Recent News
The third round of grants from the Healthy Communities Capacity Building Fund is no longer accepting applications or expressions of interest.
Meeting the needs of our aging population will be one of the biggest challenges of the coming decades; especially for rural communities where amenities are far flung.
The YWCA Rooftop Garden yields more than 1,000 lbs of fresh fruit and veggies each year! The produce is used to feed families in need at YWCA Crabtree Corner in the Downtown Eastside.
Read about this model of sustainable development here: www.ywcavan.org.
photo: YWCA CEO Janet Austin picks winter harvest from the rooftop garden.
The Open Gate Garden is a lively community garden that provides a social hub and opportunities for learning in McBride, BC. The garden is planned and implemented by the Robson Valley Community Literacy Task Group.
The BC Agriculture in the Classroom Foundation (BCAITC) has partnered with the Abbotsford Community Garden Society and the City of Abbotsford to encourage people of all ages to participate in the growing of food. A large section of the garden was set aside for BCAITC to work with local schools.
Silos to Systems was a South Cariboo Community Planning Council workshop presented in partnership with Interior Health in October 2015. It was facilitated by BC Healthy Communities Society (BCHC) on behalf of the PlanH program. It brought together government, community leaders, organizations and service providers to discuss how the community can collaborate to make significant impacts in reducing poverty. It was the first time the community leaders and providers convened to talk about issues that impact poverty and how collaboration can reduce poverty in the South Cariboo.
Capital Region Food and Agriculture Initiative Roundtable (CR-FAIR) is a coalition of organizations working to strengthen regional food security and our local food system, from farm gate to dinner plate. Learn more about how collaboration is the key to success in this video.
Oliver Elementary runs a Farm to School program that not only sustains itself, but also turns a small profit. Marji Basso, the school’s lead liaison for the program says that over the last six years, running the Farm to School Program has provided the school with delightful surprises as well as many twists and turns.
“We’ve hit dead ends and we’ve hit on wonderful eureka moments. It’s been a great journey.” Read the whole Farm to School BC 'Story from the Field' here.
The Edible Garden Project mentors community members to grow food and balances donating and selling their produce affordably to local community agencies.
Chilliwack Council has adopted the Outdoor Public Spaces Smoking Regulation. The bylaw went into effect on October 1, 2015. The purpose of the bylaw is to regulate smoking on or within outdoor City owned public spaces, including parks and trails, within the city of Chilliwack and serves to top up current provincial smoking enactments. The bylaw also regulates smoking on privately held properties that are used for recreational purposes. Read more about the benefits and how it was developed here.
