The Public Health Association of BC is Hiring! Rise Up! Regional Lead
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Author: Christina Lavoie
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Open in new tab PHABC 2025-26 Membership Survey – Complete today for your chance to win!
We Want to Hear From You!
We are inviting you to complete this short survey to help us learn more about you, and identify opportunities and challenges in your public health role that you believe PHABC should be aware of, and focus on in our advocacy and services.
Your feedback is important to us and your responses will remain confidential. At the end of the survey, you have the option to enter to win one (1) full pass to PHABC’s Fall 2026 Conference (date TBD).
We appreciate your time and responses!
Complete Survey
Truth and Reconciliation: 10th Anniversary of the TRC’s Final Report and 94 Calls to Action
This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s (TRC) Final Report and 94 Calls to Action. The National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) is hosting a five-day journey of learning, reflection and action. The Public Health Association of BC encourages partners, staff, public health professionals and community members to participate in-person or virtually to the free events and programs, which include:
- Lunch and Learn webinars
- Free educational programming for teachers and students
- Live broadcast from Parliament Hill, Ottawa, on September 30th
Learn more on the official Truth and Reconciliation Week 2025 Website.
The Public Health Association (PHABC) supports and upholds BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. PHABC also supports the TRC’s calls to action and, in particular, is actively committed to calls 18 and 19 focused on health; and call 92, which aims to apply the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples’ reconciliation framework to corporate policies.
Resources:
- NCTR Truth and Reconciliation Week 2025 Press Release
- Truth and Reconciliation Week 2025 Official Website
- Calls to Action
- BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
- United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Dr. Theresa Healy
President
Public Health Association of BC
Program, Policy and Engagement Lead — PHABC
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Administrative Coordinator — PHABC
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PHABC and FBBC commends the Provincial Government’s $2 million investment towards food-access challenges in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
Summary
- The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) and Food Banks BC (FBBC) are administering the Province’s $2 million investment towards food-access challenges in rural, remote and First Nations communities.
- To learn more about the Community Food Systems Development work administered by PHABC and FBBC, see the website: https://phabc.org/cfsd.
- For a full list of projects funded through the grants, please see the link here: www.clkmg.com/PHA_BC/CFSDgrants.
Victoria, B.C., June 10, 2025 – The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction has invested $2 million towards food-access challenges in rural, remote and First Nations communities. The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) and Food Banks BC (FBBC) are administering the funding.
“We know that food security is one of the most powerful determinants of health,” said Richard Han, PHABC’s Senior Director of Public and Planetary Health. “This initiative acknowledges the leadership and expertise of communities who best understand their own food access opportunities and challenges. This funding recognizes the vital work that communities are already doing and investing in local solutions will help to build long-term resilience and lasting change.”
This funding, part of $5 million announced in 2023, is distributed through two streams to support better food access in northern B.C. The Large Scale Innovations for Food System Transformation Pilot stream provides approximately $1.7 million for five partnerships to develop advanced models for food security. The Ideas Lab for Food Systems Transformation stream provides $300,000 across 13 projects, aiming to improve regional food security. To learn more about the projects, see the PHABC website: https://phabc.org/cfsd.
“This investment underscores the power of collaboration to advance our key project priorities: strengthening food systems, empowering communities and creating lasting change,” said Dan Huang-Taylor, FBBC’s Executive Director. “As demand for food banks reaches unprecedented levels, we are proud to partner with the B.C. government and the Public Health Association of BC to expand access to local, healthy and culturally appropriate food for northern B.C. communities.”
Food Systems transformation refers to efforts being made to transform mainstream food systems to be more just, equitable, sustainable, and resilient. These projects aim to advance community food security, enhance local food sovereignty, and foster collaboration across sectors to build a healthier and more inclusive food system for all. To learn more about the Community Food Systems Development work administered by PHABC and FBBC, see the website: https://phabc.org/cfsd.
“Community partners have worked to build local solutions that strengthen regional food security and support dignified food access,” said Dr. Shannon Turner, PHABC’s Executive Director. “This funding supports communities to make vital changes to food systems. Through this project, legacies of co-operation and effective policy are addressing food insecurity with new skills and models designed to reduce hunger and grow local capacity to address inequities and feed those in need.”
These projects are creating partnerships of non-profits, businesses, governments and other partners to work together and expand food access. For a full list of projects funded through the grants, please see the link here: www.clkmg.com/PHA_BC/CFSDgrants.
“In many northern rural and remote communities, getting affordable fresh food can be challenging,” said Sheila Malcolmson, Minister of Social Development and Poverty Reduction. “Working together with our partners, we are helping local groups meet the increasing demand for nutritious food.”
This investment is part of the historic $200 million in funding announced in March 2023 to strengthen the food supply chain throughout B.C., increase the availability of fresh food, encourage more food production in remote areas, strengthen food infrastructure and create more regional community food hubs.
“One of the best ways we can boost our province’s food security is by directly partnering with farming communities and organizations who are on the ground in remote areas,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture and Food. “The projects funded by these investments will put more food in the cupboards of people in northern British Columbia and beyond, and they will pay off in our long-term goal of a sustainable, healthy food system, with a thriving agricultural sector grown by and for the people of the region.”
Contact Information
For media inquiries, please use the following contact information.
Dr. Shannon Turner
Executive Director
Public Health Association of BC
exec.dir@phabc.org
Dan Huang-Taylor
Executive Director
Food Banks BC
dan@foodbanksbc.com
Richard Han
Senior Director, Public and Planetary Health
Public Health Association of BC
director.cefs@phabc.org
