Mural created at the Climate Change and Health Community Climate Crisis Gathering by Drawing Change (@drawing_change) January 2024, Nanaimo, BC. The climate crisis is a public health priority, “This event is the 昀椀rst step and the with immense population health impacts. While foundation for the next 10 to 15 years of complex — and the scale and scope make it an work in our new Healthy Environments and overwhelmingly daunting task to address — we climate change programs, and we wanted to must. start building it on the input of communities The Foundation actively engages in conversations in the region we serve.” with our partners in regions across BC to — Dr Réka Gustafson, Vice President of better understand community needs and local Population and Public Health and adaptations to the climate crisis. Through these conversations, we are shaping how to improve Chief Medical Health O昀케cer, Island response, support, and investments in this critical from “Making connections for climate Health area. action: recapping the Climate Change and Health Community Gathering, May 10, 2024” One of these conversations led us to partner with Island Health and fund the Climate Change and Health Community Gathering, in Snuneymuxw Territory (Nanaimo) in January 2024. This gathering included climate experts, Indigenous Elders, and community members, who came together to share knowledge, strengthen existing “Involving youth is vital partnerships, and form new ones, and produced in this — because youth will be recommendations that will be included in the new Island Health Healthy Environment Programs in the next stewards of the land.” Population and Public Health. This will ensure that — Elder Geraldine Manson, in the future, climate change considerations will Snuneymuxw First Nation, be included in community planning and from “Making connections for climate action: design processes. recapping the Climate Change and Health Community Gathering, May 10, 2024” 1111 Annual Report 2023-2024