File photo of a Town of Coaldale sign (Lethbridge News Now)

By Justin Goulet

Healthy Communities initiative in Coaldale gaining momentum

Dec 7, 2021 | 10:57 AM

COALDALE, AB – Coaldale’s Healthy Communities Strategic Plan has received the thumbs up from Town Council.

This means more engagement with the public and projects are expected to come forward to improve the overall health of the community. Early this year, the town began a partnership with Alberta Health Services (AHS) in the Healthy Communities by Design program.

READ MORE: Coaldale joins AHS on Healthy Communities by Design pilot

Since then, staff have formed and facilitated conversations with the local Healthy Communities Working Group to assess six health-related areas of focus. Those areas are:

• Physical activity
• Healthy eating
• Alcohol consumption
• Tobacco consumption
• UV protection
• Cancer screening

Week-in-review: Federal Budget, water agreements and success for tourism industry

Apr 20, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this weekend: April 19, 2024

Apr 19, 2024

What's Happening in Lethbridge this week: April 15, 2024

Apr 15, 2024

Spencer Croil, Coaldale’s Director of Planning and Development said following the initial stage of engagement with Working Group members, healthy eating and cancer screening were identified as the top two areas where further action was needed.

“Based on these observations, we proposed the Healthy Communities Strategic Plan as an ongoing commitment to our initiative and continued focus on health promotion in physical, social, economic and political environments.”

Once finished, the plan will outline the resources and actions needed to develop strategies in the six health-related focus areas.

Croil said, “the Strategic Plan will allow us to weave health-focused initiatives into existing plans and ongoing projects in town, as well as introduce new projects that will enhance livability in Coaldale.”

“There will be more opportunities for us to engage with the community in the coming months to gain more insight on our focus areas.”

In May, council approved funding for a to-be-determined project based on the findings from the Healthy Communities Pilot. The project is to be determined following engagement with students at Kate Andrews High School (KAHS). Students prepared nine proposals for projects that meet the Strategic Plan objectives. Those proposals were then reviewed by the Healthy Communities Working Group.

Planning Intern at the Town, Melanie Messier said “getting KAHS students involved was important for gathering insight and increased involvement from the youth community.”

“The students came up with some incredible ideas and we believe that all proposals could in some capacity be brought to life through the funding currently available to us.”

She said the town is looking forward to continuing to work with community members to create a healthier Coaldale.