Presentations

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Presentation 1: Exploring the Relationship between the Built Environment and Social Isolation and Loneliness: Implications for Public Policy

Summary: Purported to be as much of a risk factor for premature mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes per day, social isolation and loneliness is a significant predictor of adverse health outcomes. Through the application of a social ecological lens, a semi-systematic review was conducted to understand the association between the built environment and social isolation and loneliness. This webinar will present the findings of this research.

Speaker: Amber Gillespie, University of Guelph Amber Gillespie is a Registered Nurse and Nurse Educator currently completing a Master of Public Health degree with the University of Guelph.…

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speaker: Shirra Freeman, Environmental Health and Knowledge Translation Scientist, NCCEH

Summary: Plastics are emerging as an important environmental public health (EPH) issue. Within this issue, the safety of plastic food contact articles (PFCA) is especially important for EPH practice. PFCA are designed to safeguard the quality and safety of food and are used extensively in food service and retail settings. Plastic packages, utensils, surfaces, equipment and components provide cost-efficient, convenient solutions for handling, processing, preparing and serving food. The main safety concern is that under certain conditions, toxic chemicals may leach from PFCA into foods, exposing consumers to health risks.

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speakers: Maria Mukhtar, Analyst, Research and Policy, Peel Public Health (Ontario); David Guillette, Data and GIS Specialist, Peel Data Centre (Ontario)

Summary: The impact of the built environment on health and chronic disease outcomes is increasingly being recognized. The Region of Peel – Public Health has been at the forefront of collaborating with Regional and local municipal planning departments to create innovative approaches to entrenching health as an explicit consideration in the land use planning process. Successful implementation of public health built environment interventions relies on the ability to measure changes in the built form, over time. The Healthy Development: Mapping and Monitoring Project measures the health-promoting potential of the…

Climate changes are expanding the areas where ticks can survive and thrive across Canada. The number of Canadians contracting tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme Disease and Anaplasmosis, is also increasing. As a result, educating Canadians on how to prevent tick bites is becoming increasingly important.  This presentation details an animated tick awareness program, aimed specifically at children, that was developed in conjunction with the BCCDC.

Radon, an odorless, colourless, radioactive gas, is an established carcinogen and the leading cause of lung cancer for non-smokers. Radon poses a health risk for indoor environments, particularly in rooms on ground or basement levels where the gas can enter through cracks in the foundation. Health Canada has been measuring radon levels in homes and workplaces and elevated levels of radon have been identified in most regions of the country.

The following presentation focus on radon testing in First Nations communities. The first presentation details historical radon testing initiatives conducted with First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities across Canada. The second presentation provides an overview of a recent collaborative project, done in conjunction with the First Nations Health Authority, that tested radon in communities in the interior of British Columbia. 

This presentation examines the intersection of Environmental Public Health & health equity.  Key concepts covered in the presentation include:

This poster was delivered at the 78th CIPHI Ontario Annual Education Conference. It describes a multi-phase needs assessment conducted by the NCCEH to understand the needs of environmental health (EH) stakeholders across Canada.

This presentation was delivered at the 78th CIPHI Ontario Annual Education Conference. It provides an overview of how climate change impacts public health and how public health workers can act at a local level to address climate change challenges.

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speakers:Dr. Paul Belanger, Director, Knowledge Management, KFL&A Public HealthDr. Nancy VanStone, Research Associate, Knowledge Management, KFL&A Public Health

Abstract:A key need for climate change adaptation strategies is effective public health surveillance. Geographic Information System (GIS) applications are common tools for public health purposes. GIS technology provides visual tools—through the creation of computerized maps, graphs, and tables of geographic data—that can assist with problem solving and inform decision-making. KFL&A Public Health has developed and maintains a situational awareness tool, the Public Health Information Management System (PHIMS) that enables visualization and spatial analysis of environmental data with underlying…

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speaker: Dr. Craig Stephen, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative

Abstract: A community’s capacity to cope with change and make incremental improvements to health may be a way interdisciplinary health teams can contribute positively to climate change preparedness, prevention, and adaptation. Most attention has been focused on social determinants of climate change vulnerability and resilience as well as on acute health outcomes such as heat exhaustion and zoonoses. This presentation will explore how nature conservation can be an essential component of building…

This presentation was delivered at the 83rd CIPHI National Annual Education Conference and was created in conjunction with Chris Russell an Environmental Health Specialist from the BC Interior Health authority. It provides an overview of the risks associated with splash parks and it describes some of the best practices regarding the design and operation of these kinds of facilities.

This presentation was originally delivered at TOPHC 2018 in Toronto, ON.

This presentation was originally delivered at the 2017 CIPHI Ontario Annual Education Conference in Brampton, ON.

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speaker: Dr. David Kaiser, Specialist Physician, Montreal Public Health

Abstract: Housing conditions are a fundamental determinant of health and one of the core targets of public health interventions in an urban context. However, surveillance data regarding housing conditions are largely absent at a local level in Canada. Since 2010, Montreal Public Health has carried out a number of studies aimed at generating data on a variety of housing-related issues - molds, bed bugs, cockroaches, upkeep & repair, essential services, affordability - their determinants, and impacts on health. In this webinar, we will briefly present some examples of local-level data from our most recent housing survey, carried out in 2017. We will discuss potential uses of such data,…

The BCCDC/NCCEH Environmental Health Seminar Series provides an opportunity for learning and knowledge exchange on a variety of environmental health topics. The seminars can be attended in-person or online.

Speaker: Angela Eykelbosh, Environmental Health & Knowledge Translation Scientist, NCCEH/BCCDC

Abstract: Legalization of cannabis in 2018 will bring many challenges for public health professionals in Canada, ranging from the difficulties of establishing regulatory frameworks in a short period to the unknown consequences of widespread availability of this psychoactive substance. However, beyond the effects of the drug itself, cannabis cultivation (whether commercially or at home) brings with it certain environmental health (EH) risks that can be mitigated through public education. This webinar will summarize concerns around specific EH risks (pest control products, chemical and biological contaminants, household mould and humidity control, and fire and electrical…

This presentation, originally delivered at the 2017 CIPHI Annual Education Conference in Richmond, BC, provides an overview of some basic risk communication principles as they pertain to cannabis legalization in Canada, and provides suggestions and examples for those shaping public health risk messaging.

This presentation, delivered at the BC Lung Association’s 4th Annual Radon Workshop, outlines a theoretical framework that supports radon outreach and behavior change.

This presentation was delivered at the 83rd CIPHI National Annual Education Conference and created in conjunction with an environmental health officer from the BC Interior Health authority. It provides an overview of testing research and policies to reduce childhood radon exposure.