Visual tools and processes for engaging intersectoral partners on the health impacts of resource development

It is becoming increasingly established that large extractive projects impact the social, economic, and cultural determinants of health for resource-based communities throughout rural Canada. In Northern British Columbia, the economic benefits of mining and pipeline construction can be accompanied by significant pressures on social infrastructure, economic instability, and increased crime rates. As Northern Health Authority and academic researchers work to address these impacts, we needed accessible tools to translate complexity to a broad audience of stakeholders: community leaders, policy-makers, regulatory bodies, and industry proponents. As a result, Northern Health is using Knowledge Translation tools to include these multivalent determinants of community health in Impact Assessment and policy discussion.

This webinar will discuss the process that led to the creation of our Knowledge Translation tools and how they have been used to communicate the interactions of social, economic, and cultural health determinants to stakeholders in the context of BC extractive projects. We will also describe our next steps in using and refining these Knowledge Translation tools as the topic of extractive projects and impacts to health determinants continues to expand in public health dialogues.