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2014 Snapshot of Public Health: Manitoulin Island

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Introduction

The Manitoulin Island area is comprised of 11 unique and exciting communities—each led by engaged municipal leaders working to ensure residents and visitors experience the best that the region has to offer.

In the 2014 Snapshot of Public Health for Manitoulin Island, readers will find a brief overview of the Ontario public health system and its local arm, the Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU). The 2014 Snapshot report includes highlights of public health activities on Manitoulin Island during the 2014 calendar year. This snapshot of public health activities shines a light on the SDHU’s public health work that is done in collaboration with the public, community agencies, and municipalities. It is hoped that its contents are helpful in sharing the local public health story and in informing people about how their public health dollars are being spent to promote and protect the health of everyone.

The Sudbury & District Health Unit is proud to work in partnership with the following Manitoulin Island communities:

Map of the Sudbury & District Health Unit service area

Public Health in Ontario

Public health works “upstream” to promote and protect health and prevent people from becoming sick. If we can imagine the health system as a continuum, the treatment services of hospitals would be at one end and public health would be at the other, working to keep people from needing hospitals and other health care services in the first place.

As with fire, police, and education services, public health is a “public good”: publicly funded and always there for us. Public health works behind the scenes to promote our health (e.g. helping municipal councils make bylaws for healthier food options in recreational centres) and front and centre to protect our health (e.g. issuing boil water advisories when drinking water is unsafe).

In Ontario, there is a provincial network of 36 non-profit public health units, all responsible for delivering standard public health programs and services, and for upholding the public health law. About every 25¢ of local municipal funding for public health is matched by 75¢ from provincial funding. The law specifies that municipal funding to public health is on a per capita basis.

The 36 health units, together with provincial ministries and agencies, and in partnership with primary care and laboratories, comprise the formal public health system of the province.

Your Local Public Health Unit—Our Structure

The SDHU is governed by an autonomous board of health. Sudbury & District Board of Health members are determined by legislation and the membership includes municipally elected representatives and citizen representatives from across the SDHU area. Manitoulin Island is represented by one individual who has historically been a local mayor or councillor.

The Sudbury & District Health Unit works hard to meet the needs of the diverse population we serve and to meet our legislative requirements. To do this, the SDHU is organized into five divisions each reporting to the Medical Officer of Health.

This image depicts a high livel organizational chart for the Sudbury & District Health Unit.

Did you know?
The SDHU employs a number of public health professionals to carry out its mission and public health mandated programs. These include, but are not limited to, a public health physician (Medical Officer of Health), public health nurses, public health inspectors, dental educators and hygienists, dietitians, and epidemiologists. We also employ a number of technical and support staff who assist in the operational functions of the organization and the work we do in the various communities throughout Manitoulin Island.

Public Health Activities on Manitoulin Island

The SDHU actively supports health on Manitoulin Island by providing services to protect and to promote health. The following is a snapshot of these Manitoulin Island public health activities that occurred in 2014. Together, they paint a picture of the variety and volume of local public health work.

Health Protection

The SDHU delivers a number of services designed to protect the health of its communities. These services include for example, immunizations, health hazard investigations, sexual health services, food safety, and safe water initiatives. The snapshots in the section below highlight the health protection services provided by the SDHU to Manitoulin Island communities in 2014.

Did you know?
The work of public health involves a huge amount of collaboration and partnerships with many sectors and agencies within the community. These include but are not limited to individuals, families, community groups and seniors clubs, faith groups, organizations, health professionals, health centres, child care groups, businesses, social services, local municipal staff and council, school boards and their staff and administration, the police and fire, and provincial ministries.

Control of Infectious Diseases and Infection Control

Sexual Health Program

Healthy Babies Healthy Children Program

Dental Services

Food Safety

Health Hazards

Vector Borne Diseases, Rabies, and Lyme Disease

Drinking Water

Small Drinking Water Systems

Part 8 Land Control (under Ontario Building Code)

Recreational Water and Safe Water

Extreme Weather Alerts

Smoke-Free Ontario Act Enforcement

Did you know?

In order to meet the unique need of the communities within Manitoulin Island, the SDHU has aligned its highly skilled and trained staff to provide quality public health services. The SDHU has an office in Mindemoya from which four public health nurses, two public health inspectors, one dental hygienist, one family home visitor, and one office assistant support Health Unit programming for the residents of Manitoulin Island.

