Medical Consultant — Ministry of Health Victoria, BC
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Open in new tab 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
Farm to School BC: a PHABC program rooted in community food security, literacy, and resilience.
Summary
- Farm to School BC (F2SBC) was not successful in receiving funding from the Ministry of Health to deliver the program for the 2025/26 school year.
- The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) and Farm to School BC are actively exploring new opportunities and pursuing alternative funding sources.
- As one of PHABC’s longest standing food systems programs, these pivots will impact thousands across the province and beyond.
Victoria, B.C., June 5, 2025 – The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) acknowledges the significant year-end funding cuts to the Farm to School BC (F2SBC) program.
Richard Han, PHABC’s Senior Director of Public and Planetary Health, stated, “Although the loss of our primary funding source presents significant challenges, we are deeply grateful for the continued support and commitment of the BC Ministry of Health. The heart of Farm to School BC remains strong —anchored in 18 years of trusted relationships with school communities. We remain committed to the values and vision of Farm to School BC, and will continue to operate the program in a limited capacity in the immediate future.”
Marcus Lobb, F2SBC’s Provincial Manager, emphasized the program’s key role in building community relationships and establishing partnerships through the strength of the Regional Coordinators: “Since 2015, our program’s Regional Coordinators have provided hands-on support to nearly 400 schools across all 60 school districts in BC, including Independent and First Nations schools. As a direct line of support to communities, they helped F2SBC build a strong network of educators and community members dedicated to making food a cornerstone of student learning and well-being.”
Marcus elaborated on his experience: “During the 8 years I have been with the program, I have personally witnessed the tremendous impact our staff have had on school food programming, including developing schools farms, indigenous plant gardens, field trips to farms, and bringing in dozens of additional grants to fund projects. Our staff have been vital in supporting Feeding Futures Coordinators, and assisted in the coordination and program development of the highly successful 2023 Farm to School BC conference – the first of it’s kind in British Columbia. Community has always been at the heart of our work, which is why the loss of our five Regional Coordinators is one of the most significant impacts of this transition.”
While these recent funding decisions will impact staffing capacity, PHABC and F2SBC are actively exploring new opportunities and pursuing alternative funding sources to support the program’s sustainability. This includes a fundraising campaign that will launch soon through PHABC’s MeaningfulWork platform.
“Children thrive as adults when they are provided food literacy skills early on in life,” said Shannon Turner, PHABC’s Executive Director. “F2SBC reaches students right in the classrooms, where they can become ambassadors of their own food journey, which will only serve to positively impact their physical, mental and emotional health. F2SBC is an integral component to many classrooms across the province and beyond; PHABC recognizes this value, and we know our partners, community members, and educators will continue to invest in this program and it’s beneficial outcomes in the school community.”
F2SBC is one of PHABC’s longest-standing food systems programs, and has collaborated with the Coalition for Healthy School Food, Rise Up!, and Hands on Food. F2SBC has supported nearly 400 schools and over 53,345 students across the province since 2007.
The program has provided funding and support for projects that have made significant contributions to community food security:
- Over 80% of educators agree that F2SBC funded programs make strong BC curriculum connections.
- 91% of students in F2SBC programs showed increased willingness to try fruits and vegetables they had grown.
- 86% of students in F2SBC programs showed significant positive changes in healthy eating behaviours.
Contact Information
For media inquiries, please use the following contact information.
Selenna Ho
Communications Director
Public Health Association of BC
communications@phabc.org
Richard Han
Senior Director, Public and Planetary Health
Public Health Association of BC
director.cefs@phabc.org
Marcus Lobb
Provincial Manager
Farm to School BC
prov.manager@farmtoschoolbc.ca
Public Health Summer Institute 2025: Building Wellbeing Societies – Think Piece
Building Wellbeing Societies & Communities:
Registration Now Open
The Public Health Association of British Columbia is proud to host the 2025 Summer Institute, a virtual event that will explore what it means to build a Wellbeing Society—one that prioritizes people, planet, and future generations. Drawing inspiration from the World Health Organization’s Geneva Charter for Well-being (2022), this year’s Institute invites public health professionals, researchers, academics, policymakers, and advocates to reimagine the role of public health in shaping a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world.
