A one-hour info session outlining details on how to apply for PlanH 2023 Grants. PlanH Delivery Lead Connie Allsopp and BCHC Executive Director Jodi Mucha explain the application process and answer questions from attendees.

The idea that ‘problems don’t see borders’ is never more true than in community planning: housing shortages don’t stop at municipal boundaries; emissions don’t respect borders; transportation challenges don’t restrict themselves to a single municipal jurisdiction within a larger area. While regional districts have long offered a regional perspective for planning domains such as infrastructure and land development, more local and Indigenous governments have identified a need for shared and collaborative regional approaches to addressing social issues such as poverty reduction and social cohesion in order to improve health and...

In collaboration with partners in communities across the province, BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) is continuing its speaker series to bring fresh ideas for healthy public policy to local and Indigenous government leaders in B.C. Healthy public policy is a powerful tool for local governments to meaningfully improve the lives of their constituents. As a part of these improved health and well-being outcomes, healthy public policies also positively impact issues directly within local government purview, including community safety, local economic activity, social service delivery, and sustainability. The Creating Healthy Public Policy – Local...

The past few years have seen B.C. endure an accelerated and diverse range of emergencies, including fire, flood, heat, extreme cold and COVID-19, with more anticipated to arrive in the face of the compounding forces of accelerated climate change. To prepare for these oncoming challenges, local and Indigenous governments, and those community agencies, health authorities and other levels of government that support them, are looking for tools to help improve their emergency food responses and to ensure that their interventions reach those in their communities who are most in need...

Housing affordability is a key issue for many local governments across the province. Its effects can be felt across a community through secondary impacts such as homelessness, labour shortages, strained transportation networks, hampered local economic development and diminished participation in civic life. Many communities in B.C. are exploring the use of land acquisition strategies to proactively respond to these challenges, guide decision-making and help create property portfolios that lend themselves to the community’s strategic priorities and goals. As part of our Local Government Leaders Speaker Series, BC Healthy Communities is pleased...

In collaboration with partners in communities across the province, BC Healthy Communities (BCHC) is launching a new speaker series to bring fresh ideas for healthy public policy to local and Indigenous government leaders in B.C. Healthy public policy is a powerful tool for local governments to meaningfully improve the lives of their constituents. As a part of these improved health and well-being outcomes, healthy public policies also positively impact issues directly within local government purview, including community safety, local economic activity, social service delivery, and sustainability.  The Creating Healthy Public Policy...

Through the application of evaluation practices, evaluators have the power to influence policies and mitigate systemic inequities that negatively impact our health and well-being. At BC Healthy Communities and the Canadian Evaluation Society – BC Chapter (CESBC), we know that many community organizations and their members incorporate evaluation practices into their work without realizing it, highlighting that you don’t need to be an “evaluator” to perform evaluation work and contribute to healthy, equitable policy development. Join us for our on-demand webinar, Diverse Voices: Community-based approaches to making evaluation attainable &...

The Local Government Leaders Speaker Series on Creating Healthy Public Policy is supported by PlanH, a collaboration between BC Healthy Communities Society and the BC Ministry of Health. Navigating the Public Policy Pathway is a webinar delivered in partnership with the National Collaborating Centre for Healthy Public Policy.  This session provides insights and tools for those who are creating or influencing public policies within their community. Navigating how to change or influence policy can seem like a daunting task and this conversation is designed to help you and your team...

For communities across Canada, 2020 was an especially trying year. However, the difficulties we are all facing continue to impact community members to varying degrees. Though inequities existed in our communities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, current challenges have amplified these differences. Given all we have learned through our past and present experiences, how can we put equity into action to create greater well-being for all community members? Join BC Healthy Communities and Simon Fraser University’s Community Economic Development team as we explore the intersections of health, well-being and community...

Building healthy, equitable communities for all means authentically engaging community members in a way that develops trust, communication and collaboration—especially for those folks in our communities who are under-served or harder-to-reach. We know we must integrate an equity lens into our engagement planning at the fundamental stages of the process; but how do we do this in a way that ensures the community members who give their time and energy to our engagement processes are as empowered as possible? In this webinar, we are joined by a panel of community...