Saskatchewan Population Health and Evaluation Research Unit
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Item Programmes d’alimentation scolaire au Canada: 15 cas prometteurs(University of Saskatchewan et La Coalition pour une saine alimentation scolaire, 2025-01-06) Ruetz, Amberley; Michnik, Kaylee; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Alaniz-Salinas, Natalia; Doyle, Emily; Kirk, Sara; Korten, Dana; Tasala, Kirsti; Levkoe, Charles; Martin, Alicia; Mercille, Genevieve; Heckelman, Amber; Smith, Chrissy; Renwick, Kerry; Sallans, Alissa; Ostertag, Sonja; Skinner, Kelly; Trask, Nina; Weber, Nicole; Hoyer, Gary; McKenna, MaryEn avril 2024, le gouvernement du Canada a annoncé la création d’un Programme national d’alimentation scolaire, ce qui a incité à documenter les modèles prometteurs en matière d’alimentation scolaire au Canada. Bien que le Canada n’ait jamais eu de programme pancanadien, il existe depuis des dizaines d’années des innovations en matière d’alimentation scolaire à différentes échelles dans les communautés. Cependant, peu d’études décrivent la diversité des modèles actuels de programmes d'alimentation scolaire au Canada. La multitude de programmes d’alimentation scolaire au Canada, souvent gérés par des bénévoles et financés par les gouvernements provinciaux, territoriaux et municipaux, par des organisations caritatives locales et nationales et, pour certains programmes, par la contribution des parents, est l’occasion de recenser l’ensemble de ces pratiques. De nombreuses écoles primaires canadiennes ne disposent pas d’une cuisine industrielle ou d’une cafétéria/zone de restauration désignée, mais gèrent des programmes d’alimentation scolaire exemplaires dont peuvent s’inspirer d’autres écoles dans des contextes similaires. Les programmes prometteurs présentés dans ce rapport illustrent les innovations déjà mises en oeuvre pour favoriser la santé, l’éducation et le bien-être général des enfants dans les communautés du Canada. Ce rapport répond à un besoin de comprendre les détails opérationnels des programmes d’alimentation scolaire qui existent pour répondre aux divers besoins des communautés à travers le Canada. Nous remercions le gouvernement du Canada pour son soutien financier dans le cadre des Programmes d’appui aux langues officielles, qui a permis la traduction de l’étude en français.Item Health & Well-Being Informed City-Building And Design Practices: A Survey Of Saskatoon City Councillors And Employees(University of Saskatchewan - College of Medicine, SPHERU, 2024-10) Muhajarine, Nazeem; Ramamoorthy, Sahana; Janzen, CoraSaskatoon is on the cusp of a major urban transformation that will propel it to the forefront of Canadian cities as a modern, inclusive, equity-driven, and sustainable city. As of July 2021, Saskatoon had an estimated population of 282,900, with a youthful median age of 36.8 years, one of the lowest among Canadian Census Metropolitan Areas. Approximately 10.4% of the population identifies as Aboriginal, and the city experiences substantial annual population growth driven by international migration. The city’s vision encompasses a significant evolution in public spaces, mobility, land use, built form, and overall public realm enhancements. A cornerstone of Saskatoon’s strategic development is the “Growth Plan to Half a Million”, which outlines a comprehensive framework for future expansion. This plan integrates various initiatives, including the Bus Rapid Transit Plan, Corridor Planning Program, Active Transportation Plan, and related implementation activities. These initiatives aim to transform public spaces and mobility while supporting sustainable changes inland use, built form, and public realm improvements. Decisions at the municipal level have profound implications for health and well-being of people in Saskatoon. Effective neighbourhood design, which prioritizes complete, compact, and connected communities, directly benefits public health. Transportation networks that promote active travel, diverse and affordable housing options, and accessible food systems all contribute to a healthier urban environment and, in turn, people. Additionally, developmental initiatives that integrate and preserve natural green spaces play a key role in enhancing community health and well-being. Despite these opportunities to improve community health and well-being, a significant challenge persists: not all municipal professionals fully incorporate health considerations into their work. While it is recognized that the municipal government currently lacks direct funding and a specific mandate related to health, neglecting health and well-being implications indecision-making hinders the city’s potential for healthy growth and presents a substantial obstacle to achieving the health and well-being benefits of integrated approach. The insights gained from this survey of municipal councillors and employees will be instrumental in understanding and improving the integration of health and well-being