A Healthier You May 2014
Keep the Best and Leave the Rest page 6
More to Health than
a Physical Exam page 14
Connecting
the Future to the Past page 18
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Presented by Northern Health and Glacier Media
A Healthier You | 2 | May 2014
contents MAY2014 8
16
Getting Your Feet Back on a Natural Path
Making Wellness A Family Affair
4 6 10 11 12 14 18 20 22 24
CEO Welcome Keep the Best and Leave the Rest Honouring Tobacco-Free Living 2014 All Native Basketball Tournament Aboriginal Culture = Enriched Travel More to Health than a Physical Exam Connecting the Future to the Past Staff Profile: Lloyd McDames North Coast Health Improvement Society How Can We Help?
Proud supporter of Northern Health
Cover Photo Credit: Pole at Skedans (K’uuna), credit: Susan Clarke, Northern BC Tourism Acknowledgements: We would like to thank the First Nations Health Authority, Northern B.C. Tourism, and Northern Health staff for their contributions to this issue.
May 2014 | 3
| A Healthier You
CEO Welcome
Welcome!
Did you know that nearly 20% of the population in northern B.C. is Aboriginal (inclusive of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples)? Development of the First Nations Health Authority and the signing of the Partnership Accord between the First Nations Health Council - Northern Regional Caucus, First Nations Health Authority, and Northern Health motivate our tenth edition of A Healthier You. This edition highlights some of the unique ways in which Aboriginal peoples approach health and wellness. As the First Nations Health Authority plays a larger role in the health and wellness of Aboriginal peoples across the province and in the north, it is important for health workers and the general public to become aware of Aboriginal approaches to health and wellness. In this spirit, this issue explores holistic health and wellness with highlights from Aboriginal communities in northern B.C. Stories included in this edition shed light on a variety of perspectives of Aboriginal health and wellness. Our feature story considers the First Nations Health Authority’s Wellness Model and how it incorporates holistic wellness. From communities in northern B.C., we are proud to showcase how our staff are supporting Aboriginal health and wellness through programs and services. In addition, Northern Health staff members have contributed other ways in which they are connecting with traditional cultures to support healthy living today – and for the future.
I hope you enjoy this edition of A Healthier You!
Cathy Ulrich | President and chief executive officer Cathy has held her position of president and CEO of Northern Health since 2007. From 2002 to 2007, she was the organization’s vice president, clinical services and chief nursing officer. Before the formation of Northern Health, Ulrich worked in a variety of nursing and management positions in northern B.C., Manitoba, and Alberta. Most of her career has been in rural and northern communities, giving her a solid understanding of their unique health needs.
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A Healthier You | 4 | May 2014
Spring/Summer 2014:
Event Calendar
Your Daily Dose of Health and Wellness May • National Physiotherapy Month • Speech and Hearing Awareness Month • May 1: National Aboriginal Diabetes Day • May 5: Save Lives: Clean Your Hands • May 5-11: National Mental Health Week • May 12-18: National Nursing Week • May 20-23: Aboriginal Awareness Week • May 31: World No Tobacco Day
All across Canada, specific dates are set aside to bring awareness to various aspects of our health. Here are some dates you might be interested in! Stay tuned to blog.northernhealth.ca and our Facebook page to learn more about these important events as they get close. How can you get involved in healthy living events in your community?
June • Brain Injury Awareness Month • Recreation and Parks Month • June 2-8: National Sun Awareness Week • June 1: National Cancer Survivor’s Day • June 5: Clean Air Day • June 15: World Elder Abuse Awareness Day • June 21: National Aboriginal Day
Do you have a community event coming up that promotes health? Tell us about it! Email hello@northernhealth.ca
July • July 19-26: National Drowning Prevention Week • July 28: World Hepatitis Day
Join the #healthynorth conversation!
For more information, visit Health Canada’s Calendar of Health Promotion Days online at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/calend/ index-eng.php.
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Healthy Eating
Keep the Best and Leave the Rest: How Our Diets Change Over Time By Flo Sheppard, registered dietitian, Northern Health
In 2014, the possible responses to “what’s for dinner?” are very different than when I was growing up. I remember sitting down every night with my family to a meal made by my stay-at-home mother. It wasn’t fancy food but it covered the basics. Today, the average grocery store carries more than 40,000 items, which is a far cry from my uncle’s shop where we bought most of our groceries. The amount of choice has expanded the variety of foods that are available to us. I had never tasted broccoli before leaving home at age 18, whereas my daughter has been exposed to a wide variety of foods in her short lifetime. This variety has also brought foods, which — while convenient for our busy lifestyles — are questionable from a nutrition quality point of view. For example, walk down the cereal aisle at your grocery store and you’ll see many boxes that would’ve passed for candy in my childhood. As I get older, it is easy to reflect that “things were better back then.” We get that sense when we hear healthy eating experts promote diets that focus on whole and unprocessed foods as the answer to some of our chronic health problems,
A Healthier You | 6 | May 2014
like diabetes and heart disease. However, I know that diet change is common to humans all over the world. Few of us eat and enjoy diets identical to those of 100 years ago; new foods are added and old foods are replaced or become less important. The challenge is to keep the best and leave the rest.
