Local and Indigenous governments across the province have been awarded $330,000 in grants and additional customized supports through the PlanH program for thirty-four projects that improve community connection and create healthier public policies. PlanH is a partnership of BC Healthy Communities Society (BCHC), the Ministry of Health, and the Provincial Health Services Authority
Healthy communities are built from policies and plans that incorporate health and equity. Two PlanH grant streams were offered this year to support such work: the Community Connectedness Grant Stream, which helps communities foster a sense of belonging and social connection, and the Healthy Public Policy Grant Stream, which helps develop new or amend existing policy in order to improve health and well-being of all. This year, for the first time, BCHC also partnered with Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH) to provide additional Healthy Public Policy grants for projects in the VCH region. Through these two grant streams, communities around B.C. will take upstream action on the social determinants of health on a variety of projects.
Participating local and Indigenous governments This year’s grant recipients and their projects are:
Community Connectedness Grant Stream
· City of Surrey – Surrey Human Library Series
· City of Port Coquitlam – Seniors and Youth Intergenerational Gardening
· Chawathil First Nation – Sts’elemeqw Residential School Thrivers: Healing and Connection
· Corporation of the District of Kent – Revitalizing Agassiz Harrison Healthy Communities Committee
· Sumas First Nation – The Semá:thLacrosse Development Sessions
· Stswecem’c Xget’tem First Nation – Segwsgwents’ut qelmúcw (Exercising community)
· Vermillion Forks Métis Association – Supporting our Métis Family
· Métis Nation Columbia River Society – Ed Peekeekoot live at the Golden Civic Centre
· Salmon Arm Métis Association – Foodways: a harvest gathering event to explore our interconnected culture around food
· T’it’q’et Administration – Záwmen- to fish with a dipnet
· Qualicum First Nation – Gentle Movement for 50+
· City of Campbell River – Scaling Out Campbell River Seniors Info Hub
· Capital Regional District (CRD) – Building Community Connections with Equity-Seeking Groups Currently Underrepresented in Active Transportation
· District of Tumbler Ridge – Tumbler Ridge Winter Kick Off
· District of Mackenzie – Friends Helping Friends Meal Program
· District of Sechelt – Sunshine Coast Together – Sechelt Community Connectedness
· City of North Vancouver – Strengthening Community Connections and the Natural Environment
Healthy Public Policy Grant Stream
· City of Surrey – Evaluating the Cis-tem: Creating an inclusive policy framework for 2SLGBTQ+ population in Surrey
· District of Mission – Indigenous Dialogues: Creating change by building relationships
· City of Port Moody – Community Well Being Guidelines
· Tobacco Plains Indian Band – Harm Reduction Community Policy
· District of Clearwater – Development of an Equity-Informed Recreation & Wellness Policy Framework
· The Corporation of the City of Penticton – City of Penticton Equitable Housing Policy Review
· Municipality of North Cowichan – North Cowichan and Quw’utsun Nation Relationship Building 2022/2023
· City of Duncan – Cowichan Food Policy
· Comox Valley Regional District – Hornby and Denman Islands Community Health Profiles 2022
· City of Courtenay – Community Collaboration towards Creating Equity in All Policies
· Sik-E-Dakh – Sik-E-Dakh Look to the Land Project
· City of Vancouer – Urban Indigenous Data Governance Scoping Project
· Squamish Nation – Squamish Nation Elders’ Engagement Framework Project
· Squamish Lillooet Regional District – Good Food Program – Regional Food Procurement Policy
· qathet Regional District – Texada Island Seniors Housing Needs and Demands Study
· shíshálh Nation – Transformational Housing
· Heiltsuk Tribal Council – Community Economic Development Health and Wellbeing Assessment
PlanH grants offer both financial awards and customized supports from BC Healthy Communities staff on a range of topics, including planning, research, engagement, and evaluation.
About the PlanH program The PlanH Program supports the advancement of healthier communities by providing tools, resources and funding for capacity-building. Since 2012, the PlanH Healthy Communities Fund has distributed $2M in funding plus customized supports for local and Indigenous governments and regional health authorities to advance programs, policies and strategies aimed at improving health equity, and well-being for all.
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.