Leading a healthy lifestyle is not an easy feat without a community effort to help reduce the barriers that prevent daily physical activity, eating a healthy diet and overall wellness. 

Over the past five years, Healthy Alberta Communities has helped to start projects that address obstacles to health and wellness in four Alberta communities. Here is a closer look at some of the model projects that incorporated strategies for sustainable health promotion interventions.

In Bonnyville, “Moms in Motion” is a project that promotes exercise and provides wellness advice to single mothers of lower socio-economic status. When asked what prevents them from participating in regular physical activities, the mothers spoke about the need to look after their children while they exercise.

Responding to their concerns, “Moms in Motion” has introduced an exercise option that includes free use of jogging-strollers specially purchased by Healthy Alberta Communities. Two eight-week sessions with a professional instructor were organized at the local fitness centre. In addition to being able to be active with their children, moms were provided with advice on nutrition and wellness.  “Moms in Motion” has served as an opportunity for the growth of relationships among mothers who are willing to continue their group exercise in the future.  The jogging strollers are also available for other parents in the community.

In Edmonton’s Norwood Community an initiative called the “Good Food Project” is all about eating healthier and eating locally.

Throughout the summer 2009, boxes of fresh, locally produced vegetables were delivered to over 230 customers in Edmonton, making eating healthier was made easier and full of variety.  The customers were also given access to an online newsletter that spotlighted local farmers and included recipes on how to prepare the unique varieties of vegetables.

Tatjana Alvadj, project coordinator of Healthy Alberta Communities, says that the Good Food Project was built as a social enterprise business model that also included delivery of fresh, locally produced vegetables to low income families in the Norwood area at significantly reduced, affordable price. The project sparked such interest that there are plans for expansion in 2010 and beyond to serve more families.

Another direction is taken to promote sustainable opportunities for healthy living in Medicine Hat with the Coalition for Active and Alternative Transportation (CAAT).

Doug Weber, who serves as the CAAT coordinator, sums up the CAAT project as an opportunity to “work with city development planners, the public, and elected officials to bring awareness, support and change for the use of active and alternative forms of transportation.” There has been a drive to promote the use of leisure bike/walk trails, include cycle lanes on commuter routes as well as improve the transit system. For ongoing use of active and alternative forms of transportation, CAAT is working to educate the community, address safety concerns and ensure that alternate forms of transportation are made more accessible.

St. Paul is also a community that works with Healthy Alberta Communities to promote an overall “safe, clean and healthy sustainable environment” through a project called “Champions for Change”. This project focuses on developing a vision that can be reached and maintained well into the future.

Beautification of the St. Paul community, improved walkability within the town, and attention towards children and youth form a large part of the vision for the future.

It takes a wide scope of community members, government policy makers, businesses and numerous organizations to form a healthy community. All four communities, Bonnyville, Edmonton/Norwood, Medicine Hat and St. Paul, were successful in developing sustainable programs that help make the healthy choice the easier choice for their citizens.  

These programs focus on both the present and future to ensure that opportunities to enhance healthy living are equally available, accessible and affordable for all.