evidence into city-building and design decision-making in Saskatoon.Item School Food Programs in Canada - Needs Assessment and Community Engagement Guide(University of Saskatchewan, 2024-12-05) Foster, Stefanie; Heckelman, Amber; Ruetz, Amberley; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Black, Jennifer; Alaniz-Salinas, Natalia; Michnik, KayleeIn April 2024, the Government of Canada announced a one-billion-dollar commitment over five years for the development of a national school food program. In June 2024, Employment and Social Development Canada followed that up by releasing a national school food policy that lays out the federal government’s long-term vision for school food and will act as “a roadmap that can guide the delivery of school food programs” in Canada (Employment and Social Development Canada, 2024). As the federal and provincial governments work to determine how to best deliver this funding to schools and agencies, it’s the perfect time for schools and school divisions to get actively engaged. As the national school food program rolls out, many schools will be undertaking school food programs (SFPs) for the first time, assessing their needs and capacity, and creating new SFPs from scratch. Others will be taking stock of their existing programs; evaluating and prioritizing their students’ needs; assessing the strengths, and challenges of current models; and making plans for upscaling and improving on past successes. This guide will help both groups by offering information and recommendations for conducting needs assessments and engaging key partners; and providing guidance for community consultation and collaboration.Item The School Food Development Project: Lunch Lessons Learned(Saskatchewan Population Health Evaluation Research Unit, 2024-04-30) Foster, Stefanie; Shakotko, Tammy; Quinn, Shay; Engler-Stringer, RachelThe School Food Development Project explored the design and implementation of culturally-appropriate school food programs (SFPs) with Indigenous schools and communities. Partnered with nine Meadow Lake Tribal Council (MLTC) Education schools and three Saskatoon Public (SPS) schools the research team explored strengths and challenges of existing programs; worked with schools to design interventions and initiatives that would strengthen/grow breakfast, lunch and snack programs and increase the amount of food literacy learning happening in classrooms. The Lunch Lessons Learned report acts as a capstone for the project and offers some short case studies, practical recommendations for improving SFPs and links to resources to help schools and agencies along their school food journey. The School Food Development Project was funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)'s Healthy Canadians and Communities Fund. The Lunch Lessons Learned report was funded by Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR).Item School Food Programs in Canada: 15 Promising Cases(University of Saskatchewan and Coalition for Healthy School Food, 2024-05-24) Ruetz, Amberley; Michnik, Kaylee; Engler-Stringer, Rachel; Alaniz-Salinas, Natalia; Doyle, Emily; Kirk, Sara; Korten, Dana; Tasala, Kirsti; Levkoe, Charles; Martin, Alicia; Mercille, Genevieve; Heckelman, Amber; Smith, Chrissy; Renwick, Kerry; Sallans, Alissa; Ostertag, Sonja; Skinner, Kelly; Trask, Nina; Weber, Nicole; Hoyer, Gary; McKenna, MaryThe Government of Canada’s April 2024 announcement of a National School Food Program has made documenting promising school food models in Canada particularly timely. While Canada has never had a national program, there has been school food innovation at various scales across communities for decades. However, few studies describe the range of current Canadian school food program models. Canada’s patchwork of different school food programs, often volunteer-run and funded by provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, local and national charities, and in some programs, parental contribution, presents an opportunity to document the range of practices. Many elementary schools in Canada do not have an industrial kitchen or a cafeteria/ designated eating area yet manage exemplary school food programs which other schools in similar contexts can learn from. The promising school food programs in this report illustrate the innovation that is already happening to support the health, education and overall well-being of children in communities in Canada. This report responds to a need for insight into the operational details of school food programs that exist to meet the diverse needs of communities across Canada. This report is the first in a series that will form a how-to guide for school food program development for the Canadian context. Understanding how promising school food program models operate across a range of geographies, scales, cost models, and more, can help school food program practitioners, researchers, and educators think about and apply promising practices and methods to school food programming.