Peterborough Public Health Activates Heat Warning System

With summer quickly approaching and warmer temperatures imminent, Peterborough Public Health has activated its Heat Warning and Information System (HWIS) to advise residents of the best way to protect their health when temperatures soar.

Environment and Climate Change Canada will issue Heat Warnings 18 to 24 hours in advance of the heat event. Forecasters will assess if two or more consecutive days of weather that meet either the humidex or temperature criteria (daytime highs or nighttime lows) are expected in the region. If so, a Heat Warning will be issued.  Information about these warning levels is available on the Extreme Weather – Heat webpage under Environmental Hazards on www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca and outlined below.

The Ontario Heat Warning Protocol includes two warning levels:

Level 1: Heat Warning

A  Heat Warning is issued when two consecutive days are forecasted to have a daytime high temperature greater than or equal to 31C AND a nighttime temperature greater than or equal to 20C or a humidex greater than 40.  This level of reminds residents of the following core messages: to keep their home cool, stay out of the heat, keep the body cool and hydrated, assist others, and recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion.

Level 2: Extended Heat Warning

An Extended Heat Warning will be issued for a heat event lasting three or more days.  This level of warning reminds residents of the core messages above, in addition to providing details on how and where to stay cool, advising suspension of strenuous outdoor activities, reminders to assist vulnerable groups, and to watch for further information through the media and the Public Health website.

Extreme heat events are a potentially significant health risk and can have a severe impact on the health of vulnerable populations including infants, the elderly, shut-ins, persons with chronic diseases, the morbidly obese and the marginally housed.  Heat related illnesses such as dehydration, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are preventable.  Most healthy people can tolerate a short period of hot and humid weather as long as they stay cool and drink plenty of fluids. It is important to be aware that some medications may increase the health risks from extreme heat events.

Peterborough Public Health encourages all stakeholders to advise vulnerable clients of the heat advisory system and precautions they can take to prevent and manage heat related illness.

How to Protect Yourself During Hot Weather:

• Drink lots of water and natural fruit juices even if you don’t feel very thirsty. Avoid alcoholic beverages, coffee and cola.
• Avoid going out in the direct sun or heat when possible. If you must go outside, stay in the shade as much as possible and plan to go out early in the morning or evening when it is cooler.
• Go to air conditioned or cool places such as shopping malls, libraries, community centres or a friend’s place.
• If you don’t have air conditioning, keep shades or drapes drawn and blinds closed on the sunny side of your home, but keep windows slightly open.
• Wear loose fitting, light clothing and a wide brimmed hat.
• Keep lights off or turned down low.
• Take a cool bath or shower periodically or cool down with cool, wet towels.
• Avoid heavy meals and using your oven.
• Avoid intense or moderately intense physical activity.
• If you are taking medication or have a health condition, ask your doctor or pharmacist if it increases your health risk in the heat and follow their recommendations.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:

• heavy sweating
• muscle cramps
• weakness
• headache
• fainting
• paleness, tiredness
• dizziness, nausea

During heat warnings The City of Peterborough will be opening up extended hours, from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the One Roof Community Centre, located at 99 Brock Street.  Air conditioned public facilities are also available to city and county residents seeking a place to cool off, such as shopping malls, community centres, arenas and libraries.  Residents are advised to phone the cooling centres in advance to determine hours of operation.

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Wanda Tonus
Public Health Inspector
705-743-1000 ext. 285

Inspection Results and Online Course Registration Now Easier to Access

Today Peterborough Public Health (PPH) launched its new website in a move to make it easier for residents to access public health information and sign up for services. The web address remains the same at www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

“It’s very exciting to launch a new website designed in consultation with the community to help online visitors quickly find the information they need about public health programs and services,” said Brittany Cadence, Communications Manager. “We know that more than half of our visitors access our website from their phones and tablets, so one of the first things people will notice is how mobile-friendly it is.”

Ms. Cadence explained that thanks to a one-time grant from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, the Communications Team at PPH was able to completely overhaul the website in order to make it mobile-friendly, meet provincial accessibility standards and make it easier to connect with public health programs and services.

