Outbreaks of infectious foodborne diseases continue to affect populations across Canada, with potentially severe impacts on susceptible groups such as children, older adults, immune compromised individuals, and pregnant women. While some outbreaks can be rapidly attributed to localized sources that can be easily contained, globalized food systems are leading to much larger and more complex outbreaks that can be challenging to investigate. Under ideal circumstances, multiple interdisciplinary stakeholders work together to (1) identify the affected individuals and common exposures, (2) isolate the specific pathogen, (3) find the food source(s), (4) contain the outbreak, and (5) communicate investigative information to health partners and the public. Investigative models considers information from three sources: laboratory, epidemiological and food safety investigations. This presentation will summarize the findings of three reports aimed at supporting effective multidisciplinary…

The geographic range of ticks is rapidly expanding due to climate change, animal migration, and land use changes. The objective of this project was to improve understanding of the public health impacts of ticks in Canada as a result of these changes, and outline how landscape design and management strategies can be used to reduce the risk of tick encounters in parks, residential properties and other outdoor spaces. Report 1, of the four-part series, focused on the public health risks of ticks in Canada. Report 2 established the impacts of climate and land use change on tick-related risks. Report 3 reviewed the environmental management strategies to reduce tick populations. Finally, report 4 compiled these learnings into easy to use fact-sheets for use by parks professionals and users, landscape designers, and residential property owners. This presentation will summarize the key findings of this series and highlight how they can be translated into practice to reduce the risk of…

Over the past several years, cities across Canada and throughout the world have increasingly shifted their approach to delivering bikeways by following a rapid implementation or quick build approach. This approach enables the delivery of safe and comfortable cycling facilities—as well as comprehensive cycling networks—all at once and at a lower cost compared to  traditional methods. The flexibility embedded in this process also enables fast and responsive design adjustments, ensuring that as facilities are made permanent over time, they meet the needs of a broad range of users and contribute to the creation of vibrant, prosperous, and resilient communities.

Rapid implementation facilitates an urgent response to a range of critical issues facing our communities, including public health, the climate emergency, social inequity, road safety, congestion, and increasingly constrained municipal budgets. For this reason, this approach became a key strategy during the COVID-19…

Recent media and consumer interest has drawn attention to health and environmental impacts of gas cooking stoves. This attention has coincided with several municipalities implementing or considering bans on natural gas appliances in newly constructed buildings. This presentation will disentangle these recent developments by providing overview of the state of evidence linking gas stove use with incident asthma, discuss the role of nitrogen dioxide air pollution and its health impacts and then summarize climate impacts related to gas appliance use in residential environments.

Michael Brauer is a Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at The University of British Columbia and a Principal Research Scientist and Affiliate Professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, where he leads the Environmental, Occupational and Dietary Risk Factors team for the Global Burden of Disease. His research focuses on linkages…

This webinar summarizes findings from the NCCEH/CLIMAtlantic “Sea level rise and public health implications” project. Please see the full project description and companion reports here.

The health impacts of sea level rise have not been well researched in Canada or elsewhere. The objective of this project was to improve understanding of the public health impacts associated with sea level rise, and to demonstrate how public-health-driven actions at the community level can be integrated into adaptation plans to mitigate these impacts. Report 1 of the four-part series identified geographic areas of Canada’s coastline that are most exposed to impacts from sea level rise. Report 2 established the potential health impacts resulting from exposure to sea level rise based on literature.  Report 3 outlined results of a scan of community-based planning documents to determine if and how sea level rise and health were addressed. Given the lack of integration of public health…

Floods have a significant and long-term impact on community mental health and psychosocial well-being. Post-flooding psychosocial and mental health recovery requires public health disaster responders to work alongside affected communities. During this webinar, Maxine Myre and Nicole Glenn from PolicyWise for Children & Families will present an overview of the experiences, challenges, and priorities of post-flooding community recovery, as well as describe public health practices that can be adapted and applied to communities across Canada. Then, they will facilitate a panel discussion with Canadian experts about how the recommended practices are relevant and can be adapted to different contexts. Panelist will include professionals in government and non-profit leadership working in disaster psychosocial and mental health recovery and response.

PolicyWise for Children and Families is an Alberta-based not-for-profit, charitable organization. We have 20 years’ experience…

Climate change is impacting the health of millions of people around the world. From slow onset climate changes to weather and climate extremes, climate change is impacting everything we care about. In this presentation, the health findings from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on climate change impacts and adaptation will be presented, and then linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change COP27 and COP28. As one of the Lead Authors on the IPCC report, Dr. Harper will highlight the connections between the IPCC's international science assessment process to the international climate change negotiations that occur at UN Climate Change COPs.

Sherilee Harper is a Canada Research Chair in Climate Change and Health, Kule Scholar, and an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. Her research investigates associations between weather, environment, and health equity in the context of…

Portable air cleaners have the potential to reduce exposure to hazardous indoor particulate matter, such as smoke, dust, mould, pollen and pathogens. Although a good portable air cleaner typically costs less than $500, this cost may be prohibitive in some contexts, particularly if multiple air cleaners are needed to treat large rooms like classrooms. For this reason, public health agencies and others have been promoting the use of “do-it-yourself” (DIY) air cleaners constructed out of low-cost materials as an inexpensive and rapid means to address indoor particulate matter, particularly in emergency situations like a wildfire.

This webinar will highlight the findings of our upcoming NCCEH review on DIY air cleaner effectiveness compared to commercial units. The document also compares the various DIY air cleaner designs regarding cost effectiveness, energy efficiency, and noise generation, and reviews research on deploying these devices in the real world. The document…

This research on healthy northern environments has an emphasis on community action, self-determination, and knowledge sharing, to better understand the intersections between food security, climate change, and Indigenous communities in northern regions within Canada. The team of northern communities, partners, and governments engages on interdisciplinary, community-based, and collaborative food system projects. This webinar will share past and ongoing case studies to evaluate community-led food system initiatives in the Northwest Territories and their links to environmental health, policy, and health and risk communication.  

Dr. Kelly Skinner is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo and was awarded a CIHR-PHAC Applied Public Health Chair in 2022. This Chair has an emphasis on community action, self-determination, and knowledge sharing, to better understand the intersections between food security, climate change, and…

Public libraries are evolving, lending out more than just books and acting as hubs for innovative programming. One example in Canada is the rise of radon “Lending Library” programs that connect patrons to radon information and digital radon detectors. Beginning in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, there are now over 300 libraries that lend digital detectors across the country and more come on board regularly. The success of the radon program hinges on the unique role that libraries play in communities. Not only are libraries well-established, trusted sources of knowledge but more and more libraries are taking part in innovative public health initiatives. In some regions, patrons can borrow items such as CO2 and PM2.5 sensors, sun lamps, surgical recovery equipment and even mobility-aides for visitors.   There is growing enthusiasm for more collaboration between librarians and public health professionals, in part as they address important issue such as access and health equity. This…