Featured Initiatives
Doctors Nova Scotia has always encouraged physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices to its staff, physician members and the general public. Being healthy starts long before a visit to the doctors’ office and that’s why Doctors Nova Scotia invests in preventive programs to help Nova Scotians to eat healthy and get active.
But that mentality began within the organization. Members of Doctors Nova Scotia and the executive team on staff implemented programs and incentives to help facilitate the desire to lead a healthy active life.
Doctors Nova Scotia staff receive paid gym memberships as part of their comprehensive benefits package with the association. To help encourage its use, the association offers an hour and a half paid lunch break for staff who choose to use their break participating in physically active behavior whether it’s a walk, jog, visit to the gym, or private fitness classes.
Each year, Doctors Nova Scotia participates in Take the Roof Off Winter and staff join together and participate in a Winter Walk Day.
The association often provides lunch and learns related to health and fitness to help educate staff as well as provides on-site fitness programs.
Doctors Nova Scotia provides opportunities for members to be physically active at association events such as the Doctors Nova Scotia Annual Meeting and volunteering with the Kids’ Run Club and the Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run at the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon.
Doctors Nova Scotia invests in many programs to help Nova Scotians to eat healthy and get active including the Kids’ Run Club, Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run at the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon, Sport Nova Scotia sponsorship, Nova Scotia School Athletic Federation (NSSAF) partnership, sponsoring the Youth Run at the Cape Breton Fiddlers Run and other fun runs across the province, and developing the Doctors Nova Scotia Strive Award. This $5,000 award is given annually to a community group making innovative and strategic decisions about promoting healthy lifestyle choices.
There is also the Healthy Living Challenge (HLC) which was first introduced as part Doctors Nova Scotia’s free, school-based running club to assist coaches in addressing healthy lifestyles. The five-day challenge encourages participants to be active, eat well and reduce screen time.
The impact has been tremendous. The majority of staff participate in healthy living and physical activity programs as mentioned above. There have been remarkable positive impacts to the culture, productivity and overall health of staff. Our public programs continue to see growth in participation. In 2011, over 15,500 kids participated in the Kids’ Run club, over 3,000 youth participated in the Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run at the Scotiabank Blue Nose Marathon, 1,400 youth participated in the Doctors Nova Scotia Youth Run at the Cape Breton Fiddlers Run and over 40 nominations were submitted for the inaugural Strive Award. Our ten year partnership with Sport Nova Scotia and many others have positively impacted the health and physical activity levels of hundreds of thousands of youth in Nova Scotia.
Finding a cure for cancer! It all started in the United States in 1988 when Bruce Cleland of Rye, New York formed a team that raised funds and trained to run the New York City Marathon in honour of Cleland's daughter Georgia, a leukemia survivor. The team of 38 runners raised $322,000. Because of the pioneering efforts of Cleland and the Westchester/Hudson Valley Chapter of LLS, Team In Training was born and has grown into the world's largest endurance sports training program. Cleland was honoured by Runner's World magazine in 2004 as one of their "Heroes of Running" for his role in establishing TNT.
Most of our participants have no prior experience in endurance events. We take them from scratch and turn them into athletes! As a result, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a whole has trained over 550,000 people to complete an endurance event. These people have raised over 1.2 billion dollars in the fight against blood cancers!
i.e. Majority of our staff are administrative and spend a great deal of time sitting. By late afternoon energy and productivity are lower. Success i.e. Lead by example. Our executive staff try to move more, daily so that front line staff feel they are supported to take short activity breaks.
i.e. Staff are more energetic and have said they have been able to get more done in the afternoons without reaching for that second or third cup of coffee.
The physical fitness of our employees is directly linked to their health and productivity. An inverstment in their health is simply an investment in our company and in our community.
We have developed the "Action Program" which rewards individuals for participation in a range of activities and competitions. Points are accumulated which can be converted into health related equipment, clothing or memberships.
In the first year, nearly one third of our staff have registered and participated. Team events/competitions appear to have had a positive effect on engagement.
As a part of the Audio Visual Production team for the Stepping Up launch I became increasingly aware of the health crisis and issue we face as a population. I found the statistics startling and in many cases embarrassing for HRM. I have come to realize that the cost of doing nothing is greater than the cost of doing something, so I am doing something.
Our organization has committed to an effort called, "Four floors or more." Which permits us to only use elevators when going more up or down four floors or more. The only exception is when we are carting a few hundred pounds of equipment. I am proud to say that this effort has carried into my private life as well and have had only 1 occasion in the past 3 years where the goal was broken. (My daughter really had to go to the bathroom in the Superstore.)
Since I am not the 'gym type', I have personally chosen another simple objective. I walk around my office whenever I am on the phone. There is a reason phones have no cords and every step counts toward better health.
In most organizations successful healthy workplace efforts are translated into dollars and sick leave. I am self employed so my measures are not the same, but I can tell you this, over the past 3 years I haven't had more than 2 days that I could not work.
