BCAHL’s year in review and holiday wishes: 2024
2024 has been a whirlwind: with all its ups and downs, the year felt like it passed all too quickly.
Now more than ever, we’ve seen how important it is for all of us to have access to healthy living options wherever we are in the province. The price of essentials such as food and rent continued to increase this year, pushing more people to the edge. None of these should be out of reach for anyone.
BC Alliance for Healthy Living (BCAHL) has had a busy year: we’ve had the opportunity to share our active transportation and active play work through various conferences and training sessions, and we’ve had some of those projects highlighted in the media as well.
Ensuring that people across the province have access to healthy options and opportunities was our priority throughout this year. We are proud of the steps we have made in 2024, and we are looking forward to continuing our work in 2025.
Active Communities Grant Program
BCAHL ‘s Active Communities Grant Program invested $1.5M in 36 projects across BC to get more people moving with inclusive physical activity programs and environments.
A second stream of the grant was launched in partnership with the Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation Circle (ISPARC) to fund Indigenous-led projects and initiatives.
Several projects funded by this grant program have already launched, with some being highlighted in the local news, including a fitness park in Williams Lake and free swims and skates in Port Hardy.
The list of grantees can be found on our website. We are grateful to the Province of British Columbia for their partnership and financial support for Active Communities.
Active Transportation
Active transportation has many benefits: it can reduce traffic congestion, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and encourage communities to be physically active, which in turn helps prevent chronic diseases and foster mental wellness.
However, many people across British Columbia experience barriers that prevent them from using active transportation. In order to address these individual barriers, we developed the Communities Going Active Toolkit to support communities in promoting the use of active transportation infrastructure.
We promoted this toolkit during the BC Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA) 2024 Tradeshow and Conference, where we were able to share it with other community organizations and local governments.
We also hosted a webinar featuring projects funded by the Community Active Transportation Engagement (CATE) Project, where communities discussed the initiatives they launched to address active transportation barriers in their communities.
Active Play Club
We are excited about a new project we launched earlier this year: Active Play Club. The goal of this program is to provide a unique opportunity for elementary and middle school children to engage in unstructured play on their school grounds after classes are done for the day. Under light supervision of an adult, children are free to explore, create, and interact, fostering their physical, social, and emotional development.
The program is in its pilot phase and includes an Active Play Grant to assist with the initial setup and ongoing operations of the club for the pilot period.
To learn more about Active Play Club and the Active Play Grant, visit the program website.
Physical Activity in Extreme Weather
Heat and poor air quality continue to be a concern for many in the province, especially with how it affects our bodies and the way we move outdoors in the summer.
As well as the tragic consequences of wildfires and heat domes, these also impact regular activity that contributes to our health and wellness.
This is why we developed our Heat and Smoke Safety Guide, which is designed for coaches, recreation leaders and staff so they can plan ahead to protect and support their communities during inclement weather in the summer.
Healthy and Resilient BC
This fall was busy as British Columbians headed to the polls. Throughout the campaign season, BCAHL advocated for healthy and resilient communities, poverty reduction, supporting healthy food for all, and protecting our clean air and reducing youth vaping.
Now, a new cabinet has been sworn in and the government is once again ready, but our work is not finished: we will continue to meet with decision makers and government partners to ensure that every British Columbian can access healthy living opportunities wherever they may be in the province.
We hope your holiday season is filled with family, friends and joy. May 2025 be healthier and brighter.
