BCAHL Blog
Riding a Bike Gave Her Independence, Freedom and Health
October 16, 2017 Martia made quite the impression in Kelowna this year – pedaling around town with a big clunky air-cast on her left foot! Her voice shakes as she tells me her story but as we talk (and laugh!), it becomes clear that she is unwavering in her conviction that a bike is “not just a toy” but a vehicle for independence, community, health and joy. “As a kid, I had a...Read More >
Hashing it Out: Can We Learn About Cannabis From What We Know About Alcohol?
October 10, 2017 Please join the BC Alliance for Healthy Living on Wednesday, October 25th from 9:00 am to 10:30 am Pacific Time for a webinar in which we will explore the public health parallels between alcohol and cannabis. In recent years, there has been a dramatic shift in policy approaches to substance use in Canada and BC. The introduction of Happy Hours and expansion of booze sales to new places such as...WebinarRead More >
Walk this Way: How School Safety Zones Make Space for Active Kids
October 4, 2017 Last week, alarm over the death of a pedestrian at an intersection near her school of 500 students prompted Sue Groesbeck, the Head of Stratford Hall to go public about her concerns. She wants the area to be declared a school zone and some basic safety supports, including a 30km/hour speed limit, an illuminated cross-walk and traffic calming measures. Unfortunately, this issue plays out on the streets surrounding schools across...Read More >
“Terrified” Kelowna Resident has Advice to Make Streets More Bike Friendly for Women
October 3, 2017 Kelsey Sheppy is enthusiastic about living an active lifestyle. She balances a busy work life at RE/MAX of Western Canada head office with a busy home life, raising her two teenaged step-kids, walking her two Yorkies and running half-marathons. But there is one activity that, up until this year, has always terrified her…riding a bike. Although Kelsey is perfectly situated to bike to work, “my office is right in downtown...Read More >
Why don’t people in small towns walk or bike anymore?
September 26, 2017 I grew up in a small city of 15,000 people and it was just natural to walk or bike anywhere I wanted to go – nothing was far away and it was an enjoyable way to get around. Fast forward a couple decades and what we see today is lower rates of walking and biking in smaller towns and higher rates in big cities – especially in the urban core....Read More >
Announcing our new name: BC Alliance for Healthy Living Society
June 14, 2017 Guess what?! We’ve got a new name! The organization you know as the BC Healthy Living Alliance is now the BC Alliance for Healthy Living Society (BCAHL). On May 31, 2017, members voted to incorporate as a society and on June 1st it became official. The change was made to address internal operational issues. But, aside from the name change, you won’t notice anything different. BCAHL will continue to work...Read More >
Poll Shows British Columbians Want Gov’t Action to Improve Children’s Health
April 24, 2017 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Vancouver (April 24, 2017) – Today, BC Alliance for Healthy Living is releasing results from their Health Priorities Survey which shows that 76% of British Columbians are very concerned about the impact of physical activity on children’s health – followed closely by nutrition (68%), mental health (67%) and poverty (65%). Scott McDonald, Chair of the BC Alliance for Healthy Living, said: “We know that 60% of children...MediaRead More >
How Do We #MakeBCHealthier4Kids – A Discussion on Policy Options
April 23, 2017 On Tuesday, May 30th from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm - please plan on joining the BC Alliance for Healthy Living and the YMCA BC for an engaging policy discussion on the health and wellbeing of children and youth in BC at the Robert Lee YMCA (955 Burrard Street) in downtown Vancouver. Dr. Bonnie Henry, Deputy Provincial Health Officer for the Province of BC, will set the stage for the...Read More >
Take Care of Your Equipment – Reaching Industrial Worksites with Workplace Wellness
March 20, 2017 On April 6th BCAHL hosted a webinar showcasing the latest case studies, how-to’s and hands-on resources to help workplaces increase the wellness of workers outside of the office environment. (And a bit of a shameless plug for our Working on Wellness project). BCAHL and our partners at Canadian Cancer Society and Canadian Mental Health Association developed new resources for workplaces that don’t quite fit within traditional office environments. We were...WebinarRead More >
Not Dazzled by the Oscars
February 20, 2017 Vancouver Students Call Out Movies that are #NotSmokingHot! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20, 2017 (Vancouver) - In the lead up to the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards night, there’s one group that isn’t dazzled. Students at Vancouver’s David Thompson High School are calling out movies that are “#NotSmokingHot” in an effort to raise awareness about smoking in movies and how it entices youth to start the deadly...MediaRead More >