Crichton Park Critters was created to fill a need for children to enjoy soccer in a non-competitive environment close to home. Crichton Park Critters, is by design, a low cost community gathering where friendship can be made and fostered. Parents and children have the opportunity to socialize while watching or participating in the game. It provides children aged 2 to 6 years the opportunity to join a local soccer team that, for a nominal fee, meets on a weekly basis for one hour. The time and location were chosen to ensure convenience for young families in the area. Coaches and organizers are parents who volunteer and correspond with families via weekly emails.
The impact on the local community has been seen in the development of friendship for both the children and their parents. The children are given the opportunity to foster teamwork and develp skills of sportsmanship, and possibly a little bit of soccer! Chrichton Park Critters also allows children the ability to participate who may not otherwise be able to due to financial restraints. Parents who are unable to pay teh fee are fully subsidized by the team. In lieu of gifts for coaches or end of year party, funds remaining are donated to KidSport so that other kids can benefit from our soccer league as well.
The Dartmouth Lakers Basketball Club prides themselves not only in providing an opportunity for youth to learn and play the sport, but also supports positive personal development by teaching “life skills through basketball”. Our September, 2011, registration night was the most successful to date with 285 athletes (ages 5 to 19), signing up for the upcoming season.
Athletes in The Dartmouth Lakers Basketball club have a real sense of pride in being a "Laker". They have fun playing competitive basketball in a divison that fits their skill level, are respected as individuals and encourages growth in life skills.
The collaborative Walk Halifax project is designed to encourage Halifax community members working and living in downtown Halifax to get out and learn something new about the city while walking.
The overall goal of these walks is to reduce stress, increase physical activity, and foster a sense of belonging in our community. From our home page at walkhalifax.ca, we will offer and host a walk each week over the lunch hour, starting on September 21st and running until the end of October. Please join us also at the Walk Halifax launch party, 12 noon on September 14th at The Hub Halifax (1673 Barrington St.). All are welcome.
Still in process of learning about this.
At The Berkeley the health and wellness of our staff and residents is top priority. Working together to ensure we all stay active just makes sense. In the end, it'll keep us all energized, positive and happy!
The pedometer challenge is a competition with prizes so it brings out the competitor in everyone, even if it is only a personal challenge. It boosts morale and gets everyone inspired. During these challenges there is always a buzz. You can hear people chatting about going for walks together, taking the stairs instead of the elevators, and finding out what others did to get so many steps. There is always one person who is blowing everyone away with their totals so it is fun to hear how they are making such great progress. It definitely changes the dynamic in the staff room!
Since its founding in 1933, the strength of the Junior League of Halifax has been its ability to identify a community problem and then develop, implement and staff programmes that directly serve the community's need to correct it. The Junior League of Halifax's current community focus is to stop the prevalence of childhood obesity by addressing the associated risk factors. The latest project: Kickstart for Health, launched March 2011 in partnership with the Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club. The initiative was a 10-week running programme designed to train kids aged eight to 12 to run in the Benny Bulldog 5K Run in Dartmouth's Shubie Park in May.
Due to the success of the Kickstart for Health, the East Dartmouth Boys and Girls Club has asked the Junior League to return in Autumn 2011 to lead another running program. The Boys and Girls Club indicated that they are so pleased with the program that they are considering incorporating it into their regular programming.
The Canadian Diabetes Association is a non-profit organization. Our mission is to lead the fight against diabetes by helping people with diabetes live healthy lives while we work to find a cure. We deliver our mission by providing people with diabetes and healthcare professionals with education and services, advocating on behalf of people with diabetes, supporting research and translating research into practical applications.
Currently, the CDA has provided internal postings of trails surrounding the organization for employee encouragement. Weekly activity challenges, nutritional information related to physical activity and ways to incorporate exercise daily are posted through the office Health and Wellness board. ‘Lunch and Learn’ presentations will take place throughout the summer months to encourage physical activity, education and fun! A Summer Health and Wellness Newsletter is also created and sent out to employees including tips and strategies to ‘Step up’ during those summer months! Our walk, bike or run support group is also on the move for the summer months.
Free public health education events take place throughout different communities in Nova Scotia to encourage healthy living and diabetes education. Consumer literature including tips for physical activity and nutrition are always available at these sessions, and our location in Bayer’s lake. The youth camps will take place during the summer months as well as ‘Walk, or Run for Diabetes on August 25th, 2011.
Mission
The YMCA is a charity dedicated to the growth of all persons in spirit, mind and body, and to their sense of responsibility to each other and the global community.
The YMCA plans to support Stepping Up by:
- Signing the declaration of Leadership Commitment to a Physically Active Halifax region
- Promote the inclusion of physical activity in special events
- Identify and promote physical activity opportunities that do not require registration, advanced skills or other commitments (e.g. drop in programs, neighborhood pick up games)
- Identify and promote outdoor opportunities for active play
- Conduct an audit of physical activity opportunities and share with others
- Encourage day care/child care centres to adopt policies concerning their commitment to and provision of physical activities
- Develop a system that links physically inactive patients to sport, recreation and physical activity programs in the community
- Identify and disseminate tools and resources to workplaces that promote physical activity
- Support land use planning policies and design guidelines that encourage physical activity
- Share best practices and highlight success stories
GreenGym Proud to manufacture our outdoor fitness equipment locally in Dartmouth, NS Canada
Pioneering as the first company to sell outdoor fitness equipment in Canada
The most experienced in Canada when it comes to outdoor fitness equipment
Leading the way in developing new safety standards for outdoor fitness equipment
Flexible by offering our customers choice in colours and packages
Serving you with a solid commitment to customer satisfaction
Our new FitCity project.
