The health unit works with community partners to make nutritious food easier to find, afford and choose in all the places where people live, learn, work and play.

We:

• Assess and report on the nutritional health of our communities and local access to food. 
• Work with community partners to support policies, programs and community spaces that make choosing nutritious food easier.
• Work with decision-makers in municipalities,  schools, organizations and community partners to make nutritious food easier to find, afford and choose.
• Share trusted nutrition information, evidence and resources that support nutrition across the lifespan.
• Work with community members and partners to reduce household food insecurity and strengthen food systems.

What Matters to Your Health

Eating nutritious food is easier when it is affordable and accessible. The environment around us shapes the choices we can make.

For You

Eating a variety of foods can help you feel good, give you energy, lift your mood, and support your health. It can also lower the risk of diseases like heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers.

For Parents/Caregivers

Healthy eating is important for children’s growth and overall health. Parents can be good role models for children by providing and enjoying a variety of colourful vegetables and fruits, as well as whole grains and protein rich foods, at meals and snack time. Parents can also help children thrive by making a habit of sitting down, at regular times each day, to eat home-cooked food and enjoy time together as a family. [Find resources for feeding infants, toddlers, and school-age children here.]

For Schools

Food and nutrition is one of the curriculum-linked strategies that contributes to creating a healthier school environment. Healthy school environments that are consistent with the nutrition information being taught in the classroom, shapes and informs lifelong healthy habits in students. [Find out more here.] 

For Childcare Providers

Child Care Providers play a key role in shaping children’s eating habits, growth, development, and overall well-being. By offering nutritious meals and snacks, modeling healthy eating behaviors, and fostering a positive attitude toward food, providers help children build lifelong healthy habits. [More resources are available here.]

For Health Professionals

Health Professionals have an important role in supporting nutritious eating. [Find resources here.]

Household Food Insecurity

Food insecurity can have a serious impact on physical, mental, and social health starting in childhood. Income solutions like a basic income for everyone, living wage, social assistance rates geared to the real cost of living, and policies that encourage good jobs with regular hours and benefits are needed. This would see everyone able to afford basic needs and put food on the table with dignity. [Learn more here.]

Sustainable Food Systems

Access to a steady and affordable supply of healthy food improves individual and community health. Communities must take action to preserve and protect the land, water, and other resources required to produce food and sustain and grow the local food system. [Learn more about sustainable food systems here.]

For more information:

Contact the health unit here.

Updated: September 10, 2026