About 400 Nova Scotians are attending the first Thrive! Summit today, Sept. 22 and Tuesday, Sept. 23, to help create healthier communities across the province.
Participants include representatives from municipalities, health care, child care, education, sport and recreation, agriculture, and many other fields.
“We’ve made great progress in the first two years of the Thrive! strategy for a healthier Nova Scotia,” said Health and Wellness Minister Leo Glavine. “The summit is an opportunity for community leaders to celebrate that success, and learn from experts and each other about how to create supportive environments for physical activity and healthy eating across the province.”
Speakers, panelists and facilitators at the summit will have discussions with participants about healthy public policy and ways to create environments that help Nova Scotians be more physically active and have healthier diets.
Highlights include:
— keynote address by Dr. Trevor Hancock, professor and senior scholar, School of Public Health and Social Policy at University of Victoria
— keynote address by Brenda Zimmerman, associate professor of strategic management, Schulich School of Business at York University
— presentations on work by community groups that support Thrive!
Laura Emery is CEO of the Eastern Counties Regional Library, which is welcoming area residents to help plant vegetable gardens at libraries through its Living Library project.
“Public libraries are an important source of health information. For example, someone might get some kale from one of our gardens and borrow a cookbook to learn how to prepare it,” said Ms. Emery. “The Thrive! summit is an opportunity for us to share the role of libraries in public health with the wider health community.”
A report highlighting progress in the first two years of Thrive! was released at the summit. Highlights include food policies, sustainable transportation, after-school physical activity programs, breastfeeding support and more.
More information is available at thrive.novascotia.ca .
Source: Release