Northern Health Matters — healthy communities

Tales from the man cave: Wonderful communities in action

May 9, 2013 Jim Coyle Leave a Comment

Jim at the community health fair in Valemount.

I was recently in Valemount at a health fair put on by the community, which was funded by a Healthy Communities grant.

Every move counts

For a small village community of about 1,200 or so, Valemount is punching well above its weight by walking the world. I believe they want to clock about 50,000km. This community is really engaged in increasing wellness by active living and this is a beautiful place on the planet in which to do so.

At the Poker walk, we had a small crowd take off and start the trail of five stations. I was on station number five and the sun was shining down on me gently. I had been starved of this sun from a long winter but I did my healthy living bit by wearing a hat to protect my aging and balding head from its rays.

I met some lovely people there who are really engaged in the well-being of their community and under the tent, a stone’s throw away, there is much laughing and comedy.

On the trail of Bigfoot

These things are, in my opinion, great measures of health. Life is serious but we can have fun with it nonetheless. Speaking of which, Bigfoot was reportedly seen in many areas of the walk and locals are calling to have him registered as a highly protected species. Reportedly, Bigfoot was photographed in 1957 and is Valemount’s equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster. I am sure its presence made some of the locals break the record for the round trip on the trail.

Keeping healthy is very important and these folks are showing me that it can be a lot of fun as well. There is a real community effort and it feels good to be here among them. My gut tells me that building a healthy community has to begin with social gatherings of this nature that aim to invigorate and support each individual to be the best they can be. It feels as if Valemount is doing this really well.

For more information on what Valemount is doing, visit their Facebook group page.

For more information on building healthy communities, visit the community health information portal.

About Jim Coyle

Jim is a tobacco reduction coordinator with the men’s health program, and has a background in psychiatry and care of the elderly. In former times, Jim was director of care at Simon Fraser Lodge and clinical coordinator at the Brain Injury Group. He came to Canada from Glasgow, Scotland 20 years ago and, when not at work, Jim plays in the band Out of Alba and spends time with his family.

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The making of a healthy community

April 9, 2013 Jonathon Dyck Leave a Comment

It takes the whole community to make a healthy community. That’s the message behind our latest commercial.

Healthy communities are built through the efforts of all of its members. This video showcases some of these opportunities including sourcing local food at a farmers’ market, getting some fresh air and physical activity in your neighbourhood, or line dancing with friends to keep moving.

How do you help build a healthy community?

This commercial was produced by CKPG, part of the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.

About Jonathon Dyck

Jonathon is a communications officer at Northern Health. Originally from Airdrie, Alberta, Jonathon has a broadcasting diploma from Mount Royal College in Calgary, Alberta, and a BA with a major in communications from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C. Jonathon enjoys golf, hockey, curling, hiking, biking, and canoeing. He is also an avid sports fan and attends as many sporting events as humanly possible, including hockey, soccer, baseball, football, rugby, basketball, and lacrosse.

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Filed Under: Active Living, Our Communities Tagged With: CKPG, commercial, healthy communities

Picture YOU Healthy week 3 winner

April 2, 2013 Jessica Quinn Leave a Comment

Pamela Richardson is our Week 3 Winner for submitting this great photo of participants and volunteers at the 3rd Annual Surf Expression Session in Haida Gwaii.

The Picture YOU Healthy challenge has completed and you’re all waiting for the final word on the grand prize winner I’m sure! But first, we are happy to announce the winner of week 3 goes to a fantastic entry that represents healthy communities!

Congrats to Pamela Richardson from Haida Gwaii, who submitted this amazing photo of the 3rd Annual Surf Expression Session on North Beach in Haida Gwaii last November. During the event, one-on-one surf lessons are offered for free to youth 16 years and younger.

In her entry, Pamela said: “The community on Haida Gwaii rallied and over 40 volunteers came out to help instruct and get children as young as 3 in the water. Promoting active living and year round activity is preventative health care. Haida Gwaii does not have traditional recreation centres, so we rely on our environment for recreation. Surfing allows for a connection to the natural environment and the strengthening of cultural identity and the transmission of traditional environmental knowledge.”