For Flo’s homemade pizza dough recipe, visit blog.northernhealth.ca/healthy-eating/get-social-eat-healthy/
Here are some tips to get started: • Connect with your parents, their parents and other elders in your life to learn about the types of foods they ate, how they prepared them, and what they served with them. How could you tweak them to add the best of today’s ingredients? For example, add whole grain flour to Granny’s loaf recipe. • Grow, catch, gather or hunt some of your food, or connect with your local farmers’ market. • For ideas on what to eat, look to the First Nations, Inuit and Métis version of Canada’s Food Guide at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/fnim-pnim/ index-eng.php • Check if your local grocery store offers food and nutrition tours. If not, check out “Shopping Sense,” BC’s virtual grocery store tour, at http:// www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca/home/articles/topic/ grocery-shopping • For specific food or nutrition questions, connect with a registered dietitian by calling 8-1-1 (Monday – Thursday 9 am – 9 pm; Friday 9 am – 6 pm) or check with your local hospital. Photo Credits: Flo Sheppard
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Healthy Eating
Getting Your Feet Back on a Natural Path By Agnes Snow, retired Northern Health staff member
How often do you get back to nature? Returning to nature has therapeutic benefits for our health. Research shows that access to nature is important to the healthy development of children and very important to the mental and physical health of adults. In many larger communities, people have difficulty finding places to enjoy time with nature, or perhaps they can’t afford the travel or the time to get away. In northern B.C., we have some advantages in this regard. Many of our communities are surrounded by nature’s majesty. This makes accessing places to enjoy time in a natural environment relatively easy. Even in our larger centres, getting to the river’s edge is often only a matter of a quick walk. Aboriginal communities have many lessons to share about enjoying nature in ways that improve our health and wellbeing. Looking to the land as a guide and as a provider is still the backbone of Aboriginal cultures. Many of our friends and colleagues who are of Aboriginal ancestry return to the land regularly. This is common especially in the late summer and early fall for berry picking, hunting and fishing. These expeditions can provide food for families and others in the community, as hunters will present parts of the hunt or catch to the Elders and other families in their communities. Berry picking is a bit back-breaking, but really worth it! The skills to work with foods we have picked directly from the earth are dwindling, but many people, both Aboriginal and non–Aboriginal, carry on the traditions of processing and preserving food from the land for themselves. Berries are a great example of how, with labour on our part, the bounty of the earth can be transformed and can feed our families: berries will reappear throughout the winter baked in pies, as jams, jellies and syrups, or dried in baking and snacks. Frozen blueberries may show up in muffins or pancakes in January. The food also serves as a way to remember the time you spent harvesting it. The burst of tart sweetness can bring back the scent of summer in an instant. The brightness of the day you knelt among low bush blueberries, with the sun on your back and the sound of honey bees surrounding you. Memories like these can warm a cold winter’s day with the promise of summer. In this way, the berry’s life cycle is a way to return to the land and finding satisfaction, physically, emotionally and nutritionally. The berry’s story tells us that the land can give us more than just food; the land can do more than just physically feed people. Nature also feeds our spirit and soul. A Healthier You | 8 | May 2014
A version of this article originally appeared on the Northern Health Matters blog (September 28, 2012). For more stories about personal health and wellness, please visit blog.northernhealth.ca.
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Nisga’a Valley Health
2 14 Honouring Tobacco-Free Living
On February 18, Nisga’a Valley Health celebrated the success of building tobacco-free spaces in the community of Gitlaxt’aamiks (New Aiyansh). The event showcased a recent tobacco-free school project. Tobacco-free spaces are important to the health of children and youth and so children came together to draw images of what tobacco-free spaces mean to them. The images were printed on large weatherproof banners and are on display outside the school. The work is supported by tobacco-free champions in the valley (pictured here). The work was supported by Northern Health’s Imagine Grant program. For more information about Imagine Grants, please visit www.northernhealth.ca/yourhealth/ healthylivingcommunities/imaginegrants.aspx.
A Healthier You | 10 | May 2014
Event Highlight
2014 All Native Basketball Tournament: More Than a Sporting Event
By Theresa Healy, healthy community development, and Doreen Bond, tobacco reduction coordinator
Unity, pride, and community: these are the off-court principles that push the All Native Basketball Tournament to its inarguable success. Held in Prince Rupert every February, this year’s event drew thousands of spectators and 56 basketball teams from Aboriginal communities across the north. Being held for over 50 years, it has the honour of being the longest-held sports event in B.C. It is a destination and focus for northern communities, as the prestige associated with the tournament encourages healthy choices by team members, their families and supporters in the run-up to the games themselves. For many communities, the annual trip to the tournament is an important social and cultural event as they can gather with friends and families from other remote communities. The sport and cultural atmosphere is a powerful connection and place of belonging for the communities and Nations who attend. Northern Health is proud to be part of the event since 2006, which started with one lone table on tobacco reduction. Since then, Northern Health’s presence has grown alongside of the tournament. In the past, we have offered a more clinical service through the offering of
health screenings. This year, we sponsored and hosted a quiet space furnished with cozy furniture and low lighting. This space offered a retreat where Elders could rest in comfort, nursing moms could feed their babies in peace, and traditional stories were shared. Health screenings were still offered, but the focus was on the gathering and comforting space, rather than the clinical space. The space was reflective of supporting a complete healthy community; a way of integrating social and cultural gathering with health services. While the tournament is an important contributor to the health and well-being of northern First Nations, this year, for the first time, people spoke of the tournament as a place where, sport, culture and health comes together.
