Public Health Forum Brings Together Public Health and Planners to Build Ideas for Healthier Communities

Media Releases from members of Sources.
To submit a news release, use this form.

Public Health Forum Brings Together Public Health and Planners to Build Ideas for Healthier Communities

September 27, 2010

Toronto, Ont. – On the evening of September 28th over 250 public health and planning professionals will convene at the Courtyard by Marriott Downtown Toronto to kick off the OPHA Fall Forum, Taking Action on the Built Environment: Building Healthy Public Policy. The event begins at 7:00 p.m. with a welcome from Minister Margarett Best from the Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport. This will be followed by a keynote speech by Dr. David Mowat, who will then moderate a panel discussion. Panelists include the newly appointed Minister of Research and Innovation, Minister Glen Murray, Dr Bob Nosal, Commissioner and Medical Officer of Health, Halton Region Health Department and David Oitawa, Manager of Community Planning, City of Toronto.

On the morning on September 29th, delegates will convene again at 8:30 a.m. for a welcome by Dr. Vivek Goel, President and CEO of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion. This will be followed by a Keynote Address from Dan Leeming, Founding Partner of the Planning Partnership. Forum participants will then attend one of five facilitated sessions around the following themes: access to recreation, healthy and sustainable transportation, access to healthy foods, prevention of injury/violence, and healthy housing environments. Many of the sessions feature short presentations from organizations including Evergreen, Parks and Recreation Ontario, Share the Road Cycling Coalition, the Ontario Professional Planners Association, and the Canadian Environmental Law Association.

The OPHA Fall Forum will provide an opportunity for public health professionals and other professionals working on the built environment to shape and advance policies in order to create healthier, more equitable, and more sustainable communities. The format of this year’s event departs from traditional OPHA annual conferences held in the past. The link between the built environment and health has already been well established in the field of public health. The unique and innovative design of this Forum will create an interactive, think tank environment that will foster the development of policy solutions to built environment issues across Ontario.

The Ontario Public Health Association (OPHA) is a not-for-profit organization that provides a strong, unified independent voice for all citizens — Public Health professionals and volunteers — committed to improving the health of all Ontarians. The mission of the OPHA is to provide leadership on issues affecting the public's health and to strengthen the impact of people who are active in public and community health throughout Ontario. Since 1949, OPHA has established a strong record of success as the voice of public health in Ontario.

For more information contact:
Michelle Manarina
Program Coordinator
Ontario Public Health Association
Phone: 416 367 3313 Ex 254
Cell: 647-991-9149
Email: mmanarina@opha.on.ca
Website: www.opha.on.ca

Connie Uetrecht
Executive Director
Ontario Public Health Association
Phone: 416 367 3313 Ex 226
Cell: 416 302-9787
Email: cuetrecht@opah.on.ca
Website: www.opha.on.ca

Click here to view our Sources Listing:

Ontario Public Health Association

Topics:

To submit a news release, use this form

Use the News Releases Topic Index for releases by topic

Use the Sources Subject Index for experts and spokespersons

Information and Media Resources from Sources
Main News Release page	Media releases from clients of the *Sources* media relations service.
*Sources* Calendar	Check out newsworthy events from across Canada.
*Sources* Directory	Search the Sources directory of experts, contacts and media spokespersons. Find how to include yourself in Sources.
Publish your news releases	*Sources* can help you distribute your media releases
Media Names & Numbers	Directory of Canada's print and broadcast media.
Parliamentary Names & Numbers	Full contact information for government, political parties, lobbyists, and embassies.

Sources home page

Media Resources