Stay tuned tomorrow when we announce the grand prize winner of the Picture YOU Healthy Challenge!

About Jessica Quinn

Jessica Quinn is regional manager, health promotion and community engagement for Northern Health, where she is actively involved in promoting the great work of NH staff to encourage healthy and active lifestyles. She also manages NH's social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc) and moderates all comments for the NH blog. When she's not working, Jessica stays active by exploring the beautiful outdoors around Prince George via kayak, hiking boots or snowshoes, and she has recently completed her master's degree in professional communications from Royal Roads University, with a focus on the use of social media in health care.

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Filed Under: General Tagged With: contest, healthy communities, Picture You Healthy, winner

Finding your motivation

March 21, 2013 Men's Health Nursing Students Leave a Comment

Having a dog friend can be great motivation to get moving!

Motivation is key when it comes time to make healthier life choices. My motivation is a 5-year-old pug-beagle cross named Puggles. If not for our walks around the neighborhood, my desire to get active would easily be trumped by homework or chores. When I look at those big brown eyes I am compelled to take him for his much loved walks. The benefits are equal for both me and Puggles – increased stamina, that happy feeling after exercise and a longer, healthier life. It’s funny how being responsible for someone else’s health (and yes I do consider my dog a person) can motivate you to consider your own. I am aware that my dog lacks the brain function to exercise himself when required and to make his own healthy choices. I, however, am fully capable of making healthy choices for the both of us. This sense of responsibility is a constant motivation to get active and make healthy choices. Your motivation may differ from my own, maybe instead of a dog you have children, siblings or a spouse who serve as your motivation. Motivation is important in living a healthy lifestyle and as stated in Northern Health’s Position Paper on Healthy Communities: When people make healthy choices, we know they will live longer, healthier lives.

Being realistic when setting your goals is important; you wouldn’t run a two-minute mile the first time you put on your runners. Instead, keep track of the progress you have made – finding out you beat your previous record can be exhilarating. Finding a healthy recipe that also looks and tastes great will impress your family and friends, not to mention improve your overall health. Puggles and I began with our 30 minutes walks around the neighborhood, always stopping at a nearby park to sniff around (him, not me). In recent weeks we have increased our walking time to 45 minutes and I have challenged myself to increase that time on a weekly basis. I can admit to missing the occasional day or two, but walking Puggles three times a week puts me pretty close to the World Health Organizations recommended 150 minutes of exercise a week. Also, having support when engaging in a healthy lifestyle can make a lot of difference and will encourage you to stick with your choices. Support systems can be friends, pets or members of your community – like walking groups or farmers’ markets. No one wants to be the one who ditches friends for a weekly exercise class or tell their significant other to take a late night stroll solo. I know my dog may not live to be 90, but making healthier choices for us both will ensure we can make the most of our time together. And who knows, with the right healthy choices I may be blowing out the candles on my own 90^th birthday!

[Editor's note: This is a great example of what the key message "when people make healthy choices we know they will live longer, healthier lives" means to Jasmine and Meghan. Tell us what it means to you! Visit our Picture YOU Healthy contest page for more details on your chance to win!]

About Men's Health Nursing Students

Jasmine Ford is a fourth year nursing student currently doing a practicum with the men’s health program. Jasmine grew up on Vancouver Island and has been living in the north for five years while completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her passions include working in physical rehabilitation and long term care. Meghan McQuhae is a fourth year nursing student currently doing a practicum with the men’s health program. Meghan grew up in the Fraser Valley, and has been living in Prince George for five years while completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Her passion is working in the acute care field of nursing.

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Filed Under: Active Living Tagged With: healthy communities, motivation, physical activity, Picture You Healthy, walking

Finding space to exercise in your community

March 15, 2013 Theresa Healy 2 Comments

Theresa’s “one thing” has become exercising without noticing during dog agility classes with Squid.