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Northern BC Tourism
For Enriched Travel, By Susan Clarke, Northern BC Tourism
e r u t l u C Add ‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum, credit: J F Bergeron, EnviroFoto
Northern B.C. is an ideal place to experience the culture and history of BC’s First Peoples. The rivers and lakes that many of us value for recreation are the ancient highways that connected cultures; interesting points of geography are often the inspiration for traditional stories which pass on meaningful lessons. Aboriginal cultures are an inseparable part of the Northern B.C. experience, and while international travelers strive to incorporate these experiences into their visits to Canada, residents often overlook the same opportunities. When traveling in your own backyard, here are some ways to learn about Aboriginal cultures in northern B.C. In the far west, a visit to Haida Gwaii offers insights into the history, culture and art of the Haida Nation. The Haida Heritage Centre at Kay Llnagaay is an award-winning complex, where vibrant culture is celebrated and artifacts are displayed. A long-time vision of the Haida people, the centre officially opened in 2008, and seeks to educate and preserve, as well as provoke change. Visiting the southern third of the Haida Gwaii archipelago, known as Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site, takes planning – as it is only accessible by boat or floatplane. Many visitors describe their experience of the abandoned villages, dotted with slowly decaying monumental poles and longhouse beams, as a religious experience. The Gwaii Haanas is the only area in the world that is officially protected from mountain peaks to the ocean’s floor. Near Prince Rupert, the Tsimshian region is one of the oldest continuously occupied regions of the world. Last summer, genome testing proved that a living woman from
Metlakatla is a direct descendent of female remains found in the area which are over 5,500 years old. The Museum of Northern B.C. in Prince Rupert houses Tsimshian, Haida, Kwakwaka’wakw and Tlingit regalia and ceremonial objects, and interprets regional history from ancient to modern times. The Nisga’a Museum in the Nass Valley is home to the Ancestor’s Collection, a group of 330 artifacts returned to the people as part of the Nisga’a Final Agreement. The collection has been described by experts as “one of the preeminent collections of northwest coast art in the world.” The museum in Laxgalts’ap (Greenville) opened in 2011. Kitselas Canyon Historic Site is just 15 kilometers outside of Terrace. On site, an interpretive trail leads to four crest poles and a lookout over the Skeena River. If you are driving, stop in to see the Totem poles of Gitwangak (Kitwanga), Gitanyow (Kitwancool) and Kispiox. These are some of the oldest known poles in the province. (Stop at a Visitor Centre for directions or more details.) ‘Ksan Historical Village and Museum in Hazelton is the “oldest Native cultural facility in Canada.” The re-created village, with elaborately painted longhouses and carved poles, is located on the same site as the original Gitxsan village of Gitanmaax. An excellent way to introduce yourself to Gitxsan culture is to take a guided tour of ‘Ksan. Moricetown Canyon, about 40 kilometers west of Smithers, is a spot where the rushing Bulkley River squeezes into a narrow canyon, making a perfect place to nab passing fish. Stone tools, nets and other archaeological finds are on Continued on page 13
A Healthier You | 12 | May 2014
Nisga’a Memorial Lava Bed Park, credit: J F Bergeron, EnviroFoto
display in the Interpretive Centre that overlooks the canyon. Use the pullout at the side of the highway to see net fishing in process. Fort St. James National Historic Site is now home to the Strangers and Swan’s Down interpretive gallery, which examines the life of Chief Kw’eh of the Nak’azdli First Nation. Audio recordings and artifacts help bring the Nak’azdli and Métis history of the area to life. In northeastern B.C., the Spirit of the Peace Pow Wow, held each June, is a family friendly event which welcomes all peoples.
Kitselas Canton National Historic Site, near Terrace, credit: Susan Clarke, Northern BC Tourism
We do not have to travel to another country to experience remarkable and historic cultures. There are many ways to witness and learn about Aboriginal cultures as a traveler - or resident - in northern B.C.