The 2025 Summer Institute offers more than dialogue—it is a space for strategic thinking, systems exploration, and cross-sector collaboration. Through keynote discussions, facilitated conversations, and interactive sessions, attendees will reflect on how the public health field can lead in co-creating communities that are just, regenerative, and deeply rooted in wellbeing. Join us as we imagine—and begin to build—a future in which public health is a driving force for societal transformation.
Summer Institute Details
Dates: June 25th, 2025
Venue: Online via Zoom
Price: $40 +GST
Member/Student/Retiree Price: $30 +GST
Think Piece
PHABC is pleased to share the #PHSI25 Think Piece, authored by Dr. Trevor Hancock in collaboration with Dr. Lindsay McLaren. Download it now:
Scientific Program Committee Co-Chairs
Dr. Trevor Hancock
Retired Professor & Senior Scholar School of Public Health & Social Policy, University of Victoria
Associate Member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies
University of Victoria
Dr. Trevor Hancock is a public health physician and health promotion consultant. In ‘retirement’ he has started a new NGO, Conversations for a One Planet Region, to explore and popularise these ideas locally; works with Doctors for Planetary Health in BC; is the interim Convenor of the emerging Canadian Coalition for Planetary Health and a Wellbeing Society, and is a member of the IUHPE’s Global Working Group on Waiora Planetary Health.
Dr. Lindsay McLaren
Professor
Department of Community Health Science, University of Calgary
Research Associate
Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
Lindsay McLaren PhD is a Professor in the Department of Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary where her scholarship and teaching focus on social determinants and political economy of health. Lindsay is past-president (2014-18) of the Alberta Public Heath Association and currently serves as Senior Editor for the Canadian Journal of Public Health.
Download our Promotional Toolkit
Help us spread the word! Download our Promotional Toolkit to further share #PHSI25 across your networks.
You can download promotional assets for newsletter/emails and social media.
Public Health Summer Institute 2025: Building Wellbeing Societies – Registration Now Open!
Wednesday, June 25th, 2025 – ONLINE! Registration is Now Open, Click Here to Register! |
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The Public Health Association of British Columbia is proud to host the 2025 Summer Institute, a virtual event that will explore what it means to build a Wellbeing Society—one that prioritizes people, planet, and future generations. Drawing inspiration from the World Health Organization’s Geneva Charter for Well-being (2022), this year’s Institute invites public health professionals, researchers, academics, policymakers, and advocates to reimagine the role of public health in shaping a fairer, healthier, and more sustainable world. The 2025 Summer Institute offers more than dialogue—it is a space for strategic thinking, systems exploration, and cross-sector collaboration. Through keynote discussions, facilitated conversations, and interactive sessions, attendees will reflect on how the public health field can lead in co-creating communities that are just, regenerative, and deeply rooted in wellbeing. |
Join us as we imagine—and begin to build—a future in which public health is a driving force for societal transformation. |
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Summer Institute Goal The goal of the 2025 Summer Institute is to convene a diverse group of public health professionals and practitioners, students, researchers, scholars, academics, thought leaders, intersectoral partners, activists, and allied organizations to collaboratively explore and advance the concept of Building Wellbeing Societies & Communities. The Institute will aim to introduce this theme through the prioritization of health and equity, cross-sector collaboration, holistic solutions, and inclusive approaches, while emphasizing methods for addressing social and structural determinants of health and translating ideas into actionable public health strategies. |
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Scientific Program Committee Co-Chairs |
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#PHSI25: Building Wellbeing Societies & CommunitiesClick Here to Learn More |
PHABC expresses our deep sorrow to the Filipino community
The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) expresses our deep sorrow to the Filipino community for the tragic loss of their loved ones during a peaceful celebration.
We send you our love and strength.
Please know that we grieve with you in this unbearable loss of life and security.