Research tells us very clearly that exercise is vital to health. In fact, this has been knowledge from the time of the Roman philosopher Juvenal who proclaimed mens sana in copore sano (that means “pray for a healthy mind in a healthy body.”) (Satire X, line 356).

In the modern world between the demands of work and family, finding time to do anything that might nurture your own body and well-being is often bottom of the “to do list,” yet, it’s just like they say when you board an airplane: “In the event of trouble, please put on your own air mask before assisting others.” Truly, if you’re not at your best, you can’t do what you have to do to the best of your ability.

So, having accepted that you really do need to invest in your own health, how do you make the switch? A healthy community is one that can help you figure that out. As a lifelong couch potato since leaving school and the intensity of playing hockey (that would be field hockey – equally as tough as the hockey on ice but with a lot less padding), I was forced by my own ill health into figuring out how to be more active. At the beginning, all I could handle was walking. And I walked lots. I found all kinds of trails and pathways that wound through my neighbourhood. In some cases, I found myself away from a city setting and in nature not a very far distance from where I started. I had never seen these areas, never even noticed their existence from my car. I began to venture further afield and visited many of the parks in our city. I began to realize Prince George could really be called the city of parks.

How do you get active in your community?

I graduated from walking into running, and now my stamina and fitness is such that I have been able to enroll my little dog, Squid, into agility classes – and I can keep up! He is a young and incredibly smart little dog. If I don’t keep him well exercised he gets into mischief. The sad fact is that although I can keep up with him in terms of speed, he is far better than me at the actual agility and is excelling in the class. I, on the other hand, am in danger of flunking out.

However, that aside, I run – and run hard – without noticing because I am too busy figuring out where my left side is supposed to be in a rear cross (that is, a sequence in dog agility.) This has become my thing – the one thing that gives such pleasure that I am exercising without even noticing. This wouldn’t have been possible if I hadn’t been able to start small and with much gratitude to the planners who built these spaces into our neighborhoods.

A healthy community is one that has a wide range of options to help you find your “one thing” that will work for you. Whether it’s a weekly one hour in the local pool with a child, hiking local trails or becoming a roller derby queen, there is something in your community that will entice you away from the couch, the TV or the warmth of that early morning “one more snooze button” state. For me, exploring my city slowly on foot morphed into running which has opened so many more options – such as the agility class – that I never expected. What is your one thing going to be?

[Editor's note: This is a great example of what the key message "It takes a whole community working together to create healthy environments" means to Theresa. Tell us what it means to you! Visit our Picture YOU Healthy contest page for more details on your chance to win!]

About Theresa Healy

Theresa is the regional manager for healthy community development with Northern Health’s population health team and is passionate about the capacity of individuals, families and communities across northern B.C. to be partners in health and wellness. As part of her own health and wellness plan, she has taken up running and, more recently, weight lifting. She is also a “new-bee” bee-keeper and a devoted new grandmother. Theresa is an avid historian, writer and researcher who also holds an adjunct appointment at UNBC that allows her to pursue her other passionate love - teaching.

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Filed Under: Active Living Tagged With: dog agility, healthy communities, physical activity, Picture You Healthy

Announcing the Picture YOU Healthy Challenge

March 4, 2013 Dr. Ronald Chapman Leave a Comment

Dr. Chapman (on the right) as he faced off with Dr. Bowering (left) in the March MANness competition 2012.

March is here and with it brings new opportunities to become active in your community. Last year, Dr. Bowering and I took part in a healthy competition during the March MANness 2012 campaign, competing in ping pong, Wii Golf, and a final race around the track at the Northern Sports Centre. While the ending was controversial, the message was not: getting active is fun and easy!

We have been on a journey to raise awareness about our position papers on modifiable risk factors on topics including healthy eating, active living, and healthy communities. During September we issued the September Healthy Living Challenge to find out how northerners apply these principles to their everyday lives by submitting pictures, sharing stories, and getting active in their communities. It was a great success with people from across our region participating and getting involved.

This month, we are looking for northerners to get involved again for the Picture YOU Healthy campaign. We want you to tell us what certain key messages mean to you – in a picture! Visit the Picture YOU Healthy contest page for rules and new key messages released each week. This is a fun way to show us how YOU live an active and healthy life in our beautiful region.

We look forward to hearing from you!

[Editor's note: The first week's key messages have been revealed on the Picture YOU Healthy contest page. For the rest of the week, we'll be sharing staff member's blog posts and pictures about their ideas!]

About Dr. Ronald Chapman

Ronald Chapman is a physician with a fellowship in community medicine, and extensive experience in the leadership and management of health services with a focus on community health. Dr. Chapman joined the Northern Health team in 2007 as regional director of the Northern Cancer Control Strategy. Dr. Chapman assumed the role of the chief medical health officer of Northern Health in June 2011, and in February 2013, he transitioned to Vice President, Medicine in Northern Health.

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Filed Under: General Tagged With: active living, challenge, contest, healthy communities, healthy eating, Picture You Healthy

Building healthier communities in our backyard

October 12, 2012 Theresa Healy 1 Comment

Our thank you card from the kids next door.

You never know when the opportunity to help build healthier communities is going to pop up. Sometimes these unexpected opportunities can have far reaching impacts.

Here at Northern Health’s Centre for Healthy Living office in Prince George, we recently experienced one of those unexpected moments. Our next door neighbour is the Aboriginal Choice School. One of the teachers approached us and asked if her class could pick the apples from the trees on our property so the class could make apple sauce. We gladly agreed - after all, Bear Aware keeps telling us to pick our fruit to prevent bears from being attracted to the ripe fruit trees. We certainly didn’t want any of us – or any of the kids – to be greeted by a bear one morning!

The kids came and had a fun time being outside and collecting the plentiful apples.

And then, we received the most lovely thank you card from the class with pictures of the children happily engaged in making and sampling their apple creations. You can’t help but smile back at all the lovely toothy grins.

Simple acts like this help create healthier communities in ways you may not even think! We contributed to a bear safe neighbourhood; we made good use of the fruit on our property; the children got exercise and time in the fresh air as they did the picking; the class was part of a as “close to the ground” eating experience as you can get; and they also learned about nutrition and cooking for themselves.

Last but not least, they had a positive and caring experience with an arm of Northern Health. Not bad for a simple “yes, you can pick our apples and save us the labour and save us from bears.”

What unexpected moments have you experienced that contributed to a healthier community for all of us?

About Theresa Healy

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Filed Under: Our Communities Tagged With: Aboriginal Choice School, apples, bears, Centre for Healthy Living, children, community, healthy communities

Why northern health matters to us

June 25, 2012 Dr. Ronald Chapman 1 Comment

Farmer’s Markets and local eating are important pieces of community health.

I would like to welcome everyone to Northern Health Matters, an interactive blog aimed at sharing grassroots stories about people, programs and activities going on in the Northern Health region. In Northern BC, we are blessed with a wealth of natural beauty and geography as diverse as the people who live here. Within our region, there are many stories of people working towards positive health outcomes to improve their health and the health of their community; we hope to find as many as we can to share them with you here.

For the past six months, Northern Health has begun developing strategic position papers on key issues affecting people’s health, which we believe can be actively addressed to help improve overall health. These issues include: healthy eating, tobacco cessation, injury prevention, and healthy community development. Northern Health is hoping to begin the conversation about how we can work together with community partners to make health more accessible for everyone who calls the north home. This means aligning with programs and services to promote health during all stages of life.

My hope is that this blog will provide people in the Northern BC area a window into the exciting activities being undertaken by Northern Health staff and our community partners across the region to improve our overall health. We all have a role to play in ensuring that our communities are vibrant and healthy places to live for our families. Join us in this work – share your story, tell us about your successes, and let us know how you showcase the idea that northern health matters.