Groundhog photo from Pexels.com.

January 31, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Are you looking to the groundhog this year to tell you when spring will arrive?

If so, a Lakehead University professor may have some bad news for you. Dr. Michael Rennie and his students recently studied the accuracy of Groundhog Day predictions and determined that flipping a coin does as good a job as predicting the arrival of spring as these furry rodents.

Rennie leads the Community Ecology and Energetics lab that published the study in “Weather, Climate and Society,” last year.

Rennie, Canada Research Chair in Freshwater and Fisheries and Associate Professor in Biology, and his graduate students gathered all the data they could find from North American groundhogs, spanning 33 locations and over 530 groundhog ‘observations.’

According to the paper, this is by far the most comprehensive evaluation of groundhog-based spring predictions to date.

He and his students examined Groundhog Day predictions from as far south as General Beauregard Lee in Georgia to Winnipeg Willow in Manitoba – spanning more than 15 degrees latitude and going back several decades, with one set of predictions from as far back as a century ago.

This became a lab project that they worked on and off over several years, resulting in the published research.

“More than anything, this was also a good exercise – especially for the more junior students to appreciate how a collaborative research project works and the trials and tribulations of publication,” Rennie said.

“Even though we are all often working on our own projects, it’s great to work together on a common question and see it through to the end.”

In the end, the researchers found that, across all groundhogs, the onset of spring was predicted correctly exactly 50 per cent of the time – the same outcome you would expect from flipping a coin, which did not surprise Rennie.

“If you think about it, we celebrate Groundhog Day a full month before these animals typically emerge from hibernation, so this practice is completely disassociated from any meaningful biological response that groundhogs might otherwise have for detecting spring conditions” he said.

Many people often wait for Groundhog Day, set on February 2, with some anticipation, particularly in North America where much of the continent is still in the throes of winter and many residents are looking forward to warmer weather.

As the legend goes, if the groundhog sees its shadow it will return to its burrow and spring will arrive late. If it does not see its shadow, everyone rejoices at the prospect of an early spring.

The researchers faced some challenges when examining Groundhog Day predictions. Because spring comes at different times for each of these groundhogs, the group needed to determine objectively if spring arrived early or late at each location in any given year.

For this determination, they turned to a spring blooming flower, the Carolina Spring Beauty, distributed equally to all areas where groundhogs made their predictions. In another recent publication, work from Rennie’s lab determined that this flower would bloom predictably after accumulating a certain amount of thermal energy, known as “degree days.”

The researchers then used data from weather stations near each groundhog’s location to estimate this bloom date – and thus the arrival of spring in that location each year. Then it was simply a matter of determining how well each groundhog’s prediction of ‘early’ or ‘late’ matched with the actual arrival of spring.

Some groundhogs could be given a passing grade for their predictive prowess – with Essex Ed (Essex, Connecticut), Stonewall Jackson (Wantage, New Jersey), and Chuckles (Manchester, Connecticut) predicting spring onset more than 70 per cent of the time, but no single groundhog made predictions with any level of accuracy worth relying on.

“We did, however, have a friendly bet going as to whether the Canadian groundhogs did any better than American ones. They did not,” Rennie said, adding that it appears one of the groundhogs may believe in climate change.

“Probably the most surprising result was that one of the longest prognosticating groundhogs, Punxsutawney Phil, seems to be a proponent of climate change,” Rennie said.

“In the later part of his over 100-year dataset of predictions, Phil tends to have a statistically significant propensity to predict early springs in the most recent years. Maybe he’s trying to get through to the folks who don’t seem to want to listen to climate scientists.”

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

From left, Lillian Calder, Councillor, Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek; Robyn O'Loughlin, Postdoctoral Fellow, EPID@Work Research Institute, Lakehead University; Conway Lesperance, former Health and Safety Advisor, Nokiiwin Tribal Council; Audrey Gilbeau, Executive Director, Nokiiwin Tribal Council; Vicki Kristman, Director, EPID@Work Research Institute & Associate and Professor, Dept. of Health Sciences, Lakehead University; Tiffany Rogowski, Health, Safety and Wellness Advisor, Nokiiwin Tribal Council; Jeff Robert, Health and Safety Advisor, Nokiiwin Tribal Council received the Indigenous Research Partnership Award, presented by Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives, Lakehead University, far right, at the 2020 Research Awards of Excellence ceremony hosted by Lakehead University.