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Health & Wellness
More to Health than
A First Nations Perspective on By Peter James, Citizen staff
Physical symptoms of an illness are often at the forefront when someone visits a doctor’s office, but the First Nations Health Authority believes there is much more to good health than just a physical exam. The First Nations Perspective on Wellness, developed in collaboration with communities around the province, encourages individuals and the medical community to look beyond physical ailments and take a more holistic approach to care. According to the perspective, by digging deeper into the mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of health, medical practitioners and patients can gain a broader understanding of the root causes of existing health issues and preventing illness by supporting and promoting a health and wellness approach. “Often there are physical symptoms of an illness that might only have been treated in a physical manner [in the past],” First Nations Health Authority director of health surveillance Dr. Shannon Waters said. “But there’s actually mental, emotional, or spiritual aspects to what might be leading to those physical symptoms. Without being fully recognized, those things don’t often come up during an individual patient visit.” The First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) began taking over federally funded health service delivery for First Nations communities at home or ‘on-reserve’ in the province last year. Previously it had been the federal government’s responsibility to administer and provide health care to First Nations communities through the First Nations Inuit Health Branch of Health Canada, as across the rest of the country. As part of its effort to be responsive to the communities it serves, the FNHA undertook extensive community engagement to find out what First Nations in B.C. felt was important when it came to their own health and how they accessed health care. Many of the responses focused on a need to both shift away from an illness model towards a wellness model, as well as focus on the strengths in the community rather than the deficits. One result of that work is the First Nations Perspective on Wellness. “It’s the collective understanding that everything around the individual impacts their health,” said Nicole Cross, FNHA regional director for the north and a member of the Nisga’a First Nation. “It’s more than just not washing your hands and then catching a cold. It branches out into having a healthy environment, having healthy land and having a healthy community with the support built in there.” The wellness perspective is displayed as a circle, with a human being at the centre and a community of people - children, adults and Elders - around the outside holding hands representing the importance of a healthy community. In between there are four rings of key words that can be A Healthier You | 14 | May 2014
considered essential to long-term health and prosperity. In the ring closest to the individual are: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual - four areas of wellness that can be considered when assessing someone’s overall health. The next ring contains wisdom, respect, relationships and responsibility, showing how individuals and groups interact to promote good health. The next ring includes family, land, Nations and community and the outer ring contains the determinants of health: social, economic, cultural and environmental. Although the connection between culture and health may seem abstract, Cross said it’s fundamental to understanding the identity of an individual. She said the importance and strength of community and culture is apparent in any town hall meeting in a First Nations community when people get together to talk about health issues. “You need to know who you are,” she said. “It’s so important to have those roots, that Nation and that culture support everything that you do.” The wellness model concept is dynamic. It’s just as important for the human being at the centre of the circles to take responsibility for their physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health as it is for the community - both locally and as a province - to create the conditions that allow that person to be healthy.
a Physical Exam:
Wellness
In order for the perspective to be fully realized, it will be important for doctors, nurses and others in the medical community to have a better understanding of local culture and history. That’s already started with an online course available to all provincial health care workers called Indigenous Cultural Competency, but Cross said that is being further enhanced as local communities are in the process of developing their own information for medical professionals. Dr. Waters, who is from the Chemainus First Nation on Vancouver Island, said that by understanding where a local First Nations person is coming from, it will be easier for the medical team to employ a holistic care model because the relationship between caregiver and patient will be stronger. “The mental and spiritual aspects are often something that has been uncomfortable for a patient to bring up because it’s very individual and different for each First Nations person, community or Nation,” she said. “It’s about making the space and time for physicians and patients to realize that this is an important thing to talk about.”
Northern Health Tip:
Get healthy. Stop using tobacco. One of the best things you can do for your health is to stop using tobacco of any kind! Feel better about yourself: • • • •
Getting sick more easily Shortness of breath Shame Stress about having to quit
Improve your looks: • • •
Premature aging and wrinkles Yellow teeth and fingers Smelly clothes, breath, car, house
Cross said by engaging caregivers and the community at large into the holistic approach, it will help people feel more empowered about how they receive their health care, which she believes will translate into a healthier population overall. “For the first time this [perspective] is really reflecting what our communities are telling the medical community,” Cross said. “If we reach a place where our health care providers and our communities are focused on wellness and focused on strengths and moving away from illness, then the ideal goal is that our community members will be a lot healthier and a lot more well.” Although many of the issues that could arise from the outer rings are out of the direct scope of a health authority, Dr. Waters said the holistic approach used by the FNHA includes engaging other provincial government departments and the federal government, alongside the politically-focused First Nations Health Council, to ensure they are met. “I really think this is an example of how the First Nations Health Authority is going to blaze the trail, lead the way and have aspects of care that other health care systems are going to want to strive to have,” she said.
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Health & Wellness
Making Wellness A By Peter James, Citizen staff
Finding ways to stay active and healthy has never been a problem for the Ghostkeeper family.
like to keep myself busy with something and be committed to something.”
From father Chad’s successful international fastball career to son Tristan’s budding career in dance, family members have long seen the value of keeping fit and credit their activity in part for their health.
Tristan, 18, is preparing to attend the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver this fall where he’ll continue to pursue his dream of a dance career with an international company.
