In collaboration with partners in communities across the province, BC Healthy Communities is launching a new speaker series to bring fresh ideas for healthy public policy to local and Indigenous government leaders in B.C.

Healthy public policy is a powerful tool for local governments to meaningfully improve the lives of their constituents. As a part of these improved health and well-being outcomes, healthy public policies also positively impact issues directly within local government purview, including community safety, local economic activity, social service delivery, and sustainability. 

The Creating Healthy Public Policy - Local Government Leaders Speaker Series kicks off on June 23 with Living Wage Policies, a session exploring the City of Victoria’s experience in adopting a Living Wage policy in 2020. Living Wage policies have been enacted by 10 governments across the province, ranging from major metropolitan cities to smaller rural and Indigenous governments. These policies align minimum wages in an organization with the actual costs of living in a specific community. 

Designed for staff in decision-making roles as well as elected officials, each event in the series provides participants with the opportunity to explore whether a similar policy fits their community's needs, and to consider the next steps needed to advance action towards adopting such a policy. 

Following the presentation, attendees are invited to stay for an optional virtual networking session to meet with other local government leaders interested in adopting similar policies, using small group breakout rooms to explore specific topics. This series is part of the PlanH program.

Learn more and register for this free event at planh.ca/hpp.