January 27, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont. 

Lakehead University researchers are receiving more than $2.1 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research for several important projects.

Dr. Vicki Kristman, Associate Professor in Health Sciences and Director of Lakehead’s Enhancing the Prevention of Injury and Disability (EPID) at Work Research Institute, is receiving $367,200 to evaluate the Wiiji app’s effectiveness in improving the mental health of Indigenous people in the workplace.

In partnership with the Nokiiwin Tribal Council, which consists of five communities, Dr. Kristman and her team will conduct this research for up to three years.

“There is a need to tailor mental health interventions to the needs of Canadian Indigenous people.” Dr. Kristman said.

“Indigenous individuals are less likely to seek help for mental health – this is a major concern among communities of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council,” said Audrey Gilbeau, Executive Director of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council.

Dr. Kristman said e-health interventions have shown success for several mental health-related conditions, including anxiety, depression, sleeping disorders and feelings associated with low self-worth.  

“Yet, only one Australian study has started to explore the acceptability of e-mental health approaches among remote health service providers working with Indigenous populations, and no study has explored the possibility of e-mental health approaches for individual workers and managers within workplaces,” Dr. Kristman said.   

With direction from the communities, members of the Nokiiwin Tribal Council and Dr. Kristman’s team developed an e-mental health app for Indigenous workplaces called 'Wiiji,' to improve Indigenous workplace mental health through a CIHR Catalyst Grant: Work Stress and Wellbeing Hackathon.

Wiiji provides information on work-related mental health and mental-health resources that Indigenous workers can access, and provides a mechanism to connect with a peer-support who can assist the worker in times of stress.

“The primary goal of this research is to evaluate the app for improvement in Indigenous workplace mental health. We will use a mixed-methods approach to conduct this study.”

Results of this project will help communities understand the impact of the app, and will provide insight into usage barriers and perceived effectiveness.

“If the app can assist workers, it may have the potential to increase Indigenous participation in employment, reduce work disability, and improve the mental health of the Indigenous population,” Dr. Kristman said.

“This will return economic and health benefits to Indigenous employers, communities, families, and individuals.”

Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Professor in Psychology and Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, and his team are receiving $344,250 to examine the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and various aspects of well-being.

Conducted for up to five years, this research will allow the team to create a knowledge base that Indigenous community-based organizations can use to better support members who are facing difficulties with mental health and addictions.

“Indigenous peoples in Canada experience more health difficulties compared to non-Indigenous populations and are more likely to have poorer access to factors that may reduce the impact of these disparities, such as continuous health services in remote or rural settings,” Dr. Mushquash said.

This project is in close collaboration with Meagan Drebit and Tina Bobinski at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care as well as staff and management at the Adult Residential Treatment Centre. The research team is co-led by CIHR Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Dr. Elaine Toombs, and graduate trainees Jessie Lund and Abbey Radford. 

Decades of research across non-Indigenous populations has identified that adverse childhood experiences are associated with poor health outcomes and increased risk for experiencing a range of chronic diseases.

“These adverse childhood experiences include abuse, neglect, and household challenges – such as intimate partner violence,” Dr. Mushquash said.

“However, the relationship between intergenerational trauma, adverse childhood experiences, and health outcomes among Indigenous peoples is understood in our communities but not as well-documented in the research literature.

“There is also a lack of research examining how factors such as cultural connectedness, community support, and resilience protect Indigenous adults who have a history of adverse childhood experiences,” he said.

Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead’s Vice-President, Research and Innovation, thanked the researchers for all of their hard work.  

“Congratulations to each of our researchers for their outstanding success in obtaining CIHR grants,” he said.

“A number of these projects will have significant applications to addressing the health inequities and health challenges of people of Northern Ontario. Health and well-being is a priority research area for Lakehead University and these research projects emphasize the excellent and applied nature of researchers working at Lakehead University in this field.” 

The Research Support Fund is a federal funding program for post-secondary institutions in Canada to support some of the costs associated with managing research funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. 

In 2020/21, Lakehead University received nearly $2 million in assistance from the Research Support Fund to support the indirect costs of research, which includes costs for supporting the management of intellectual property, research and administration, ethics and regulatory compliance, research resources, and research facilities.