“I grew up doing all sorts of sports, I started with baseball, then went to swimming then I ended up at dance, which I’ve been doing for a good 10 years now,” Tristan said. “I
Initially sparked by an interest in music videos and dancers at live concerts, Tristan is now hoping his well-rounded dance skills will take him to Europe and beyond. Chad’s sports career has allowed him to travel around North America for tournaments, meeting new people and making friends along his way. He’s preparing for one more season at the elite level and expects to play in seven or eight competitive tournaments across the continent this spring and summer. “I’m 42 years old and I’m going to go one more year,” he said. “The body is holding up, but last year I had a couple of injuries.” Tristan’s siblings Tanner, Tyson, Shayla, Sierra and Laina have also been active in sports like hockey, baseball and swimming. Chad said it was always important to make sure his children had active living options, especially in the electronic age where it’s so easy to get distracted by online games and social media. “We try to keep our kids busy because we don’t want them coming home and sitting on the couch playing games for four or five hours,” he said. Chad got his own start in sport at a young age, first with hockey and then with baseball. His uncle Charlie Ghostkeeper helped put him on the path to fastball success when he assembled a team of young players and had them compete in the men’s league in Prince George. “We got better and better and better,” he said. “We were the type of kids that if we weren’t doing anything on a Saturday or a Sunday, we’d go to the park and hit balls.” All that practice paid off as Chad got noticed by a team in California and has had success on the international stage winning the top catcher award at major tournaments. At one point he cracked Team Canada’s 40-man roster. While fastball and dance have been the activities of choice for the Ghostkeepers, Chad said sports has long been an important part of Aboriginal culture. He pointed to the many high-level hockey tournaments hosted across the country as evidence the importance of sport continues to thrive.
Chad and his son Tristan Ghostkeeper take living an active lifestyle seriously. Citizen photo by David Mah
A Healthier You | 16 | May 2014
In addition to the physical benefits of his dance career, Tristan said it has also taught him the value of eating well. In recent years he had noticed that he was becoming more
Family Affair
fatigued after long days in the studio and decided to take the initiative to find ways to eat better. Making the change in diet wasn’t always easy, but he said it has been worth it. He’s noticed great results since he added more fruits and vegetables into his diet and started to consume less food high in sugar. “It takes a lot to do dance - physically, emotionally, artistically - so you have to keep in shape and eat the right things so that you have the energy for the day,” he said. Participating and staying active has only been part of Chad and Tristan’s commitment to their passions. They both have given back to the community, Chad by coaching minor hockey and baseball teams and Tristan by coaching and mentoring young dancers.
Both Chad and Tristan hope their commitment to active living will inspire other people in the north, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal alike, to find their own venues to explore ways to stay fit. “It’s definitely important to have that role model because I think Aboriginal people sometimes think they can’t make it, or they can’t go anywhere,” Tristan said. “I think it’s great to have people like me and my dad to show there is hope and you can go places and people are going to accept you like anyone else.”
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First Nations Health Authority
Northern Light:
Connecting the Future to the Past By Trevor Kehoe, First Nations Health Authority Former Chief of Kwadacha, Emil McCook, touring one of the community greenhouses. Photo by Trevor Kehoe, First Nations Health Authority.
and Elders can join, spreading the traditional knowledge that has allowed the Nation to thrive for generations.
The First Nation communities of Kwadacha and Tsay Keh Dene, located nearly 600 kms north of Prince George, have always known that their independence and community connections make them strong. Whether it be game-changing innovation in energy and food self-sufficiency, or building a remote Elders camp with a focus on traditional knowledge transfer, these communities are walking a path of wellness together. Returning to the traditional ways of harvesting local foods is bringing these and other First Nation communities full circle and it’s this connection to food and the land that maintains the spiritual connection to harvesting. Members of the Kwadacha Nation are taking this full circle approach and combining efforts on a number of initiatives including the creation of a traditional Elders camp only accessible by boat upriver from the village. The camp has become an education centre with scheduled informal classes that youth, adults
The education circle in the camp is ensuring the essential traditional knowledge transfer of the harvest, but also the ways to live a healthy life spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. Anything from fishing, hunting, traditional cooking, nutrition, craft-making to spiritual lessons could be on the agenda on any given day. Back in Kwadacha, Emil McCook has spearheaded the development of three community greenhouses that have become a beacon of activity over the years. Socializing, helping out and learning year by year has opened up the community to understanding more about harvesting vegetables and flora: what grows best, when and how. What’s grown in the greenhouses is freely available for the community to pick and with more greenhouse plans on the table, the seed of the harvest is sprouting in town. Downriver in Tsay Keh Dene, a Biomass energy initiative is planned to convert waste wood into renewable heat for public buildings and a proposed greenhouse facility, while generating income. The project has huge potential for other rural communities and could easily be followed by other Nations looking for greater energy self-sufficiency and a secure, efficient and sustainable source of highly nutritional foods. With ample supply, the local Elder, school, and family food programs flourish. Today First Nations throughout the province are moving forward with their own initiatives and returning to the traditional ways that kept them healthy in the past. Independently, all that is needed is a healthy environment to thrive in as they will for the next seven generations. This article was originally printed in the inaugural issue of the FNHA’s Spirit Magazine ‘The Harvest. Read the full article at www.fnha.ca.
