PlanH: Planning a healthy community starts here.
 
 
Summer revellers take in the sun on Kal Beach in the North Okanagan.
 

 Summer revellers take in the sun on Kal Beach in the North Okanagan. Photo: Province of BC/Flickr.

 

Racism: A public health issue

In 2018, the Canadian Public Health Association, along with the Public Health Association of BC and six other provincial and territorial public health bodies, formally acknowledged racism as a public health issue which unfairly impacts the health and well-being of racialized members of our communities. In the past few weeks, we've seen communities across the province from Bowen Island to Keremeos to Osoyoos to Victoria, among others, take definitive action against systemic racism. We applaud these communities for their leadership and look forward to seeing progress on this issue in the days ahead.

 

New PlanH Action Guide:
Healthy Natural Environments

 
 

During the past months, natural environments have become some of our most coveted spaces, offering benefits including reduced stress and depression and improved mental wellness—an area of health that is seeing great decline due to the pandemic. Local governments play a pivotal role in creating and sustaining natural places that improve health and well-being equitably, for all community members. That's why we're excited to announce the launch of our new Healthy Natural Environments Action Guide, featuring ideas and examples from communities across the province working to create healthy, equitable natural spaces.

Get the guide
 
 

New Food Security Rapid Action Resources
for local governments

 

In the wake of COVID-19, BC Healthy Communities has developed a series of resources to respond to local government concerns around food security. These Rapid Action Resources provide local governments with an understanding of  food security-related issues from an upstream perspective to support smart investment and decision-making. In the last month the first of these resources has launched, covering best practices around community food production. 

Read the resource
 
 
 

Upcoming webinar: Equitable public engagement: Navigating power when engaging underrepresented populations

 
 

Join BCHC and a panel of community engagement experts on Wednesday, September 9 for a closer examination of power and its role in public engagement. Through this panel discussion format, we'll share strategies, tools, and resources that can be used in practice to ensure that your engagement efforts are equitable and empowering.

Register now
 
 
 

STORIES FROM OUR COMMUNITIES

VanPlay: Planning equity into Vancouver’s Parks and Recreation Services

 
 

Across British Columbia, parks and green space in urban centres are facing pressure to accommodate a variety of uses amid growing populations and smaller private living quarters. However, green space is often unequally distributed and its benefits inequitably received. Vancouver’s new Parks and Recreation Services Master Plan—called VanPlay—prioritizes inclusion for residents who traditionally face the greatest barriers to accessing the health benefits natural environments provide. Read the story.

 

“Caretakers of Esk'etemculucw:” How Esk’etemc sustainable resource and environmental management practices lay in their deep connection to the land

 

Each year, wildfire season presents a looming threat to communities across the province. For the Esk’etemc, a First Nations community near Williams Lake, a return to their traditional environmental and resource management practices has resulted in not only a sense of confidence in their community's ability to manage wildfires, but also in economic prosperity and a strengthened relationship to the land. Read the story.

 
 
 

“Eating our culture:” How the Neskonlith’s path to cultural revitalization has its roots in the land

 
 

The Neskonlith Indian Band is seeking to revitalize access to their land, improve community health and bring together a people displaced by colonialism. With the help of PlanH funding, the community is working toward an Indigenous Plant Stewardship Strategy, improving community health outcomes, enhancing eco-cultural restoration and connecting people to their culture and community. Read the story.

 
 

Port Coquitlam launches first ever Roundtable on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

 

Port Coquitlam has announced formation of the city’s first ever anti-racism and discrimination group, a Roundtable on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The group will consist of 12 to 15 volunteer advisors from diverse groups within the community, providing input to staff and Council in order to improve access and inclusion. Read the announcement on the City of Port Coquitlam's website.

 
 
 

“A city without barriers”: New Westminster aims for social equity

 
 

New Westminster is a city with a history of leading with progressive policies and plans, implementing a living wage policy in 2011 and a Community Poverty Reduction strategy in 2016. In recent years, the city has turned its attention to equity and has begun working on a social equity policy to help remove systemic barriers that community members face. In 2018, we wrote about the policy's development; in light of a renewed focus on equity in 2020, we're sharing the piece again. Read the story.

 
 
 
 
 

NEWS & ARTICLES

The Issue: Equity

 
 
 
A handpainted wooden sign against a forest background. The sign says "health, goodness, happiness, community."
 

When we—local government staff, public health practitioners and planners—talk about equity, do we all mean the same thing? The Issue is a regular series by BC Healthy Communities staff that explores various public health and local government topics. This month, we look at equity as defined by the public health and planning disciplines, exploring where those disciplines converge and where they differ. Read more at BC Healthy Communities' website.

 
 

New short video series on Healthy Cities for local governments

 

What is the importance—and the limits—of municipal action to improve health and reduce inequalities? This is one of the questions answered in a new five-part video series the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy (NCCHPP) featuring Evelyne de Leeuw, an expert in the Healthy Cities Approach. View the complete series on the NCCHPP's website.

 
 
 
 

Resource: FNHA Food Security Toolkit

 

For local governments across the province, COVID-19 has created a heightened focus on various aspects of food security, including issues around access, availability and use. The First Nations Health Authority's new resource, Planning for Food Security: A Toolkit for the COVID-19 Pandemic includes ideas, templates, tools and information to support food security planning for Indigenous local governments, as well as non-Indigenous local governments. Get the toolkit here.

 
 
 
 

LEARN

How do we ensure equity is upheld as we adapt recreation and sport in the time of COVID-19? If you missed our live webinar on this important topic back in June, it's now available in on-demand format on the PlanH website.

 
Image detail from the return to sport cover: an illustration of a football gameplay board, a basketball, a soccer ball and a stopwatch. The words "Return to sport: Guidelines for B.C." in white and yellow block text on a teal background.

CONNECT

We know that the built environment around us can impact our health outcomes. Now, a new report from the Urban Institute explores some of the common themes in strategies municipalities are taking to improve health equity via the built environment. Read more.

 

INNOVATE

The Province and City of Vancouver are partnering to launch B.C.’s first-ever “navigation” centre to help people experiencing long-term homelessness. The innovative model has seen success in other cities, including San Francisco. Read the Province's announcement.

 
 
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T: (250) 590-8442    E: info@planh.ca

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