Health Promotion

Public health also plays a key role in the promotion of health and prevention of chronic diseases and injuries. We do this through the delivery of a number of health promotion programs and services including healthy eating and healthy weights, falls prevention, substance misuse and tobacco use prevention, and child and reproductive health. This section includes Manitoulin Island statistical and narrative information about a broad range of health promotion programs provided in 2014 by the SDHU. Many of these programs are delivered in collaboration with important partners such as other service agencies, community groups, schools, and municipalities.

Tobacco Use Prevention

In May 2014, the Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board (DSB) passed a Smoke-Free Housing policy, which came into effect in January 2015. The SDHU provided support during the implementation of the policy by offering education and information sessions to all the DSB housing units. A total of 2 presentations were provided to 12 housing unit residents, and 20 resource packages were provided for the residents which could not attend. In March, the SDHU partnered with the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) to deliver a Stop on the Road workshop in the community of Gore Bay. A total of 14 residents participated in the program and received Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) from CAMH. The SDHU also offered tobacco cessation counselling, support materials and a NRT voucher program via the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) in partnership with the Gore Bay Medical Clinic. Additional tobacco use prevention and cessation efforts for Manitoulin Island residents included the promotion of local and provincial smoking cessation campaigns and the distribution of resources targeted to students and young adults (e.g.  wouldurather…, Leave the Pack Behind), and to adults (e.g. Driven to Quit).

School Health

The SDHU has active partnerships with five local schools (four elementary and one secondary). The SDHU provides consultations and resources to teachers by request on topics including sexual health, nutrition, puberty, and substance misuse. April 2014 marked the start of the Northern Fruit and Vegetable Program (NFVP) in select schools on Manitoulin Island. In partnership with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association, the SDHU coordinates the NFVP for three schools in the Manitoulin district. As part of the program, participating schools received fresh vegetables and fruit each week from April to June 2014. Participating schools included Assiginack P.S., Charles C. MacLean Public School, and Central Manitoulin Public School.

Seniors Health Promotion

As a member of the Manitoulin Seniors Service Providers Network, the SDHU collaborated with many community partners to raise awareness of seniors’ abuse through the Elephant in the Room project, which consisted of conferences held in Gore Bay, Manitowaning, Mindemoya, and Little Current. Over 200 individuals attended the events and each participant received information for seniors, including a directory of local seniors’ services. To further encourage safety amongst seniors, a media awareness campaign was hosted during National Seniors Safety Week in November and consisted of newsprint ads, public service announcements, and a radio interview.

The Ontario Seniors Secretariat Falls Prevention presentation was offered to a group of 21 seniors at the Tehkummah Triangle Club, and seniors were introduced to the Home Support Exercise Program. The SDHU also supported the Manitoulin Central Family Health Team in offering a STAND UP! exercise program for seniors and assisted Manitoulin Lodge in obtaining falls prevention resources.

Prevention of Substance Misuse

SDHU staff assisted the town council of Assiginack with the revision of their Municipal Alcohol Policy (MAP). In November 2013, the township of Assiginack adopted a revised MAP which was then implemented in January 2014. Building on the success of the Township of Assiginack’s revised MAP, SDHU staff met with the town council of Central Manitoulin in 2014 to discuss ways to enhance their MAP. It was later decided by town council not to revise their MAP at that time. During National Addictions Awareness Week, SDHU staff worked to raise public awareness around the harms associated with substance misuse. With a focus on prevention amongst teens, the SDHU hosted activities at Manitoulin Secondary School.

Injury Prevention

The SDHU, as an active member of the Manitoulin Injury Prevention Coalition (MIPC), assisted with the planning and implementation of a water safety educational awareness campaign during the summer of 2014: DROWNING – It happens quickly and often silently. It’s preventable! Are you watching? The campaign was sponsored by local community partners including municipalities, First Nation communities, and Manitoulin Family Resources. Water safety presentations and towel displays were hosted in each of the municipalities that offered swimming lessons, posters and postcards were circulated to local beaches and resorts, and a static display booth with the drowning campaign materials was hosted almost every weekend throughout the summer at local community events. This campaign is being highlighted by the OPP at the provincial level as an example of how a community can tackle a relevant statistic and design a local initiative to raise awareness.

In collaboration with community partners who are child restraint technicians, the SDHU offered three car seat clinics and inspected 15 child restraints in 2014. Eleven additional child car seats were referred through the OPP’s Baby RIDE program for inspection and two restraints were inspected through booked appointments. In addition to inspections, child restraint use was promoted through a variety of activities including: a car seat safety presentation at the Little Current Hub Centre Mom and Baby Group, in-service training for staff from the Children’s Aid Society and local police services, a car seat information display at the emergency preparedness event hosted in Aundeck Omni Kaning First Nation, and resources provided to community partners.