GreenGym and several other health related organizations partners are in the initial stages of executing a large scale project in order to make HRM the most active City in Canada by installing 30-40 outdoor fitness parks in neighborhoods across the HRM. The goal of the project is to provide Haligonians free access to fitness parks within walking distance for their homes. The impact of this project will catapult HRM into the forefront of the fight in Canada against obesity and in-activity.
With the never ending media reports on increasing obesity rates and its direct effect on Canadian health this project has the potential to garner a tremendous amount of local and national media attention. We also would like to look at this as a pilot project and if successful to duplicate it to other Canadian Municipalities. As a leading Canadian corporation based in NS with a mission to support the well being of families and children - including health & wellness, we see your corporation as a great fit for this project at its first stage and maybe later on, on a national scale.
We bring forward the voice of the FUSION membership to enhance discussions happening through all sectors and industries of Halifax, ensuring that the next generation of leaders is being heard. From physical health and nutrition to mental health and well-being, our team is at the helm of positive change.
How are you stepping up?* What are the new initiatives, projects, or activities you have planned? Remember, stepping up is going beyond business as usual!
All our team's initiatives are new this year! The two above are our first ventures, with more to come this year...
Dalhousie University, one of Canada’s leading universities, is widely recognized for outstanding academic quality and teaching, and a broad range of educational and research opportunities. Located in vibrant Halifax, Nova Scotia since 1818, Dalhousie attracts students from around the world. The university inspires students, faculty, staff and graduates to make significant contributions to our region, Canada and the world.
Dalhousie recognizes and appreciates its role as an involved community partner. The university forms partnerships with the Halifax Regional Municipality and other organizations to foster positive community results.
In January 2011, the university will begin filming short videos of leaders within the organization who exemplify an active lifestyle. Some bike, walk, or run to work, others swim every morning or skate at lunch time. These videos will be used internally to build employee engagement, but will also be available on YouTube.
Outdoor fitness program for women. We use a holistic approach to fitness, and lifestyle changes. Focusing on "How to Beat the Success Barriers". NEW starting fall 2010- Older Adults Camp - Women 50 - 70 years, focusing on issues of this age group.
My new initiative to stepping up is to design a bootcamp for women ages 55- 70 years of age. Addressing their issues affecting them now! Arthritis, lack of previous exercises..weight issues, hormonal issues.. Areas to be assessed, % body fat, lean body mass / fat mass, hydration, and nutritional recommendations.
The Dartmouth Community Health Board is a group of dedicated volunteers with a genuine interest in the health of our community. Our goal is to gain a deeper understanding of community and its health needs. We actively seek community input on health issues and partner with Capital Health and community organizations to address the issues raised.
Stay tuned for the next Dartmouth Walking Challenge....
The IWK Health Centre provides quality care to women, children, youth and families in the Maritimes and beyond. In addition to providing highly specialized (tertiary) care, the IWK also provides primary care services. The IWK is engaged in leading-edge research; works to promote healthy lifestyles for families; and supports education opportunities for health professionals and other learners.
As the IWK Health Centre works to further "step up" as a champion of physical activity, we are continuing to reach out to the many groups across the Health Centre already busy working to make physical activity the easy choice in their own ways (through yoga classes at work, internal walking routes, and more). We hope to build on these efforts across the Health Centre to provide a more coordinated and more accessible program of physical activity offerings an initiative we will call Move internally. Examples of programs being built on or newly created include: an IWK Active Commuters for Health group promoting active transportation to staff and exploring a bike share program; and a new IWK running group including a mentorship component.
The Halifax Regional Municipality
We will be launching the second edition of Get Out Check It Out - Walk, Hike, Bike HRM in Fall 2010!!
Heritage Gas Limited is a Nova Scotia-based company formed for the purpose of operating a full regulation class natural gas distribution franchise for Nova Scotia.
In 2011 we hope to offer employees incentives to encourage them to participate in fitness/wellness actvities outside of work.
The Halifax Regional School Board was created in 1996 by the ammalgamation of three individual boards that operated schools in Halifax, Dartmouth, Bedford and Halifax County. Serving approximately 52,000 students, in 137 schools, and approximately 7000 staff, we are the largest school board in Atlantic Canada.
Using the Heart & Stroke Foundations walkaboutns.ca website, we launched a staff pedometer challenge in schools across HRSB in the month of February. We plan to build on this in 2010 - 2011. Also launching in September will be the 'Get Out Check It Out' School Challenge, in Partnership with the Halifax Regional Municipality. Stay tuned for more information.
Capital Health is Nova Scotia's largest provider of health services. We operate hospitals, health centres and community-based programs throughout HRM and the western part of Hants County.
We are planning to create a multi-departmental committee within Capital Health to further explore how we can Step Up. Initial ideas include developing a series of physical activity messages for a full calendar year.