New CIHR Grants 2020-21

Total:  $2,146,928

Catalyst Grant – Patient-Oriented Research (one-year grant)

Dr. Chiachen Cheng, Faculty of Medicine, West Campus, “Canadian Network for Youth-Friendly Mental Health Services: Developing a Standard for Implementing, Evaluating, and Improving Youth-friendly Mental Health Services”, $97,085.

Team

• Catherine Ford (co-applicant), Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Joanna Henderson (co-applicant), Centre for Addictions and Mental Health
• Dr. Donald Addington (co-applicant), University of Calgary
• Mae V. Katt  (co-applicant), Northern Nishnawbe Education Council
• Dr. Helle Moeller  (co-applicant), Health Sciences, Lakehead University
• Dr. Christopher Mushquash  (co-applicant), Psychology, Lakehead University
• Dr. Arianne St. Jacques  (co-applicant), Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• Kathleen Anderson, Northern Ontario School of Medicine
• Dr. Philip Tibbo  (co-applicant), Dalhousie University
• Tom Ehmann (co-applicant), Vancouver Psychology Consortium
• Elizabeth Minnery, (principal knowledge user)
• Gordon Langill (knowledge user) EPION
• Celine Mulhern (knowledge user), Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care
• Catherine Willinsky, Schizophrenia Society of Canada

Operating Grant: Knowledge Synthesis Grant: COVID-19 Rapid Research Funding Opportunity in Mental Health and Substance Use (one-year grant)

Dr. Kathryn Sinden, School of Kinesiology, “Protecting Those Who Protect Us: An Evaluation and Synthesis of Resources Deployed to Support the Mental Health of First Responders During COVID-19”, $49,968.

Team

• Dr. Joy MacDermid Joy (co-applicant), University of Western Ontario
• Regan Bolduc (primary knowledge user), Thunder Bay Fire Rescue
• Dennis Brescacin (collaborator), Thunder Bay Professional Firefighters Association

Project Grants (three- to five-year grants)

Dr. Vicki Kristman, Department of Health Sciences, “Evaluating the Wiiji app to Improve Indigenous Workplace Mental Health: A Mixed-methods Approach”, $367,200.

Team

• Dr. Christopher Mushquash (co-applicant), Psychology, Lakehead University
• Dr. Robyn O'Loughlin  (co-applicant - trainee),Lakehead University
• Audrey Gilbeau  (collaborator – knowledge user), Nokiiwin Tribal Council

Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Department of Psychology, “Examining Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) In A First Nations Treatment-Seeking Population”, $90,000.

Team

• Jessie Lund (co-applicant - trainee), Psychology
• Dr. Elaine Toombs (co-applicant), Psychology
• Tina Bobinski  (collaborator – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Joe Byzewski (collaborator – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• John Dixon (collaborator – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Meagan Drebit (collaborator – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care

Dr. Christopher Mushquash, Department of Psychology, “Integrating Trauma-Informed Evaluation and Treatment of Adverse Childhood Experiences with a First Nations Treatment Seeking Population”, $344,250.

Team

• Meagan Drebit (principal applicant – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Tina Bobinski (co-applicant – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Jessie Lund Jessie (co-applicant – trainee), Psychology
• Abbey Radford (co-applicant - trainee), Psychology
• Dr. Elaine Toombs (co-applicant), Psychology
• Joseph Byzewski (collaborator – knowledge user), Dilico Anishinabek Family Care
• Carol Hopkins (collaborator – knowledge user), Thunderbird Partnership Foundation

Global Alliance for Chronic Disease (five-year grant)

Dr. Lana Ray, Department of Indigenous Learning, “The Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe'iyewigamig Mino-Bimaadiziwin Project: Cancer Prevention through Traditional Healing/Indigenous Approaches to Health as Best Practice: Primary and Secondary Prevention of Cancer”, $1,198,425.

Team

• Dr. Anna Koné (co-applicant), Department of Health Sciences
• Dr. Walter Woodchis, University of Toronto
• Dr. Cindy Peltier, Nipissing University
• Anita Cameron (principal knowledge user), Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe"iyewigamig
• Serena Joseph (knowledge user), Waasegiizhig Nanaandawe"iyewigamig
• Kathy Bird (knowledge user), Peguis First Nation
• Katherine Fobister (knowledge user), Grassy Narrows First Nation
• Roy Napish (knowledge user), Eagle Lake First Nation
• Ken Nash (knowledge user), Northwest Angle 37
• Jimmy Wayendowpanicken (knowledge user), Kenora
• Robert Charles Green (knowledge user), Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 First Nation
• Sarah Mandamin (knowledge user), Iskatewizaagegan No. 39 First Nation
• Phyllis Shaugabay (knowledge user), Washagamis Bay First Nation
• Debbie Lipscombe (collaborator), Grand Council Treaty #3

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

There will be something for everyone - including keynote talks, panel discussions, networking with peers, games, poster presentations and more - at Lakehead University’s virtual Research and Innovation Week, running from Monday, March 7 to Friday, March 11.