In partnership with the MIPC, the SDHU supported the development of four billboard signs to be posted at various locations on the Island and hosted a media campaign consisting of radio public service announcements, media releases, a newspaper article, and newsprint ads to increase public awareness of the seatbelt safety and safe winter driving campaigns. The Manitoulin OPP detachment reports a steady increase in the number of calls over the years and a very high intercept rate.

Healthy Eating, Physical Activity, Healthy Weights

As an active member of Manitoulin Island’s Child Poverty Task Force, the SDHU has collaborated to establish the Good Food Box Program on Manitoulin Island. The Good Food Box Program aims to minimize the barriers to obtaining fresh vegetables and fruit and delivers between 100–110 boxes per month. SDHU staff assisted with administration and provided up-to-date information for the program newsletter. To support the efforts of local, non-franchise restaurants (not subject to the Making Healthier Choices Act, 2015), the SDHU produced and distributed materials to promote nutritious food choices to three restaurants on Manitoulin Island. In addition, two restaurants in Gore Bay and Mindemoya are actively encouraging customers to make healthier food choices when eating out by displaying the SDHU-developed point of purchase consumer education materials.

The SDHU has also supported various cycling initiatives on Manitoulin Island including maintaining active membership on the Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates Network, supporting the 4th Annual Passage Ride, and advocating for built environment initiatives that support active transportation (e.g. paved shoulders). In 2014, the SDHU, City of Greater Sudbury, Rainbow Routes Association, and Sudbury Bioski were successful recipients of a 2-year Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund, to provide physical activity opportunities to people over the ages of 55. Trails4Life involves training people to provide urban poling, snow shoeing and cycling workshops in Sudbury, Espanola, Massey and on Manitoulin Island. The SDHU assisted with the development of strategic partnerships and information sharing to support physical activity.

As part of the SDHU Healthy Weights programming, the SDHU worked closely with local partners of the Advisory Committee of the Sudbury & Manitoulin Districts Aboriginal Diabetes Prevention Program to continue their efforts building opportunities for adults to engage in healthy lifestyles and to reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes. These included organizing the Bring Back the Tradition of Healthy Living media campaign via local radio, print, and billboard advertising, hosting a motivational seminar in Little Current entitled Diabetes Prevention: One step at a time, and hosting a training opportunity for physical activity promoters working in Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities to become certified urban poling instructors.

Family Health

In 2014, the SDHU actively participated in the work of the local Triple P Program, an evidenced-based parenting program offering group and individual support and advice for parents. In Gore Bay, an 8-week group program was offered to eight parents and caregivers of children aged 0-12. In addition, three one-day prenatal workshops were offered to mothers and their supports to learn about breastfeeding, prenatal nutrition, infant safety, and labour and delivery. The SDHU also offers online prenatal education for those unable to attend prenatal classes in person.

Partnerships and collaboration are key to promoting healthy and resilient communities and families. SDHU staff are active members of the Manitoulin Service Provider Network, which meets with the purpose of knowledge sharing as well as yearly event planning. Network members includes representatives from the Child and Family Centre, Children’s Community Network, M’Chigeeng Daycare and Resource Centre, Wikwemikong Toy Library, and Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board. In addition, public health nurses presented monthly to the Manitoulin Best Start Hub, through Manitoulin Family Resources, on a variety of topics such as oral care, sun safety, growth and development, and Healthy Babies Healthy Children services.

Summary

The Sudbury & District Health Unit is part of a provincial system of public health that works “upstream” to promote health and prevent disease. Locally, the SDHU provides a broad range of programs and services in collaboration with local community partners and community members throughout the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts and the City of Greater Sudbury.

This snapshot of public health was developed to paint a picture of SDHU activities on Manitoulin Island during the 2014 calendar year for Manitoulin Island leaders and citizens. The variety and volume of programming to meet local needs is impressive.

The Sudbury & District Health Unit is grateful to the leadership of the following Manitoulin Island communities for their keen interest in public health in their communities:

Sudbury & District Health Unit staff are passionate about their work and eager to work with partners to support health and ensure opportunities for health for all throughout Manitoulin Island and beyond!

Did you know?
Public Health staff can be reached at any time from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday through the main office for routine business, and are available 24/7 for after-hours emergencies at 705.688.4366.

This item was last modified on March 7, 2024