Around the Regions

Central

Isabelle....Acting Chair

A warm welcome is extended to Isabelle Hall, Acting Chair of the Central Heart Health Coalition. Isabelle is replacing Andrea Perry who left the province in late summer. Thank you to Andrea for her contribution to the Heart Health program over the past few years.

Smoke-Free Malls in Central Newfoundland

The Central Heart Health Coalition would like to congratulate and thank all the shopping malls in Central Newfoundland for being smoke-free. In the fall of 1999, the Smoke-Free Mall Project, ongoing in other regions of the province, was brought to the attention of the Central Heart Health Coalition. With the intention of encouraging the shopping malls in Central Newfoundland to become smoke-free, the smoking policies of the malls in this region were reviewed. To the delight of the Central Heart Health Coalition, it was discovered that all the malls in Central Newfoundland are already smoke-free.

Congratulations and thanks are extended to the management of Dalfen's Mall in Springdale; the Exploit's Valley Mall in Grand Falls-Windsor; the Fraser and Gander Malls in Gander; and, the Lewisporte Mall in Lewisporte on their pro-active and healthy smoke-free policies.

Certificates of Recognition

The Central Tobacco Awareness Coalition (CTAC), active partners with the Central Heart Health Coalition, have been recognizing smoke-free establishments throughout the Central Region. The CTAC developed and distributed a Certificate of Recognition to approximately 50 smoke-free establishments, including restaurants and malls, throughout the region.

Congratulations to all involved in this on-going project to maintain and recognize heart healthy environments.

Kick the Nic

The first two Kick the Nic groups for the Central Region were held in Botwood during the spring 2000. All except for one student participant attending the sessions quit or reduced their cigarette smoking. The Central Heart Health Coalition supplied Heart Health t-shirts, lunch bags and pens to students who participated, as prizes. Additional sessions are planned for the Grand Falls-Windsor and Botwood areas again in the fall.

Successful Placemat Campaign

As a way to encourage heart healthy lifestyles, the Central Heart Health Coalition coordinated a placemat campaign during Heart Month, 2000. A placemat was developed providing heart health tips on healthy eating, active living, being smoke-free, and maintaining a healthy blood pressure. Approximately 10,000 placemats were distributed to participating restaurants within the Central Region during February, Heart Month. The restaurants welcomed the placemats. The Central Heart Health Coalition hopes to build on this success through the promotion of the Heart Smart Restaurant Program during the winter of 2001.

A hearty thank you to all the restaurants who participated in this health promotion project.

Ticker Tom a Hit in Central

The Central Heart Health Coalition was very pleased with the response to the Ticker Tom Heart Health Program, offered to summer recreation program leaders for the first time in this Region, during the past summer. The Coalition organized and delivered four Ticker Tom Training Workshops in four communities with 51 participants representing 8 different groups and organizations across the region. The evaluation of the workshops met with a positive response. Based on the feedback received, over 300 children were involved in Ticker Tom activities over the summer months.

The Coalition is looking forward to promoting the program to recreation groups across the Region again next summer. Requests for the program are welcome from any organization involved with youth who are interested in implementing the Ticker Tom Program in their fall to spring programs. For further information on the Program, please call (709) 651-6222.

Food and Fun Camp

The Nutrition Focus Group, an initiative of the Twillingate/New World Island Primary Health Care Enhancement Project, coordinated Food and Fun Camps during the summer, in their areas. The purpose of the Camp was to provide an opportunity for children and youth participants to learn the importance of healthy eating, active living and being smoke-free, using a hands-on interactive approach. The Central Heart Health Coalition coordinated a Training Program for the Camp facilitators and provided heart health T-shirts for the camp participants. During the summer 2000, three Camps were held, each having six to seven children, ages 8 - 12 years, participating.

Children and youth participants at the Camp learned: basic skills of food preparation; safe food handling practices; how to apply nutrition knowledge; fun ways to keep active indoors and out; and, the importance of active, smoke-free living for a healthy lifestyle. Overall, it was felt that the Food and Fun Camps were very successful with most participants saying it was a wonderful experience.

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Food and Fun Camp are asked to contact: Kim Osmond, Site Coordinator, Primary Health Care Enhancement Project, Notre Dame Bay Memorial Health Centre, Twillingate, NL, AOG 4MO, (709) 884-4250 or fax (709) 884-2586.

Walking Trails of Central Newfoundland

The Central Heart Health Coalition has prepared a booklet listing the walking trails in the Central Region. The Coalition would like to thank summer student Stephanie Peddle for her role in preparing this worthwhile publication.

Throughout this first edition, an impressive 73 trails are listed and discussed. With so many trails, there are plenty of choices for outdoor hiking fun! Free copies of the Walking Trails of Central Newfoundland are available by contacting Isabelle Hall at (709) 651-6222.