The new site features an “Inspections” link right on the home page where residents can quickly access the latest inspection and enforcement reports relating to food premises, tobacco retailers, drinking water advisories, public beaches and pools, and personal service settings (e.g. spas, tattoo parlours and tanning salons, etc.).  Residents can now also sign up online for Food Handler Courses as well, one of PPH’s most popular services that certifies approximately 1,200 people each year.

“We’re extremely grateful for the support of our local residents who not only posed for many of the amazing photos throughout the new site but provided valuable feedback through consultation sessions,” said Ms. Cadence, adding that it was imperative this new site effectively represented the entire population served by PPH which includes the County and City of Peterborough and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.

The new website, which also complies with the requirements of the Accessibility of Ontarians with Disabilities Act, was launched today to coincide with National AccessAbility Week which runs from May 27 to June 2, 2018.

Please enjoy the new website by visiting www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca.

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence, Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391

Local Residents Will Be Randomly Called As Part Of Provincial Phone Survey That Now Includes Peterborough Area

County and City residents will have an opportunity to voluntarily take part in a province-wide phone survey that, over time, will shed valuable light on the effectiveness of local public health programs.

Peterborough Public Health encourages local residents to participate in the Rapid Risk Factor Surveillance System (RRFSS).   Staff from York University’s Institute for Social Research will randomly call 100 people every month for the next 12 months, starting this month.  Information gathered from the phone surveys will be used to influence decisions about local programing and may also have the added effect of raising community awareness about important public health issues.

“This represents the first time Peterborough has ever been included in RRFSS.  Historically, most Ontario public health agencies have used this efficient and valued system to help plan programs and services,” explained Jane Hoffmeyer, Manager of Foundational Standards at Peterborough Public Health.  “We need to learn more about the beliefs and behaviours of local residents so that we can set priorities that are relevant to our communities.”

Ms. Hoffmeyer noted that the first round of questions will cover public health topics such as sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, tobacco use, cannabis health effects, general mental health and parenting. The survey is completely voluntary and all responses remain anonymous and confidential. Respondents can refuse to answer any questions if they are not comfortable.

Further information about the phone survey is available at www.rrfss.ca.

-30-

For further information, please contact:
Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 39

First in Series of InfoBriefs Released Today

Almost two-thirds of local workers are precariously employed.  This is just one result found from a survey on the status of employment and working conditions in the Peterborough area which included the City and County of Peterborough and Curve Lake and Hiawatha First Nations.

In the fall of 2016, 800 residents were contacted by phone and asked a series of questions related to their employment.  Over the course of the last 16 months, the Precarious Employment Research Initiative (PERI) has been creating eight InfoBriefs on a variety of topics including: 1) an overview; 2) employment security; 3) working conditions; 4) employment and health; 5) employment and work stress; 6) employment precarity, income and household wellbeing; 7) employment precarity, income and children, and; 8) employment precarity, income and community participation.  These InfoBriefs will be released over the next two months.

Today, PERI released InfoBrief #1: An Overview which can be found at: www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/PERI.

This work is supported by the Precarious Employment Research Initiative (PERI).  The goal is to identify how employment and working conditions are impacting the economic, social, physical and mental health of workers and their communities in the Peterborough Area.  The InfoBriefs are meant to be used to start conversations in our community, to help inform planning and development of programs and services, and to help shape public policies.

PERI is a collaborative project among many community partners interested in better understanding the employment and working conditions of workers in our community.  This project was initiated by Peterborough Public Health and expanded to include City of Peterborough, Peterborough and District Labour Council, Literacy Ontario Central South, Peterborough Workers’ Action Centre, Trent Community Research Centre, United Way of Peterborough, Workforce Development Board and Trent University psychology professor and researcher, Dr. Fergal O’Hagan with support from the Poverty and Employment Precarity in Southern Ontario (PEPSO) research project.