A Healthier You | 18 | May 2014
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The pediatric wing of the University Hospital of Northern B.C. has been named the Northland Dodge Paediatric Wing. Northland Dodge management and staff raised $1 million over five years to support upgrades to child care at the hospital. “I’d like to thank everyone for what is both a huge honour for my team at Northland Dodge and my family,” Northland owner Brent Marshall said. “I’m just so impressed by how many people in the North took part. A former Prince George man is It’s gone by very among quickly.”five Canadians who were Marshall said was, killedhein an explosion at a Mexican “shocked,” when approached by resort Sunday. Northern Health about renamMalcolm Johnson, 33, was killed ing the wing. a freak explosion at the Grand The funding in raised bygas the Riviera Princess dealership has supported proj- Hotel in the beach resortdeck of Playa del Carmen on ects including ancity outdoor Mexico’s Caribbean coast. adjoining the wing, library and Johnson, who worked as a realfamily room, ceiling lifts, wireless communication spe- George but moved tor system, in Prince cial cribs and many other proj-and worked out of to Nanaimo ects, Northern Health Coast chairman Realty Group’s downtown Charles Jago said.Nanaimo office, was in Mexico “They were allwith special his things new wife Heather Pynten, we couldn’t do without donor whom he had married days before support. They’re all things that the explosion, and their one-yearenhance our ability to meet the old daughter Audrey. needs of patients,” Jago said. were showing up [to “B.C. supports a “People very good sick about it,” said Ron health system. work] (But) just philanWilliams, managing brothropy is that margin of Johnson’s difNanaimo. ference between ker veryingood and excellent.” Another realtor with Coast who The maternityhad andgone pediatric to Mexico for Johnson’s wings of the hospital are informed now wedding co-workers of state-of-the-art facilities, he said. his death Sunday afternoon. Health Services Minister Kevin Johnson had been with Coast A r t h u r W I L L I A M S / F re e P re s s Falcon attendedRealty the for renamsix years, specializing in ing ceremony on Monday and Northland Dodge owners Brent and Kali Marshall and their children eight-year-old Carter, condominium sales. presented the Marshalls with a seven-year-old Cassie and three-year-old Jaxon celebrate the renaming of the pediatric never ever down or ward at the University Hospital of Northern B.C. The Northland Dodge Paediatric Wing was plaque honouring “He their was contrinamed in the recognition of the $1 million donated by the auto dealership. cranky, he just always saw posibution.
Dodge owners Brent Northland ownerNorthland Brent Kali Marshall and their children Marshall and his and family eight year old Carter, seven year old celebrate the renaming Cassie year old Jaxon of the pediatric wing at and three NOrthlaNd celebrate of the the University Hospital of the renaming cOmmitmeNt at the University Northern BC. Thepediatric Northland ward exceeds 2 milliON Hospital of Northern BC. The Dodge Pediatric wing was Northland Dodge Pediatric Wing named in recognition of over $1 million dollars donated by was named in recognition of the $1 $1,000 Northland Dodgemillion and the donated Marshall family. by the auto dealer-
tive side of things,” said Forbes. “He was a real good guy.” Johnson was also a director on the Downtown Nanaimo Business 910 Third Avenue, Improvement Association board. Five Canadian tourists and two Prince George, BC Canada, V2L 3C9 hotel employees were killed in the explosion, which took place Sunday Phone 250-563-6444 morning in the hotel lobby. Toll Free 1-800-219-6327 Fax 250-563-8893 A news release on the Quintana Email polarrefrig@telus.net Roo state website states that MexiArthur WILLIAMS/Free Press can officials believe the blast took Marshall and their children eight-year-old Carter, place because of*Rebate natural gas accuoffer is valid only with the purchase of qualifying Lennox® products. **See dealer for details and other offers. d Jaxon celebrate the renaming of the pediatric mulating in a cavern under the n B.C. The Northland Dodge Paediatric Wing was hotel. nated by the auto dealership.
OFFER EXPIRES 11/30/2010
up to
+ $1,400 $2,400 up to
In support of Festival of Trees, Northland owner Brent Marshall purchased this medical UTV which he has donated to the 2015 Winter Games. At the end of the games this unit will have a permanent home with Prince George Search and Rescue.
FOR A REASON!
PediatricFOR Wing A Northland DonationREASON! Excedes Kordyban od 1 Million! cancer lodge 3rd annual fo s
A former Prince George man is among five Canadians who were killed in an explosion at a Mexican resort Sunday. Malcolm Johnson, 33, was killed in a freak gas explosion at the Grand Riviera Princess Hotel in the beach city resort of Playa del Carmen on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. Johnson, who worked as a realtor in Prince George but moved to Nanaimo and worked out of Coast Realty Group’s downtown Nanaimo office, was in Mexico with his new wife Heather Pynten, whom he had married days before the explosion, and their one-yearold daughter Audrey. “People were showing up [to work] just sick about it,” said Ron Williams, Johnson’s managing broker in Nanaimo. Another realtor with Coast who had gone to Mexico for Johnson’s wedding informed co-workers of his death Sunday afternoon. Johnson had been with Coast Realty for six years, specializing in condominium sales. “He was never ever down or cranky, he just always saw the positive side of things,” said Forbes. “He was a real good guy.” Johnson was also a director on the Downtown Nanaimo Business Improvement Association board. Five Canadian tourists and two hotel employees were killed in the explosion, which took place Sunday morning in the hotel lobby. A news release on the Quintana Roo state website states that Mexican officials believe the blast took place because of natural gas accumulating in a cavern under the hotel.
Cassie and three year old Jaxon celebrate the renaming of the pediatric ward at the University Hospital of Northern BC. The Northland Dodge Pediatric Wing was named in recognition of the $1 million donated by the auto dealership.