In particular, two events may fill up fast. Lakehead will hold opening ceremonies on Monday, March 7 at 11:20 am – with a keynote speech by Seth Klein called Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency.

And, the Research and Innovation Awards of Excellence will be held at 5 pm on Thursday, March 10.

Register now at lakeheadu.ca/ri.

Thanks to the hard work of Lakehead University’s External Relations department, this past November Ingenuity was able to launch applications for a $5,000 Indigenous student start-up fund.

The start-up fund has been a dream for Ingenuity since its opening in 2018.

“What most entrepreneurs need is some seed funding to help get them started – it’s not always easy for students to come up with extra funds to start or grow their business,” said Alyson MacKay, Manager of Ingenuity.

The fund also includes business development support and mentorship from Ingenuity and its large group of community partners. After online applications closed, the next step was a business-pitch style presentation to a panel of judges in early December of 2021.  

After much discussion and deliberation from the committee, Sabrina Slade, a fourth-year Masters of Medical Science student, was chosen for her web-based application in the health-care field.

Mackay would like to thank everyone who applied from both of Lakehead’s campuses as well as External Relations for providing this exciting opportunity.

Fourth-year English student Susie Murray is releasing her first book, Kate and the Dragon, for ages three and up. The picture book follows a knight named Kate and a wizard named Sebastian as they use their creative puzzle-solving skills to rescue a dragon.

Susie wrote the fantasy/adventure story and her friend Sarah Johnston created the illustrations. It’s Book 1 of a series called The Avalier Adventures; Book 2 is already in the works, and should be out within a year.

The book will be released on Monday, Feb. 21 (Family Day), in paperback, eBook, and hardcover. It will be available to purchase online through Susie’s website, in local bookstores, or directly from her by emailing smmurray@lakeheadu.ca.

Check out the latest Lake Superior Living Labs Network (LSLLN) newsletter for updates on our recent activity. The LSLLN serves as a platform to connect academics and community groups to develop new partnerships and collaborative initiatives across the Lake Superior watershed. For more information visit www.livinglabsnetwork.org.

Celebrate Black History month with History

The Department of History is pleased to announce its support for Black History Month on Researchtv, an online streaming service for academics and academic filmmakers. Black History Month is a time to celebrate achievements and examine the challenges faced by people of African descent by reflecting on History. The selected films are available for free around the clock until the end of the month. Notable films include “Dreams Deferred: Legacy of American Apartheid,” a film about the criminal justice system in the United States, “Brother Time,” a film about ethnic passions and tensions in Kenya, “Hard Time,” a film about Robert King of the Angola 3, and “Many Roots, One Law,” a film about the intersection of politics, law and science in traditional medicine in Côte d’Ivoire.

Visit www.researchtv.ca

February 3, 2022 – Orillia, Ont.

On Tuesday, Feb. 8, Lakehead University’s Orillia Campus will be hosting the province’s GO-VAXX bus, providing an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and the community to get their first, second, or booster dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

The GO-VAXX bus will be set up in the parking lot at the Orillia Campus at 500 University Ave. from 11 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Book your appointment starting at 8 am on Monday, Feb. 7 by visiting https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ or by calling the Provincial Vaccine Contact center at 1-833-943-3900. The GO-VAXX bus will also be accepting walk-ins while vaccine supplies last.

What you need to know:

• You’ll be able to obtain your first, second, or booster dose.
• Anyone under 30 will receive Pfizer and those 30 and older will receive Moderna.
• Bring your health card. If you don’t have a health card or your health card is expired, bring another form of government-issued photo identification such as a driver’s license, passport, status card or birth certificate.
• Dress for the weather in case there is a lineup.
• Wear a mask that covers your nose, mouth and chin.
• Don’t visit the GO-VAXX bus if you have symptoms of COVID-19.
• Free parking will be provided.

For a complete list of vaccination clinics within Simcoe Muskoka, visit www.simcoemuskokahealth.org.  