-30-

For further information about PERI:                                  To talk about the statistics:

Monique Beneteau, Health Promoter, PPH                                    Dr. Fergal O’Hagan, Trent University

705-743-1003 ext. 309                                                                         705-748-1011 ext. 7086

mbeneteau@peterboroughpublichealth.ca                                      fergalohagan@trentu.ca

Early Development Instrument – Presentation

Caren Thayer, Data Analysis Coordinator with the Social Services division of the City of Peterborough presented on the Early Development Instrument (EDI) as a tool to assess the early childhood environment in our communities. The EDI is a teacher-completed survey that measures students’ readiness to learn in school in five domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication skills and general knowledge. It is not a diagnostic tool to evaluate individual students’ performance; it is instead a tool to help inform planning, inspire small changes for large numbers of children, and create better population-wide outcomes. The EDI is an internationally-recognized tool completed across Ontario every three years by the Ministry of Education and other partners. The first six years of children’s lives are very important in preparing them for future success. Research shows that vulnerability in the early years can lead to academic failure, poverty, mental health issues, behavioural problems, criminality, obesity, and a multitude of other poor health outcomes. The latest report (September 2017) represents 1,200 kindergarten students from the County and City of Peterborough. Results on the EDI are mapped out according to the child’s address. The report found that 35.3% of Peterborough children start school vulnerable in one or more areas that are critical to their healthy development, and that local vulnerability is increasing over time. The Ministry of Education is conducting an “Early Years Experiences” survey for Kindergarten students in both boards of education to help understand the root causes of these vulnerabilities. Ms. Thayer noted that getting children outdoors helps improve every single domain. Please see pages 6-24 of the May 9, 2018 Board of Health meeting package for more information about this report.

Ontario Public Health Standards – New Healthy Growth & Development and School Health Standards

Program Managers Hallie Atter and Patti Fitzgerald provided an overview of these two modernized standards introduced by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care (MOHLTC) on January 1, 2018. There are new requirements in these standards, such as vision screening and numerous topic areas for consideration based on community need like concussion prevention, mental health promotion, etc. In addition to these new areas, work will continue in the domains of reproductive health, Healthy Babies Healthy Children, sexual health, and oral health. Planning is underway to strategically develop public health interventions that strive to achieve enhanced and equitable health outcomes. Each program will be based on evidence, carefully monitored and delivered using best practices by various teams.

2018 Budget Update

Larry Stinson, Director of Operations reported to the Board that MOHLTC approval was received on May 8 for the 2018 budget. The approval included a 2% increase in the cost-shared portion of the budget, amounting to an increased provincial contribution of $115,900. The Board gave direction to staff to seek the local share from the City of Peterborough, County of Peterborough, Curve Lake First Nation and Hiawatha First Nation. With the local contribution, the total increase over the 2017 budget will be $154,420. The Board was also informed about 100% MOHLTC one-time funding totalling $98,300 for four projects.

The Board approved the recommendation from the Stewardship Committee that the Board direct staff to approach local funding partners with planned increases in funding for the 2019-2021 fiscal years. This increase is required to shift the local/provincial cost-funding formula from 25%/75% to 30%/70% respectively as one component of a three-prong strategy to achieve sustainable funding and service levels if provincial funding continues to fall short of the actual projected requirements. The other two components of the strategy include a focus on ensuring that annual provincial grants for both cost-shared and 100% provincially-funded programs continue to keep pace with the true costs and the judicious use of existing reserves to offset shortfalls.

Board of Health 130th Anniversary Planning

The Board discussed how honouring its 130th anniversary could support broader strategic planning efforts and raise the profile of local public health’s role in protecting the health of the community. On February 18, 1889 the Town of Peterborough passed a by-law creating the Board of Health for the community. There are records of Board of Health meetings taking place in the City of Peterborough dating back to 1891. Next year, February 18, 2019 will mark the 130th anniversary. Celebrating the 130th anniversary of the Board of Health will provide an opportunity to raise the profile of the Board and showcase its history of service to local communities and the contributions of the various public health disciplines. It could be used as a theme during the year, emphasizing the longevity and local flavour of public health practice. Finally, it could help strengthen the Board’s argument for increased and sustainable provincial and municipal funding for local public health. This was approved by the Board.

Board of Health Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Week

Board member Kerri Davies provided fellow members with a green ribbon in honour of Mental Health Week. The goal of this campaign is to create a thriving and inclusive community, free from stigma by protecting, celebrating and promoting mental health.

Next meeting:

The next meeting will take place on Wednesday, June 13, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. in the Curve Lake Health Centre / Oshkiigmong MnoBmaadziwin Gamiing, located at 38 Whetung Street East, Curve Lake First Nation.

All Welcome to Attend – Doors Open at 6 p.m.

The media and members of the community are invited to attend a provincial All-Candidates’ Meeting for the Peterborough-Kawartha riding on Monday, May 14 to discuss health and social issues.

