More Indigenous and non-Indigenous local governments in B.C. will now be able to embark on projects to improve community health and well-being for their constituents, thanks to $150,000 in new grants and additional customized supports recently awarded by PlanH, a partnership of BC Healthy Communities Society and the Ministry of Health.
Creating healthy communities for all involves the incorporation of health and equity into policy and planning. Two new streams of PlanH grants were offered to aid in different aspects of Healthy Communities work: the Community Connectedness Grant, which supports communities in creating a sense of belonging and social connection, and the Healthy Community Engagement Grant, which supports local governments and their partners in developing innovative public engagement processes to get input from community members who not usually ‘at the table.’ Through these two grant streams, communities around B.C. will take upstream action on the social determinants of health on a diverse set of projects.
Participating Local Governments & Projects
The following local governments and projects are supported through these grants:
Community Connectedness
- Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District – Fostering Collaboration amongst Coastal Community Gardens
- Bridge River Indian Band – Xwisten Connection for Health
- City of Campbell River – Building the Foundation: A Community Dementia Awareness Program
- City of Port Moody – Tri-Cities Food & Diversity Stories Project
- City of Terrace – Rapid Implementation Strategy for Active Transportation Projects
- District of Chetwynd – Social Engagement for Chetwynd’s OCP
- District of Invermere – Nourish Columbia Valley
- District of Saanich – Community Connections – This is Your Community
- District of Stewart – Stewart Community Connectedness and Mental Health
- Lytton First Nation – Nlaka’pamux Health and Wellness Community Project
- River of the Peace Métis Society – Gather Together Métis Society
- Saik’uz First Nation – Saik-uz Peacekeepers
- Takla Nation – Takla Fit
- Town of Sidney – Making Connections: Radio and Broadcast Project
- Village of Pemberton – Nurture in Nature
Healthy Community Engagement
- City of Maple Ridge – City of Maple Ridge Accessibility and Inclusiveness Framework
- Old Masset Village Council – Xqynagaa (Wellness NOW): Equitable and Intergenerational Co-Creation
- Regional District of Kootenay Boundary – Augmenting connection between Indigenous Peoples and RDKB: presenting for review the Boundary Region Flood and Geohazard Risk Assessment
- Squamish Nation – The Yetwánáy Project
- Westbank First Nation – Westbank First Nations Child Care Needs Assessment and Action Plan
Unlike most funding programs, PlanH grants award not only financial support, but also consulting support from BC Healthy Communities staff, who will provide these communities with tailored process, planning, policy and partnership assistance to help ensure their project is a success.
About the PlanH program
The PlanH program offers supports to health authorities and other partners to create healthier communities across the province, supporting partnerships across sectors, facilitating collaborative local action, and providing learning opportunities, resources and consultation. PlanH helps to foster strong relationships among health authorities, local governments and other community partners. PlanH grants and supports are designed to target communities at various levels of engagement with health authorities, with the dual aims of strengthening those relationships and helping communities to address issues using a Healthy Communities approach.
For more information on resources and upcoming funding opportunities to support your community in planning for health, sign up for our PlanH newsletter or explore our website at PlanH.ca.
