More and more, local governments in BC and beyond are appointing social planners to focus specifically on improving the well-being of their community members. In 2016, the City of Delta made the decision to create a social planner position to assess the social needs...
“Northern B.C. was probably the last place I ever thought I would be,” says Holly Hughes, a healthy settings advisor with Northern Health. “Honestly, since I moved here, I’ve kind of fallen in love with it.” Hughes first moved out to Northern B.C. 10 years ago...
This tool kit is intended for use in rural communities. Municipalities, including planners, health authority staff, and elected officials are the intended audience, although the tool kit will also help other interested community members advocate for healthier...
How can residents living in high-rise buildings better connect with one another? Through a PlanH grant, the City of Vancouver has been working to help residents living in higher-density buildings feel more connected to one another. In fall 2017, they took a diverse...
In the last six years, two local studies have both found that many citizens of the Lower Mainland experience loneliness and isolation. Social isolation is a serious health risk in communities; in fact, engaging in a social activity such as joining a club can reduce a...
More local governments in BC will now be able to embark on projects to improve community health and well-being for their constituents, thanks to $125,000 in new grants and additional customized supports recently awarded by PlanH, a partnership of BC Healthy...
Did you know that 7 out of the 10 Canadian municipalities with the largest portion of seniors are located in B.C.? As a result, more communities are exploring what it means to become age-friendly, supporting all stages, from childhood through to later years....
Inspired to build social connectedness in you own community, but not sure where to start? Communities across the globe have come up with a variety of innovative approaches to fostering connection. Here’s a glimpse at the wide variety of unique initiatives out there:...
At first glance, rural communities appear to have nothing to worry about when it comes to social connectedness. After all, rural communities generally report higher levels of many indicators of social connectedness than urban communities, including better access to...
In Spring 2017, PlanH launched a new funding stream aimed at helping communities thrive by creating strong social environments and communities in which all people feel welcome and included. Social connectedness — both the sum of individual relationships and a sense of...
