A brand new pan-Canadian analysis challenge will discover the affect of parks, secure spaces and different leisure amenities on folks’s well being and well-being.
Supported by means of the Public Well being Company of Canada, the ParkSeek challenge brings in combination a various team of researchers and practitioners from academia, govt, neighborhood teams and trade, to assemble and proportion knowledge to know the way parks, secure spaces and leisure amenities give a contribution to well being behaviours and results.
The analysis staff, led by means of Jason Gilliland, director of Western’s Human Environments Research Lab (HEAL), and Wilfrid Laurier College’s Chris Lemieux, are quantifying the geographic accessibility to parks and secure spaces around the nation, investigating the standard of reviews in those areas, and uncovering the coverage obstacles to equivalent participation in parks, secure spaces and leisure alternatives.
“Protective parks in Canada is excellent for our surroundings and our total wellbeing. This challenge will lend a hand us higher perceive obstacles to making sure equivalent participation in parks, secure spaces, and leisure alternatives for all. In combination, with Western College and Wilfrid Laurier College, we can lend a hand give a boost to well being results for Canadians,” stated Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Well being, in a remark.
Parks are seriously essential to well being and well-being as they most often supply alternatives to hook up with nature, pursue leisure actions, and facilitate social connections for every age.
Jason Gilliland
“We’ve got constructed a cross-sectoral collaboration that comes to teachers from universities coast to coast to coast, all ranges of presidency, non-profits, neighborhood teams, and trade that can have significant affects on figuring out and speaking the price of parks, secure spaces and leisure amenities for well being and well-being,” stated Gilliland, professor of geography and atmosphere, epidemiology & biostatistics, well being research, and pediatrics.
The staff, which contains challenge coordinators Catherine Reining and Alexander (AJ) Wray, will focal point a few of its actions on 12 communities that supply a cross-section of Canada’s various and colourful puts. Those come with:
- North Vancouver, B.C.
- Witset, B.C.
- Dehcho Area, Northwest Territories
- Prince Albert, Sask.
- Saskatoon, Sask.
- Winnipeg, Guy.
- Goderich, Ont.
- London, Ont.
- Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont.
- Montreal, Que.
- Alma & Sackville, N.B.
- Halifax, N.S.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has been a problem for all, however most likely one shining gentle in all that is that it has published simply how essential nature is to human well being and well-being. Thousands and thousands of Canadians have flocked to parks for bodily, psychological and emotional well-being all through the pandemic,” stated Lemieux, John McMurry Analysis Chair in Environmental Geography.
“The important thing problem will probably be to seek out tactics to deal with and even build up this engagement, and paintings to do away with obstacles so that each one Canadians can get entry to the advantages that nature supplies. With contemporary commitments to offer protection to 30 in line with cent of Canada’s land and waters by means of 2030, and to ascertain nationwide city parks in all provinces and territories, the challenge is well timed and wanted,” he stated.
Knowledge generated from this challenge may well be connected to different well being and socio-economic signs to know the way parks and leisure amenities give a contribution to inhabitants well being; thus, offering new gear, applied sciences and approaches for public well being motion.
To be informed extra concerning the challenge and signal as much as be notified when the challenge’s actions release later this yr, please discuss with cross.parkseek.ca
