’s review of their Official Community Plan (OCP). It was the first review in 20 years. Together they engaged over 5000 people in two years. Community members discussed how the built environment can impact health. Through this strong partnership, a comprehensive OCP - Identity DNV 2030 - that prioritizes sustainability and community health promotion developed. Read the full story here.

Learn how the built environment can impact health in the Healthy Environments section on planh.ca.

Success Story: Powerful Partnerships Construct User-Friendly Trails

Marnie Essery was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis when she was three-years old. Essery found it difficult to go beyond the parking lot to explore her surroundings in many parks throughout Greater Victoria. Instead of letting this stop her she became actively involved in promoting accessibility and inclusion in her community.

Today Marnie is chair of the Intermunicipal Advisory Committee on Disability Issues. Marnie helps bring together partners to improve accessibility to many parks and trails throughout Greater Victoria.

Thanks to partners like West Shore Parks and Recreation and the Capital Regional District more trails are wider and smoother. Now people with a physical disability, families with strollers, older adults with mobility issues, and many others can access parks and trails with ease. To learn how you can create user-friendly trails in your community, click here.

Sign up for the BC Healthy Communities e-brief to read more on Marnie Essery and other healthy community success stories.

Nominate a Community for PlanH Success Story

Find out if it is a good fit, and nominate a story today! Contact Michelle Sandsmark.

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Watch the Local Leaders Cam: Gerry Dyble

“It’s about looking at the real issues that are impacting your community and working with your community people to say ‘How can we address this together?’" stated Gerry Dyble, District of Hope councillor.

We had a chance to interview Gerry at the 2013 UBCM Convention, where she shared how the District of Hope used their Healthy Communities Capacity Building Grant and some of the key components that have helped the District create a healthier community.

Click here to hear Gerry's perspective on the District of Hope’s capacity building process.

Tell us What you Think: Take the Healthy Built Environment Linkages Toolkit Survey

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) and the Healthy Built Environment Alliance (HBEA) developed the Healthy Built Environment Linkages Toolkit in April, 2014. This document is intended to be a conversation started for community planners, local government representatives and public health professionals.

This 10 minute survey will help PHSA and the HBEA understand the impacts and outcomes of the Toolkit. The deadline for responding is Wednesday March 11. By completing the survey you will be entered to win a 16GB iPad Mini. Click here to access the survey.

Learn About our Workshops

The PlanH team can work with your local government on community engagement and creating partnerships across sectors for creating healthier communities.

For example, early this spring, the PlanH team will be conducting Silos to Systems workshops in Delta and Kelowna. The workshops are tailored to address contextual priorities, while focusing primarily on how local policy and planning can benefit from collaborative action.

These two events focus on engaging local strategic partners in rich dialogue for a healthier community.

To learn more about PlanH workshops, go here. Check out our upcoming events here.