Tri-Health Programs Promotes Healthy Living

Submitted by Alexis Green, RN, BScN
Public Health Nurse and Tri-Health Coordinator

Tri-Health assists organizations, companies and schools in this community by helping them provide information and activities to staff and students to promote healthy eating, physical activity and smoke-free living.

Brockville General Hospital completed its wellness program and will be planning for future initiatives. Perth and Smiths Falls District Hospital formed a wellness committee and will be planning a program. Grenville Castings Ltd offered a three-week session of health presentations to its staff with an emphasis on smoking cessation.

The Rideau/Gananoque family of schools of the Upper Canada District School Board participated in the Quality Daily Physical Education (QDPE) program with a year-end folk festival on June 2.

Tri-health also advocates for healthy and inexpensive physical activity in local communities through the promotion of trail use. Partners developed a written brief and a presentation to advocate for trails policy/strategy to the Ministry of Tourism. Thirteen presentations throughout Lanark County were made to advocate locally for trails policy and management.

Eat Smart! Restaurants and Cafeterias offer healthy eating choices, a certified food handler and smoke free seating. All eleven cafeterias in the Upper Canada District School Board are certified as well as the St. Lawrence College Brockville campus cafeteria. Twenty-one restaurants were re-certified for 2005. Fourteen new restaurants had been certified that year.

Ten area high school cafeterias went Eat Smart! in 2004. Pictured above at the launch ceremony on October 13, 2004 at Gananoque Secondary School are (from left) Laurel Harrison, VP Business Development at Brown’s Fine Food Services; Marillyn Gerrie, Brockville District Manager, Brown’s Fine Food Services; Christine Johnathan, Cafeteria Manager, Brown’s Fine Food Services; Alexis Green, Tri-Health Co-ordinator; and James Brown, President, Brown’s Fine Food Services.