The PIBC Central North Chapter is pleased to present a three part webinar series on Food Security. Each webinar is eligible for 1.50 CPL units.
For members:
- $30 per webinar for individual registration
- $70 for all 3 webinars;
- Students free (please register via centralnorth@pibc.bc.ca)
For non-members:
- $40 per webinar for individual registration
- $90 for all 3 webinars
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Webinar #1: February 1, 2023 (12-1:30pm)
Food security and RPPs as food policy champions
The focus of this webinar is enabling and supporting food security in the communities we serve.
Speakers:
- Robert Buchan, PhD, RPP, FCIP, City Manager and City Planner for Prince Rupert and Adjunct Professor, SFU + co-author: “Local Food System Planning: The Problem, Conceptual Issues, and Policy Tools for Local Government Planners”, Institute of Urban Studies, 2015.
Robert will provide an overview of the “Local Food System Planning: The Problem, Conceptual Issues, and Policy Tools for Local Government Planners” and gaining an understanding regarding the change process. Robert will also share the food security work happening in the community of Prince Rupert.
- Christine Callihoo, MSc NREM, RPP, Sr. Community Climate Resilience/Adaptation Planner; PhD Student in Natural Resources and Environmental Studies Program, UNBC; Adjunct Professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management, SFU
Christine will provide an overview and results from the research project ‘Who’s at the Table: An Exploration of Community-Based Food Security Initiatives and Structures in a North-Central Canadian Context’. This research project was led by Dr. Booth, in partnership with Dr. Healey, UNBC. The presentation will focus on research results specifically relevant to registered professional planners (RPP).
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Webinar #2: February 15, 2023 (12:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
Embedding Food Literacy Education & Building School Community Capacity
This webinar showcases the Public Health Association of BC’s (PHABC) Farm to School BC (F2SBC) program, which is a healthy eating program for K-12 students, on how the Community Animators enable and support public school educators to be empowered to strategically incorporate various food-focused education into the BC curriculum and beyond. This webinar will explore the role of the RPP in enabling and supporting F2SBC initiatives, and vice versa.
Webinar participants are encouraged to bring their interest and passion for food literacy, place-based education, food security, case studies to share, and their questions as to how they may champion school food initiatives and, by extension, the communities we have the privilege to serve.
Speakers
- Roanne Whitticase, North Central Region Community Animator, Farm to School BC (a program of the Public Health Association of BC)
- Marcus Lobb, Provincial Manager, Farm to School BC (a program of the Public Health Association of BC)
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Webinar #3: March 15, 2023 (12:00 pm - 1:30 pm)
Food security-focused case studies / community examples detailing the leadership of RPPs and partners in enabling and supporting food security
This webinar will feature an expert panel to present on specific initiatives that RPPs and our partners have engaged in and will include a notable amount of participant engagement. The primary focus is to provide to RPPs (and student planners) with tangible examples and tools to support food security in the communities we serve.
Speakers
- Dr. Tammara Soma, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University – Tammara’s topics of interest include food system planning, food literacy and education, community food assessments, community-based food research and youth food movement. In addition, Tammara focuses on social and environmental impacts of waste including food packaging waste, bioplastics, food waste, waste management, the circular economy and the social implications of food and agricultural technologies. (TBC)
- Dr. David Connell, Professor, University of Northern British Columbia – David’s topics of particular interest include agricultural planning and farmland protection, local food systems, and the quest for community. These areas are closely related - producing and consuming one’s own food as a foundation for community – and the first step toward creating a more sustainable society.(TBC)
- Alexa Pitoulis, Executive Director at Fresh Roots Urban Farm Society – Alexa Pitoulis is a UNBC alumni with a background in environmental planning with a passion in enabling and supporting food systems change security. Fresh Roots is a non-profit society that Grows Good Food For All by way of cultivating engaging gardens and programs that catalyze healthy eating, ecological stewardship and community celebration.
All three sessions to be moderated by Christine Callihoo, MSc NREM, RPP, Sr. Community Climate Resilience/Adaptation Planner.

