For communities across Canada, 2020 was an especially trying year. However, the difficulties we are all facing continue to impact community members to varying degrees. Though inequities existed in our communities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, current challenges have amplified these differences. Given all we have learned through our past and present experiences, how can we put equity into action to create greater well-being for all community members?

Building healthy, equitable communities for all means authentically engaging community members in a way that develops trust, communication and collaboration—especially for those folks in our communities who are under-served or harder-to-reach. In this webinar, we are joined by a panel of community engagement experts for a roundtable discussion, as well as sharing of strategies, tools and resources that can be used to make community engagement more equitable.

This webinar will present tips that can help communities in optimizing their Age-friendly assessment and planning process and get the most out of their efforts towards improving the lives of older people, their families, and their communities.

From the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, B.C. residents have been encouraged to stay as active as possible while remaining physically distant. What can we learn from others around the province at this uncertain time? And how do we ensure considerations around equity are upheld as we adapt?

With the launch of PlanH's new Active Communities Tool, BC Healthy Communities hosted a webinar "Connecting for active communities during COVID-19 and beyond". 

On March 10, 2020, we hosted a Facebook Live Chat to discuss our current PlanH Grant streams, answer some of our most frequently asked questions, and take questions live from our audience.

Provincial legislation requires all local governments to complete housing needs reports for their communities by April 2022 and every five years thereafter. This presentation outlines the government regulations, the UBCM funding program, and some of the ways Local Governments, Health Authorities, and community partners can integrate health and equity into housing processes in their communities.

Though the Local Government Act mandates public hearing processes and other ‘appropriate consultation’ when developing or adopting certain strategies, plans and bylaws, there is a growing expectation among community members that they will be invited to provide more meaningful input into the decisions that affect them—and an expectation that the input they provide will meaningfully impact the final decision.

Housing Needs Reports are now mandatory for all local governments in British Columbia. These reports include recommendations for future housing development, meaning they have the potential to impact health and well-being. Using our newly-released Healthy Housing Action Guide as a starting point, this pre-recorded webinar outlines new government regulations, the UBCM funding program, and some of the ways local governments, health authorities and community partners can integrate health and equity into housing processes in their communities.

How can residents living in high-rise buildings better connect with one another? Through a PlanH grant, the City of Vancouver has been working to help residents living in higher-density buildings feel more connected to one another. In fall 2017, they took a diverse group of stakeholders from the housing, public health, municipal, private and non-profit sectors on a Hey Neighbour! field trip to tour friendly buildings in Vancouver.

Emma Seppälä, Ph.D. is a science journalist, author and the associate director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University. In this video Seppälä discusses the findings of her areas of expertise in the science of happiness, social connection, and compassion.