This discussion is a continuation of the meetings held on November 26 and December 1 regarding the Healthy City Strategy. Natalie Godden, Manager of Family & Leisure Services and Bruce Knox, Healthy Communities Fieldworker presented on the Healthy City Strategy. A copy of this presentation is appended to the agenda.
At the meetings of November 26 and December 1, members were invited to review the discussion guide and provide edits for discussion. The changes requested by the Committee at the previous meetings were noted to have been made to the document under review and will be placed in the strategy before it is presented to Council.
Members continued their discussion with the following noteworthy points:
Healthy Neighbourhoods and People (continued from past discussion)
Supporting Asset: Access to Food Today
- Implementation strategies have been updated to reflect: Work with community partners to create environments that support healthy eating in all neighborhoods.
- Implementation strategies have been updated to reflect: Empower residents by strengthening food literacy to improve food and nutrition knowledge, skills, self-efficacy, and confidence.
- There should be a focus on the economic impact of food insecurity due to income insecurity. It was questioned if there could be a strategy put in place which will encourage engagement with local food banks for access to food.
- Another aspect of food security is the food chain because the supply chain is controlled by corporations and access is determined by weather. The Province can lose food supplies in four days. Snowmaggedon is an example of this. There should be review of how to address production and distribution of locally produced food and how to increase capacity.
- 1.16 should be updated to reflect community partners.
- Recommendations referring to culturally appropriate food within the sustainable food system were put forward from Eastern Health as well as Food First NL.
- It was recommended that waste recovery and a sustainable food system should be reviewed via Food First NL. Supporting innovation and entrepreneurship is part of the Economic Development Plan and groups such as that can garner support from the City for those types of initiatives.
Supporting Asset: Economic Wellness and Poverty Reduction
- 1.21 should be updated to include community partners.
- There should be a point added around innovations and incubators to help support individuals in entrepreneurial ventures that would empower people out of poverty. This item may also be brought forward to economic development to see how they would envision that taking place.
- There needs to be more recognition or implementation of the overarching and systemic nature of poverty and that all communities are affected. Further, how poverty is related to marginalized populations/communities/demographics and how to connect this strategy to show accountability.
- Social determinants of health are keeping people in poverty and need to be addressed.
- Economic Wellness and Poverty Reduction in the same sentence does not make sense as a title as they are two very different things. Reordering the title and corresponding points would be more linear.
Inclusion
Supporting Asset: Social Connections
- Goal was updated to include "abilities, and backgrounds"
- Bridging programming includes organizations to reintroduce and reintegrate people to community.
- Bridging programming should reflect the specific tailored needs of individuals and the different types of services needed to help integrate.
- Change wording to: Collaborate with community partners to support transitional, alternative, and bridging programming to connect people (with unique needs) to the community.
- Wording "unique needs" could be too limiting. Consideration should be made for the wording so as not to create barriers.
- People need to feel connected to their community. They should have access to their community through inclusive programs and services. People must build social connections through access to their community so there should be a social safety net for everyone.
- There should be collaboration with the IAC to put out activities, events, etc., to ensure that all communities have knowledge of events taking place.
- There should be interpreters available at more city events, services, programs in the community, community events, etc. to allow for equitable opportunities to participate in everyday events and activities of daily living.
- The asset name should be reviewed. It was suggested it be changed to "Social and Community Connections".
- There should be consultation with Network with Disability Organizations (ED Network) around this policy/document.
Supporting Asset: Diversity
- Include Sexism and 2SLGBTQ+ groups and individuals to make the City more inclusive for all sexualities and genders.
- There should be accountability of City officials and government to include diversity into City policy, not just at the community level.
- The City of St. John's and Eastern Health are acting as the two backbone organizations to support and drive the Healthy City Strategy. This will be based on a collective impact approach and there will be a steering committee for the Healthy City Strategy which will be comprised of various levels of government, members of City Council and the Mayor will be the co-chair. There are opportunities for different layers of accountability in driving this strategy forward.
Urban Design
Healthy City Asset: Getting Around & Accessibility
- The goal could be updated to reflect better language. Change wording of the goal to include the word accessible instead of healthy.
- Goal: A City where resident’s quality of life is improved through people-centric accessible design of streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces. The City is committed to equitable access and participation within the community.
- Include healthy built environments.
- Change the word "neighborhood" to "community" to broaden the scope of the goal.
- There should be a comprehensive narrative and conclusion to address the problem. There are issues with elevation problems and pedestrian pathways and accessibility in the snow which affect walkability and wheelability. To be proactive these things should be addressed at the planning stage. The word mobility should be added.
- A member from the Inclusion Advisory Committee is proposed to be on the steering committee.
- Zoning should be updated to reflect inclusion.
Transportation
Healthy City Asset: Active Transportation
- Update goal to include word "need" instead of "want" to reflect necessity. Goal: An efficient, active, and accessible transportation network that gets people where they need to go safely.
Healthy City Asset: Accessible Public Transportation
- The local configuration of our small City public transport system is of issue. There should be reimagining of how people get around.
- There is diversity in mobility within a multi-modal transportation system.
- Metrobus and the Transportation Commission are working on initiatives and innovative solutions for access.
- Some of the solutions may require collaboration outside of the City reach.
- Should look at ways to strengthen the language in this item. Use the word develop instead of support in 1.2: "Develop a coordinated sustainable, efficient, accessible public transportation system."
Members were invited to provide further comments via email to Natalie Godden.
Committee members concurred that further consultation is needed with the Inclusion Advisory Committee on the Healthy City Strategy. Members were advised that the draft will be brought back to the Committee for further review and comment.