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Media: Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications & Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Dr. Kristin Burnett

January 21, 2022 – Thunder Bay, Ont. 

A Lakehead University professor is receiving $10,000 from Associated Medical Services (AMS) Healthcare to explore the work of the Hamilton YWCA in Indigenous hospitals, sanatoria, and residential schools in Canada during the 20^th century.

Dr. Kristin Burnett, Professor in Indigenous Learning, said records from the Department of Indian Affairs and churches described donations of clothing, bedding, medicine, and toys from women’s organizations.

For larger organizations like the YWCA, these contributions went further to include running educational programming, camps, and voluntary labour, Dr. Burnett said.

“I will use the AMS project grant to focus on the role played by the Hamilton YWCA in these institutions and in support of the settler colonial project during the 20th century,” she said.

Dr. Burnett will perform this research project, titled “The Hamilton Young Women’s Christian Association’s (YWCA) Work with Indian Hospitals, Sanatoria, and Residential Schools” – over one year.

The AMS History of Medicine and Healthcare Awards Program promotes scholarship, teaching, and public interest in the history of health care, disease, and medicine.

“Congratulations to Dr. Burnett on receiving this grant and thank you to AMS for the funding. Understanding the role and activities that different agencies played in the past with regards to Indigenous people will help shape our future.”

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has 10 faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked, once again, among Canada’s Top 10 primarily undergraduate universities in Maclean’s 2021 University Rankings; as well as included in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2022 World Universities Rankings for the third consecutive year, and in the top 100 of 1,115 universities from around the world in THE's 2021 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

January 19, 2022 - Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU) is pleased to announce the receipt of $1,158,677 over 3 years from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to implement the Healthy Kids Health on the Move for Equity (HOME) Program in Thunder Bay.

This initiative supports the delivery of health and community services for an estimated 1,500 children and their families in four priority neighbourhoods in Thunder Bay. These areas were identified through a comprehensive community needs assessment and include the neighbourhoods around Windsor Street, Academy Heights, Westfort and McKellar Park. The program brings together residents and community partners to provide evidence-informed programming around physical activity, nutrition, smoking prevention and cessation, mental health, and other topics identified by participants. The HOME program is supported by partners on the Healthy Kids Steering Committee.

"From a public health perspective, neighbourhood-based initiatives aimed at promoting healthy behaviours are integral to improving overall wellbeing and reducing the risk of chronic disease,” says Dr. Janet DeMille, TBDHU Medical Officer of Health. “We value the commitment of our many partners working towards enhancing the lives of children and their families.”

The Healthy Kids HOME program has two main components:

• Expanding Healthy Kids sites in priority neighbourhoods, which provide a safe space for accessing health promotion programming and social services; and,
• A four-week Healthy Kids Family Program to equip parents/caregivers with health-related knowledge, self-efficacy, coping skills, and information on local services and resources.

“This unique collaboration will indeed contribute to shaping healthier children and families in our City,” says Rachel Bayes, Healthy Kids HOME Program Coordinator. “I’m thrilled to work with so many community partners to strengthen the knowledge, skills, and abilities of families in these neighbourhoods to engage in healthy living strategies and access community services.” 

The program will be evaluated by principal investigator, Dr. Erin Pearson, Associate Professor in Kinesiology at Lakehead University, who will measure health outcomes and impact on the community.

Healthy Kids Steering Committee partners: Anishnawbe Mushkiki Aboriginal Health Access Centre, Boys and Girls Clubs of Thunder Bay, Children’s Centre Thunder Bay, City of Thunder Bay, Communities Together for Children, Dilico Anishinabek Family Care, EcoSuperior, Indigenous Sport and Wellness Ontario, Lakehead Public School Board, Lakehead Social Planning Council, Lakehead University – School of Kinesiology and Department of Psychology, Little Lions Waldorf Child and Family Centre, Our Kids Count, P.R.O. Kids Thunder Bay, St. Joseph’s Care Group, Thunder Bay Chill Soccer Club, Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board, Thunder Bay District Health Unit, Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board, Thunder Bay Indigenous Friendship Centre, Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Public Library, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, United Way Thunder Bay.

For information about Healthy Kids Thunder Bay events and program updates, follow @healthykidstbay on Facebook and Twitter.

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For more information: Health Unit Media news@tbdhu.com

Lakehead University Media 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca