Around the Regions

Labrador

Heart Health a Success in Labrador

The Labrador Heart Health Coalition has been achieving much success during the past fall and winter. First and foremost, the Coalition has gained several new members. A welcome is extended to Maxine Green-Soin, Public Health Nurse with the Labrador Inuit Health Commission in Hopedale, Sybil Hunter, Community Health Worker with the Labrador Inuit Health Commission in Hopedale, Charline Evans, Community Health Worker with the Labrador Inuit Health commission in Makkovik and Eleanor Robson, Regional Coordinator with the Canadian Cancer Society.

Healthy Cooking in Churchill Falls

In Churchill Falls, Heart Health was literally cooking as ten people participated in the Heart Smart Cooking course The Art of Healthy Eating by the Heart and Stroke Foundation. The participants thoroughly enjoyed this course and have since formed a Healthy Heart support group who meet on a regular basis with the Public Health Nurse and Heart Health Coalition member, Joy Byrd, to discuss health issues.

Walking Club in Hopedale

Maxine Green-Soin and Sybil Hunter have been very busy promoting Heart Health in Hopedale. They have started a walking club and have issued a challenge, which has been taken by many members of the community, to walk across Labrador. They have also been very busy promoting smoking cessation through presentations in the school, with a little help from Smokey Sue, and have also distributed information packages containing Heart Health information on healthy eating, blood pressure and walking.

Goose Bay Has It's First Health Fair

To kick off the new millennium, Goose Bay held its first Health Fair. The Health Fair came about as the result of a partnership between with the Canadian Cancer Society and the Labrador Heart Health Coalition. The fair was held at the College of the North Atlantic and involved 40 booths representing all services in the Happy Valley-Goose Bay area which promote Heart Health. The services included fitness groups, smoking cessation programs, stress management therapies and the local Heart and Stroke Foundation. The Fair was considered a great success and will be repeated next year. Due to this event, the Canadian Cancer Society Coordinator in Labrador is now a member of the Heart Health Coalition and looks forward to partnering on many future projects.

Promoting Heart Health in Wabush-Labrador City

Although the Heart Health Core Group has been very active in the Labrador West area, the Core Group members felt one of their major issues was getting people to recognize the Heart Health name and symbol. To help with this concern, the recreation staff at the Wabush Recreation Center have painted the Heart Health Logo on the wall of the weight room.

This logo is in place to remind the public that physical activity is part of a heart healthy lifestyle. This promotional activity was completed during Heart Month. Other Heart Health activities during the month of February included a Health Fair at the Labrador Mall, essay contests, and presentations at workplaces such as the Iron Ore Company of Canada.