Join Laurel Collins, MP for Victoria, on Facebook Live with PHABC’s very own Aaren Topley, Provincial Manager for Can You Dig It! & other guests
Since COVID-19, food security is on everyone’s mind. Tomorrow, Friday June 5th, 2020, you’re invited to join Laurel Collins, MP of Victoria, live on Facebook from 12:00pm to 3:00pm (PT) to participate in a conversation on food security and COVID-19. The discussion will feature the Public Health Association of BC’s very own Provincial Manager of Can You Dig It!, Aaren Topley, as a guest alongside Alistar MacGregor, MP and NDP Critic for Agriculture, Paul Taylor, Exectuvie Director of FoodShare Toronto, Joan Stonehocker, Executive Director of Lifecycles Project, and JJ Ford, Farmer at Mason Street City Farm. Laurel will be asking ” What is food security before, during and after COVID-19?”
You’re invited to register and submit some questions or comments beforehand to help shape the conversation by following the link below
Registration is $60 ($50 for students/seniors) +GST for the two day summer school and individuals joining from BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba or the Yukon will also receive a complimentary 1-year membership to their region’s public health association!
We are excited to have Dr. Trevor Hancock and Dr. Maya Gislason as our scientific program co-chairs for this year’s school on the Anthropocene and Public Health. The Anthropocene is arguably the greatest threat to health in the 21st century, barring nuclear war. In order to significantly reduce our ecological footprint, a profound transformation of our society, economy and entire way of life needs to be realized. This has important implications for population and public health practice, at all levels from the local to the global. Our intent is to locate this year’s summer school in this global ecological context, while grounding it in local public health action and linking it to the emerging debate about the need for transformative societal change and a just transition to a sustainable ‘One Planet’ society.
It is our hope that the information about our summer school is shared across the country to anyone who may be interested in attending. I encourage every one of our members to retweet and repost our social media content regarding the summer school. I’ve included the links below to our various social media accounts, please like and follow us!
Interested in attending but not sure if the theme is right for you? Check out our think piece, which provides an detailed overview of the main theme of this year’s summer school, public health and the Anthropocene. This includes some further reading and resources to ensure you arrive at summer school prepared to dive into the topics.
We will be releasing the draft agenda and announcing the first round of speakers soon, please keep checking the General Information page for the latest information.
If you have any questions about the summer school please do not hesitate to contact us at coordinator@phabc.org.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, there is no better time than now to plan for a Just Recovery and create a new political economy in Canada.
On April 23, Noam Chomsky (well know philosopher and linguist from MIT) said: “Some version of a Green New Deal is essential for our survival” and further, “A Green New Deal is practical, doable and affordable”. Dr. John Millar (former Provincial Health Officer for BC) says “A Green New Deal for Canada is the greatest opportunity of our time to improve the health of Canadians”.
Motion M-1: a Green New Deal for Canada has been filed by NDP MP Peter Julian in parliament on Dec, 2019. If passed into legislation this Private Member’s Bill will provide the means to lead and coordinate our governments at all levels to urgently take action on:
Climate change: transformation from fossil-fuel dependence to renewable energy.
Reducing socioeconomic inequality: an end to the high concentration of corporate and individual wealth, persistent poverty, homelessness and ‘diseases of despair’)
Strengthening democracy
And thus providing the leadership, resources and accountability to create a new reality: a green, sustainable, prosperous economy fairly shared among a physically and mentally healthy population of Canadians.
There is already considerable support for M-1. Over 60 MPs have already signed on. Another 100 or so need to be recruited to ensure its support and passage.
Please follow the link below to find all information relating to M-1, including all the tools that will enable each and every public health worker and others across the country to get the signatures of supportive citizens on a petition that will encourage MPs from ALL parties to support M-1.
PHABC and PlaceSpeak want to hear from you! Our online community “Public Health and COVID-19” is here to bring us together while we have to stay apart. We are releasing new information and resources on the platform every week and always opening new discussion questions to help you connect with other across the province and share how your life has been going during the pandemic. Join us today at placespeak.com/phabccovid19/
This week’s discussion question is all about Premier Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry’s announcements that the province will begin to open back up in the coming weeks. We want to know your thoughts on it. How do you feel about the state of emergency being lifted within two weeks? What services would you like to see open first and what protocols do you think need to be put into place to facilitate these services opening up? Check out our Discussion board and let’s start a conversation on how to safely get back to work.
While you’re online check out our newest Poll question; how would you rate your financial status as a result of the pandemic? We know this is a time of uncertainty for many of us across the province. We want you to be able to access all the financial support you can during the pandemic. And that’s why we have also launched a series of infographics in our Resources tab in conjunction with this poll question. If you find you are rating your financial status poorly or mildly please check out the resources, there may be more financial support being offered by the provincial and federal governments than you realize.
Our Resource tab is being added to everyday, new this week include resources on mental health & psychological first aid, support for the homeless, resources for indigenous and remote communities and resources on substance use along with the latest COVID-19 information available from the province and across the country.
Bored at home? Learn something new! Free online classes, workshops and webinars are being added weekly to the Events tab. Take part in a discussion, make some delicious new recipes, try your hand at gardening, and more all while staying safe at home.
Have you created something amazing while in isolation and you want to show it off? Or do you have questions on what is open in your area? Post it all and more to the Noticeboard and check out what other’s have been doing with their spare time. This is the ultimate place to connect to our online community!
If you haven’t joined our community yet, what are you waiting for? Follow the link below and let’s connect!
The Public Health Association of BC is proud to release the Save the Date for our 11th annual public health summer school, “Think Globally, Act Locally: Public Health and the Anthropocene,” happening Thursday July 9th and Friday July 10th, 2020. Once again, we have partnered with Saskatchewan Public Health Association, Public Health Agency of Canada, Yukon Public Health Community of Practice, and Manitoba Public Health Association to host this event across Canada.
As a result of the ongoing pandemic we will be hosting our summer school entirely online, so no matter where you are in the country you can join us virtually. Information about registration will be released soon.
We are excited to have Dr. Trevor Hancock and Dr. Maya Gislason as our scientific program co-chairs for this year’s school. We are working had to develop an engaging two day experience to orient public health professionals and anyone who is interested in public health to what it means to be living in the Anthropocene era and how you can harness global initiatives to affect positive local change in the fight against climate change, pollution, and other major ecological and sociological concerns.
We will be releasing more information on the summer school; it’s agenda, featured speakers, registration, etc., in the coming weeks. To keep up to date on everything summer school related, please keep checking back on our website under the summer school tab. If you have any questions or are interested in any volunteer opportunities please contact Christina Harding, summer school coordinator, at coordinator@phabc.org.
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