Lennox Rebate*
The Child
Kordyban Cancer Lodge
The Canadian Cancer Society’s Kordyban Cancer Lodge is the recipient of a $300,000 pledge from Northland and the Marshall family. All the money has stayed local and has helped with the construction costs for the lodge which is slated to open in late 2012.
NOrthlaNd family rOOm Development
Centre Kordyban in Provincial Rebate Incentives**
drive for Kid
Northland Dodge Annual Food Drive For Kids has local youth, sports teams, H.E.R.O.S. and Northland staff collecting food donations with all proceeds to the Salvation Army, with an annual goal of 50,000lbs!
Cancer Lodge
aNNUal GOal Of 50,000lBs!!!
It’s impossible to save too much money, rince The Northland Motorsports Park is located near the P but thisnd is pretty close. 7th annual Northla The Canadian The Cancer Kordyban Cancer Lodge is theatre 10 minutes northwest Proudly Presents ChildSociety’s Development drive-in d n e th H the recipient ofCentre a $300,000 pledge from the r of Prince George islaNorthland and rg o ent y G o N .R e charity Golf tournam of the city..E With the help.O of Chrysler n re The Child ld He .S. y hi lico pte r Emergency Rescue Marshall family. All the money has stayed local and has also the beneficiary of the th Health C e Operations Societ g 7 Canada, Northland’s two-fold d o e d $1,000 for the h e T Development ic proceeds from the 7th l p helped with the construction costs for the lodge which is na l s taotio 10,2012 ua Golf Invih is to provide needed funds Annment + $1,400 Healthy Children’s to open Annual in late 2012. child develop otorsports formission Friday, Augustyslated m charities in northern B.C. as well as t Centre Golf Invitational sponsored ie c o s $2,400 centre uch money, Park providing a dynamic site for user groups, With PrOceeds tO by the Northland Auto se. oudly Presents
ship.
up to
Lennox Rebate*
up to
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R001734686
Total Potential Savings
Plus 6 months, no interest, no payment financing OAC with the purchase of a qualifying Lennox system.**
All proceeds stay
• Gas furnaces • A/C and heat pumps • Indoor air quality systems
in Prince renGeorge thy Child to assist the CDC. Invitational 2
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Friday, August 10,201
Total Potential Savings
Plus 6 months, no interest, no payment financing OAC with the purchase of a qualifying Lennox system.**
• Gas furnaces • A/C and heat pumps • Indoor air quality systems
"I hope that within less than two year s we have a state-of air ambulance that -the-art helicopter can fly day or nigh t in all conditions. in all outlying com I’d like to see helipad munities, working s in conjunction with Service to provide the B.C. Ambulance the utmost care to sick and injured people It will benefit all of in northern B.C. the people in the Nor th." ~ Brent Marshall - president/chair of Northern B.C. Emergency Rescue HEROS (Helicopter Operations Society)
H.E.R.O.S. www.northlanddodge.ca
The Child Development Brent Marshall with 100 tickets participants and their spectators. Group and hosted by the lOcal charities! me George “SavofePrince Centre is for staff, to help support purchased of the North HelicopteSpirit ” at rHealthcare Emergency alsoa these beneficiary of the Rescue Operations Foundation. the Hospice Dream Home "I hop e that Lottery. within less than two Society years we hav proceeds from the 7th air ambulance that Approximately can fly day or nigh$30,000e-a state-of-the-art helicopter t in all conditions. in all outlying com Annual Healthy Children’s I’d $50,000 is raised annually at like to see helipad munities, working s in conjunction with Service to provide the B.C. Ambulance the utmost care Northland Autogroup Golf Invitational sponsored to sick and golf It will benefit all of injured people in nor the people in the Nor ther n B.C. tournaments. by the Northland Auto th." ~ Brent Marshall Every $1000 helps fund May 2014 | 19 | A Healthier You - president/chair a child for a year at of Northern B.C. Emergency Rescue Group and hosted by the HEROS (Helicopte Operations Society the development centre r ) fit Spirit ofeeds the North bene All proc
Northern Health Staff Profile
Staff Profile: Lloyd McDames
Born and raised in northwest B.C., Lloyd McDames works in the Terrace area as an Aboriginal patient liaison. He is an employee of Northern Health and serves as a positive role model in his community – both at work and at play.
