Communities ChooseWell

‼️FREE Webinar💚

June is National Indigenous History Month and Pride Month, and what better time to learn about the intersection of these two topics than with the launch of ARPA's new Two-Spirit Toolkit!

For the launch, we are honoured to host this webinar featuring Kôhkom Kathy Hamelin and Remy Boudreau, who will share teachings about Two-Spirit people from a Cree context, and from their own ties to Two-Spirit communities in ᐊᒥᐢᑿᒌᐚᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ amiskwacîwâskahikan ("Edmonton"), Treaty 6, and beyond.

Register for this free webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_QauacAzCRXaiwRjG4YecqQ #/

💭Imagine if… you saw a gardening initiative that’s about more than providing fresh produce and food security.

On a summer day in Fort McKay, children and youth gather around cedar garden beds, eagerly pointing out peeks of green poking through the soil.

The prospect of fresh produce is particularly exciting to residents of the rural community in Northern Alberta, where the nearest fresh fruits and vegetables are typically a 45 minute drive away in Fort McMurray.

Read the full story: https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/planting-healthy-patterns/

The success of any initiative is that the momentum builds and takes over. The story of the ChooseWell program in Lacombe shows that momentum must be built on the solid base of the 3 Ps – partnership, perseverance and perspective.

Sonya Beauclair has been Recreation and Culture Assistant Lacombe for the past 7 years. She understands the marketing adage of the Rule of Seven, that a prospective buyer has to hear or see a marketing message 7 times before they will buy. Even so, sometimes the desired results take a long time.

Read the full story: https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/1944/

💭Imagine if… You discovered a love for ballet but witnessed how the ballet space wasn’t always welcoming for diverse folks.

“Growing up in Venezuela, Serenella discovered her love for ballet but as she grew, she witnessed how the ballet space wasn’t always welcoming for diverse folks. So she created Ballet Bodies YYC – a non-profit organization that offers dancers a safe and welcoming space that celebrates diversity.”

Read the full story: https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/every-body-is-a-ballet-body/

💭Imagine if… You created a charity that makes opportunities for people living with disabilities to experience outdoor recreation.

Adaptable Outdoors, a Pincher Creek-based charity, uses adaptive equipment and volunteer help to provide hiking, paddling and fishing adventures to people with disabilities.

A Communities ChooseWell participant, Adaptable received a Healthy Community Grant to fund a summer program coordinator, helping the non-profit deliver outdoor experiences to more people.

“When people succeed or try something new, whether that be reaching a destination or goal it , builds confidence and helps them try more things; and not be afraid to fail,” says Steve, Adaptable’s executive director. “It can be life-changing.”

Read more:
https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/theres-always-a-way-adaptable-outdoors-is-carving-the-trail-to-recreation-adventures-for-people-with-disabilities/

💭 Imagine if policies made the healthy choice the easy choice.

Policy and strategies are important tools and guides for action that organizations can use to help shape the settings in which we live, work and grow, as well as sustain promising community practices over time.

Explore the Policy Pillar of our FREE Healthy Communities Framework!

https://communitieschoosewell.ca/healthy-communities-framework/

💭Imagine If... there was a youth program that encourages wellbeing from a physical and mental perspective, but also a spiritual and ceremonial one.

What does it mean to be well? Often, things like fitness, nutritious food and mental health come to mind. And for those who run the Iiyika’kimaat youth program at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary (BGCC), wellness is all of those things...and more.

“As Indigenous people, spirituality is the crux of who we are, and for many years that piece has been denied to us by policy and legislation,” she explains. “So when someone gets to experience that ceremonial and spiritual component, through an outing or learning a new skill, there’s a sense of accomplishment that they can really understand who they are.” - Christy Morgan, director of Indigenous Initiatives with the BGCC

Read full story:
https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/the-iiyikakimaat-program-a-place-to-be-brave/

The recreation and sport sector has an important role to play in advancing reconciliation.

By exploring the history, present day experiences, and future opportunities through our new eModule (developed in partnership with ), learners will leave with an understanding of how to be inclusive, equitable, and respectful of Indigenous Peoples within recreation and sport.

Take this new FREE eModule: https://communitieschoosewell.ca/learning-connecting/ecourses/equity-diversity-and-inclusion-ecourse/

💭 Imagine if you had a roadmap for healthy eating and active living in your community.

We're excited to tell you that it's possible. Explore the FREE Online Healthy Communities Framework.

https://communitieschoosewell.ca/healthy-communities-framework/

💭Imagine if… you saw a need and rolled up your sleeves to bring it to life in your town.

Makaylah Rogers – a long time resident of Canmore – felt and saw a strong need for more mental health support and community building for other residents of the Bow Valley.

To address this gap, they started a company with their wife, but the nature of their solution might surprise some. They created Frankie D’s Donuts.

With Communities ChooseWell, communities use the Healthy Communities Framework to plan inclusive spaces, learn from peers, and access funding to make it real.

Read full story: https://communitieschoosewell.ca/story/healing-hearts-and-minds-one-donut-at-a-time/