All locally registered candidates who are running for provincial election have been invited to participate. The meeting will be moderated by Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, Medical Officer of Health for Peterborough Public Health.

Doors open at 6:00 p.m. and this free event takes place from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Peterborough Public Health, second floor, located at 185 King St., Peterborough. Free parking is available across the road in the King St. parkade.  This event is wheelchair accessible and hearing assistive devices are available upon request.

This nonpartisan event has been organized by several community partners, including the Nourish Project, Peterborough Public Health, the Council of Canadians, Peterborough & District Labour Council, Youth Political Activist Coalition, Peterborough Health Coalition, and Peterborough Healthcare Providers Against Poverty.

More information is available at https://nourishproject.ca/events.

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
|705-743-1000, ext. 391

Health promotion is a non-partisan issue that affects everyone in Ontario

Today more than 200 Queen Elizabeth Public School students joined Mayor Daryl Bennett as he declared the weeks of April 30-May 13 “Screen Free Weeks” in the City of Peterborough.

“Encouraging kids to unplug electronics and engage in more physical and social activities will help improve their overall physical and emotional health and well-being,” said Mayor Bennett. “Putting down the phone, turning off the TV, and being more active is an important message for all of us.”

In honour of Screen Free Week, the school held a special “Loose Parts Play Day” to encourage healthy and active living as part of their curriculum and daily lives. “This year we expanded the day to include the entire school,” said Julie Hoit, Principal of Queen Elizabeth Public School. “We see positive benefits in the students’ mental and physical well-being after being outside and playing all day.”

Joining in the fun was Diane Lloyd, Chair of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. “Today’s event is designed to inspire parents and caregivers and their children to replace non-educational screen time with outdoor play and other healthy activities such as screen free family meals, reading, dancing and gardening,” she said.

Screen Free Weeks are all part of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge, a province wide initiative focusing on healthy eating, healthy hydration, physical activity and reducing screen time. It is coordinated by the City of Peterborough and Peterborough Public Health.

Healthy Kids Community Challenge’s current theme, “Power Off and Play!” promotes the benefits of reduced screen time for children and encourages kids and families to build a balanced day by replacing screen time with more physical activity. For the next few months, community wide programs and resources will be promoting powering off before sleep, during meal and snack time, and encouraging physical activity, social interaction, and fun and educational activity options for children.

“The goal of this program is to create communities where it is easy for children to lead healthier, active lives,” says Healthy Kids Community Challenge Coordinator, Claire Townshend. “Children are encouraged to stay within the recommended screen time guidelines, power off devices at least one hour before bed, and eat meals and snacks away from their devices.”

To learn more about Healthy Kids Community Challenge, please visit www.healthykidsptbo.ca or follow @HKCCPtbo on Twitter and Facebook.

QUICK FACTS

• Research shows too much screen time for children can have negative outcomes for early development, physical and psychological health, and can interfere with important daily routines, making it difficult for children to stay healthy.
• Healthy Kids Community Challenge Peterborough is among 45 communities selected to take part in the Healthy Kids Community Challenge province wide.
• The Canadian Society for Exercise and the Canadian Pediatric Society’s recommended screen time limits are:
  • Under 2 years of age – no screen time
  • 2-4 years – less than 1 hour per day
  • 5-17 years – no more than 2 hours of recreational screen time per day

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Claire Townshend, BHSc, MPH

Healthy Kids Community Challenge Project Coordinator

705-743-1000, ext. 355

ctownshend@peterboroughpublichealth.ca

Location: J.K. Edwards Board Room, Peterborough Public Health,

Jackson Square, 185 King St., Third Floor

Media and the community are advised that the next Board of Health meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 9, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

To download the agenda and the online board package, please visit:

http://www.peterboroughpublichealth.ca/about-us/about-us-2/board-of-health/meeting-agendas

This meeting is open to the community and members of the media.  Guests are asked to use the buzzer located on the wall to the right of the main front doors to alert Peterborough Public Health staff when they arrive.  The board room is located on the third floor of Jackson Square, 185 King St. Free parking is available after 6 p.m. on the street or across the road at the King St. Parkade.

-30-

For further information, please contact:

Brittany Cadence
Communications Manager
705-743-1000, ext. 391