Khavin Debbs was born and raised in Sacramento, CA. It was there that he cultivated his love for being outside and experiencing nature. He also co-founded a consulting business called Ujima Collective in order to not only talk to organizations about anti racism, but to also give BIPOC professionals the opportunity and resources to become consultants. Khavin is also an artist and photographer, and enjoys soccer, basketball, music, mycology, rock climbing, and hanging with his cat Kakashi in his spare time.

Amiththan Sebarajah is a writer, outdoor enthusiast and diversity and inclusion advocate, he holds a Masters in English from York University, and currently sits on the advisory board for two Not-For Profit organizations in the Outdoor Recreation Space. You can usually find him hiking thousands of miles on unceded indigenous land, and occasionally writing love letters to the players in this industry. As a transplant to North America and a survivor of civil war my advocacy and activism are rooted in the ways in which land as a socio-political construct and lived reality underpin belonging.

Candace Campo and Richard Till from Talaysay Tours

Mike Riediger from the Kootenay Adaptive Sports Association (KASA) will be showing KASA’s documentary titled, “What If”.

April 16

Patricia (Trish) Dehnel is a Registered Professional Planner passionate about healthy and connected community. She has 25 years of experience working with elected officials, professionals and students of BC Local Governments on stakeholder engagement, community outreach, active transportation, building energy efficiency, community energy planning, land use planning, program management, and policy development. Patricia currently serves on the Planning Institute of BC’s Board of Directors and is co-chair of the Climate Action Sub-Committee. She lives in Nelson, BC.

Richard Cannings, a renowned natural historian, was elected in 2015 as Member of Parliament for South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Richard has worked tirelessly to protect B.C.’s great outdoors. He served for over a decade on the B.C. Environmental Appeal Board and for eight years as co-chair on the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada. Author of a dozen award-winning books on the natural history of British Columbia, Richard was named B.C.’s Biologist of the Year by the Association of Professional Biologists in 1996. In 2008, he was named an Honorary Fellow at Okanagan College.
Additional speakers:

Elder Ruth Adams from Tsawwassen First Nation

MP Elizabeth May Saanich-Gulf Islands,

Tara Howse and Damyn Libby from Trails BC

Kathy Sinclair, Councillor from the City of Kamloops,

Janice Liebe from the Trail of the Okanagans

Tony Harris from Cycle 16

Bonn Thornbury (they / them) is a self-described queer feral cat who is most at home outside. Whether outside in nature or outside boundaries and boxes, they’re almost always following new horizons. Bonnie’s hiking resume spans peaks on 4 continents and includes ~5000km on Canada’s “Great Trail” from Vancouver, BC, to the Kawarthas in Ontario. Currently, Bonn is waiting out the pandemic with work at a women’s shelter and at the University of Ottawa, where they are vocal about equity, diversity, and inclusion with a focus on all things gender.

Curtis Rattray is a member of the Crow clan and Nalokoteen (end of the ridge nation) of the Tahltan Nation and his Tahltan name is ‘Nenh glun adz’. His mother is Tahltan and his father is Scottish-Canadian. An experienced backcountry leader, hiker and camper and has twenty (20) plus years’ experience on Tahltan territory. Curtis currently owns and operates his own business called Edziza Trails and provides guide aboriginal adventure tours, Wholistic Indigenous Leadership Development and capacity building services.

Marley Blonsky from Life on Two Wheels.

Please register at: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/2021-bc-greenway-and-trail-symposium-registration-146515554969

The Symposium is an integral part of Trails BC Greenways for All initiative which has received grants from the Real Estate Foundation of BC and the Vancouver Foundation.

Ready, Set, Move! EverybodyMoves Webinar

Posted on April 7, 2021

We are excited to announce that BC Alliance for Healthy Living (BCAHL) and the Physical Activity for Health Collaborative have launched the much anticipated EverybodyMoves Resource Hub!

The Hub is a one-stop shop for sport and recreation leaders who want to ensure physical activity is as inclusive and accessible as possible.

Physical activity is vital for one’s health, and yet we know many British Columbians face visible and invisible barriers to regular activity.

For example, nearly half of adults with disabilities don’t get any aerobic physical activity, and people identifying as lesbian, gay and bisexual of all ages are less likely to participate in sports. In 2020 it was reported that 60% of Canadian children and youth did not meet physical activity guidelines.

The consequences for not being physically active are serious. People who don’t engage in physical activity are more likely to have increased mental and emotional health issues, decreased immune function and inflammation, and are more at risk for developing chronic illnesses.

BC clearly needs solutions to get us all active, and the EverybodyMoves Resource Hub is part of the answer!

BCAHL is pleased to host a webinar to introduce the EverybodyMoves Resource Hub to sports and recreation leaders. In the webinar, you will learn:

how to use the Hub
how to submit a resource
how to assess what resources your organization may need to be as inclusive and accessible as possible
how to stay up-to-date on the Hub and inclusivity and accessibility within physical activity
about the Physical Activity for Health Collaborative

SPEAKER PROFILES:

Rita Koutsodimos is the Executive Director of the British Columbia Alliance for Healthy Living (BCAHL). BCAHL is a non-profit organization that promotes healthy living to prevent chronic disease by mobilizing leading health organizations to collaborate on health policy and programs throughout British Columbia.

Selenna Ho is the Manager of Communications and Projects at BCAHL. Selenna has been leading the development and launch of the EverybodyMoves Resource Hub and is thrilled to see the Hub go live. Selenna also has experience working at magazine publishing and radio studios, and enjoys hot yoga and ballet in her free time.

Go HERE to view the Resource Hub.

Auxiliary Nurse — Ministry of Children and Family Development, Prince George

Posted on March 31, 2021

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Big Win for Climate Action in Canada!

Posted on March 25, 2021

Canada’s top court has thrown its support behind the kind of unified climate action younger generations want and need. It’s a good day for intergenerational solidarity. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in support of minimum national standards that require all provinces to curb carbon pollution, including by putting a price on it.

In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled in support of minimum national standards that require all provinces to curb carbon pollution, including by putting a price on it.

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2021 Call for Advisory Council Members — Farm to Cafeteria Canada

Posted on March 22, 2021

Are you passionate about food systems? Interested In helping to bring healthy, local and sustainable food into public spaces? Consider how participating as a volunteer member of the Farm to Cafeteria Canada Advisory Council you can contribute to transforming food systems to be more vibrant and resilient. Because when public spaces are designed with food in mind, everyone wins.

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