A Healthier You | 20 | May 2014
1) Tell us a little about yourself and your role in your community. I am of Tsimshian/Gitxan ancestry and I was born and raised in Terrace. Following high school graduation, I moved to the Nass Valley where I married my wife, Sherry. We have been married for 34 years and we have seven children and 15 grandchildren. My career background includes: a social worker, correctional officer, probation officer, family court counselor, B.C. Parole Board member, executive director child welfare, and an Aboriginal child and youth mental health worker. These various careers have taken me to the Nass Valley, Terrace, Victoria, and the Hazeltons. We moved back to Terrace two years ago. My current role with Northern Health is as an Aboriginal patient liaison at Mills Memorial Hospital in Terrace. 2) What are some of the best features of the northwest that support your health and wellness? Some of the features of the northwest that I enjoy are the outdoor activities that are available to us year-round. I enjoy walking, hiking and fishing and teaching my grandchildren how to harvest and prepare our traditional foods in a respectful manner. 3) What do you do to live a healthy life? I enjoy time with my children and grandchildren and also drumming, singing and dancing our cultural songs with family, community and visitors. These activities allow me to model aspects of a healthy lifestyle with family and community. This is very important to me. May 2014 | 21
| A Healthier You
Foundation Update
North Coast Health Improvement Society By Kim Nicholls
Based in Prince Rupert, the North Coast Health Improvement Society’s mandate is to raise funds to sustain charitable projects for education and health care. In 2013, fundraising efforts helped to purchase medical equipment to support residents of the north coast, including: • Bone mass density scanner • CT work station • Two colon scopes • Recto scope set • Pediatric equipment • Tympanic thermometers
$91,000 $43,000 $34,000 $30,000 $7,000 $780
We are currently fundraising for a dental treatment chair at Acropolis Manor (a residential care facility in Prince Rupert). The chair will facilitate residents that have little to no mobility and help to prevent and raise awareness of oral cancers. The total fundraising needed for the chair is approximately $17,000. For more information, please contact: PO Box 326, Prince Rupert, BC, V8J 3P9 A Healthier You | 22 | May 2014
May 2014 | 23
| A Healthier You
How Can We Help?
How Can We Help?
Aboriginal Patient Liaisons By Victoria Carter, Aboriginal health engagement and integration lead
Want some help navigating the health system? Aboriginal patient liaisons can assist. Northern B.C. has a large Aboriginal population and the Aboriginal patient liaisons work to support their unique needs by increasing access to services and improving the quality and experience of health care. As such, the Aboriginal patient liaison program is an important part of working toward improvements in the health of Aboriginal people in northern B.C. In their own words, this is what some of the Aboriginal patient liaisons have to say about their work: “[I] help the patient understand, question and contribute to the treatment plan.” –Lloyd McDames, Aboriginal patient liaison in Terrace “I go to the doctors’ offices with clients and translate using my language to interpret what the doctors are saying.” – Angie Combs, Aboriginal patient liaison in Hazelton As these quotes suggest, Aboriginal patient liaisons are an important link for Aboriginal people to the health system. They can help to make sure health care needs are heard and understood. If you are an Aboriginal person in Northern Health, they are here to help you with your questions about your health, the
A Healthier You | 24 | May 2014
tests or treatments you are receiving, and what you should do when you leave the hospital. They will work with you and your health care team to ensure you feel good about the care you are getting. If you need a translator or have cultural and spiritual needs that need to be addressed as part of your care, they can help facilitate this as well.
Here are some of the services they offer: • Arrange for translation services. • Help patients understand health care processes, procedures and terminology. • Help to ensure admission and discharge planning goes according to patient needs. • Assist with advanced care planning. • Facilitate communication and cultural understanding between patient and care providers. • Connect patient to end-of-life support. • Coordinate spiritual/cultural advisors or ceremonies. • Support and comfort family and friends. • Assist with community agency referrals. • Help link patients to non-insured health benefits. • Assist with transition to and within long-term care.
If you would like to contact your local Aboriginal patient liaison, here’s how:
Northern Health Tip:
Hazelton - Wrinch Memorial Hospital Angie Combs, 250-842-4666
You are sedentary if you sit for more than 6 hours a day.
Terrace - Mills Memorial Hospital Lloyd McDames, 250-638-4085
Do you sit for more than 6 hours a day in total? Think of time you spend:
Burns Lake - Lakes District Hospital Ken Solonas, 250-692-2474
•
Prince Rupert - Prince Rupert Regional Hospital Mary Wesley or Matina Sampare, 250-624-2171
• •
Smithers - Dze L’Kant Friendship Centre (Bulkley Valley District Hospital) Lillian Lewis, 250-847-5211
Long times of inactivity is not only unhealthy, but is dangerous to health. Evidence and messaging is emerging to raise awareness of the sitting diseases.
Prince George – University Hospital of Northern BC June McMullen, 250-565-2364
Quesnel - GR Baker Memorial Hospital Lyndsey Rhea, 250-985-5812 Fort St. John - North Peace Bev Lambert, 250-261-7418 Chetwynd and Dawson Creek - South Peace Yvonne Tupper, 250-788-7224 (Chetwynd) and 250-795-6109 (Dawson Creek)
• • • • •
Sitting when you drive to/from work (or school) Sitting at work/school Leisure time (after work/school)
Take a stand against too much sitting Sitting leads to sickness. Sit less, move more! Stand up: sitting is dangerous to your health. Just say “no” to sitting.
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| A Healthier You
Northern Health Tip: Chemicals and hormones may influence unhealthy weight gain: •
Our normal body chemistry balance can be altered by various situations or our environments, causing us to store fat.
Unhealthy foods can be addictive: •
Did you know that sugars and fats cause the same chemical reaction in the body as other addictive substances like alcohol and tobacco?
Our feelings can affect our healthy habits – how much we move and the foods we eat: •
A Healthier You | 26 | May 2014
Stress, depression, anxiety and mood disorders can cause us to eat without thinking about our health.
May 2014 | 27
| A Healthier You