Archive
Here are all of our past articles.
Public Health Association of B.C. hosts its 10th annual Summer School
In 2019 the Public Health Association of B.C. (PHABC) boasted its largest Summer School turnout to date, with nearly 200 people in attendance across the western Canadian board. The event, which was held July 4–5, brought together health care professionals to help introduce them to new concepts and themes surrounding public health. Comprised of keynote speakers, presentations and workshops that bring concepts into practice, Summer School equips attendees with learnings that they can practically apply in the public health workplace. The theme this year for the two-day event was Simplifying Complexity, Public Health Approaches and Practice in Complex Systems, which involved adaptive systems and how they can inform population-level intervention. Representatives from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Yukon were all remotely present during the presentations.
Five take-home messages from B.C.’s first Active Transportation Summit
We were thrilled to visit New Westminster to attend B.C.’s first Active Transportation Summit in June 2019. The two-day summit featured keynote speakers, panel discussions, interactive workshops and presentations focused on expanding our ways of thinking about active transportation and learning from initiatives across B.C. Our summer practicum student, Alexis Erlichman, describes some of her most important takeaways when it comes to creating active transportation for all.
Evaluating with an open mind and a humble heart: Reflections from the Canadian Evaluation Society Conference
How can be humbler and more open-minded? In evaluation we are taught to measure success and outcomes, tracking indicators over time using ‘evidence-based, Western’ methodologies. The focus in evaluation is on the external. Yet, I’m realizing more than ever, that we must look inwards and undergo a process of self-reflection in order to understand personal and systemic biases that we each have. We need to humbly acknowledge that we are learners, especially when it comes to understanding another’s experience. We should not just do this as evaluators, but as members of this society and as human beings.
Relationships more valuable than money: Rural community resilience outside the formal economy
Social capital has been studied and defined in recent decades by academics and community development professionals striving to create greater community resilience. The importance of being able to bounce back after a local crisis is equally appreciated in both city and country settings. As threats of floods and fires become more real, it’s nice to know that rural communities may have advantages and hidden knowledge that can help protect us—and that others can learn from. This is a pleasant change from the stereotypes of rural people and places being backwards and needing a hand up. However experts acknowledge that attempting to measure a complex web of relationships is difficult because there is no such thing as a standardized unit of social capital.