Top, Grad students at a weather station as part of research on the Nechako River watershed; Above, Graduate student Zachary Fleck spent time living at Gateway Lodge, a long-term care and assisted living facility in Prince George, B.C., engaging in activities with residents as part of an experiential learning course. **supplied**

Ecosystem and community health

Creating stronger outcomes, meeting community needs at the University of Northern British Columbia

From its base in Prince George, the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is working to improve health outcomes in local communities, including in older populations, with an approach that integrates the health of people, communities and the natural environment. Beyond contributing to stronger and more resilient northern communities, these efforts are also contributing to advances in research and innovation at the society level.

Shannon Freeman, an associate professor at the UNBC School of Nursing, is a social gerontologist whose research focuses on enhancing health and well-being in later life, particularly in rural and northern communities. Her work is directly generated from community needs, including through a central partnership with the province’s Northern Health Authority.

Dr. Freeman worked with AGE-WELL, Northern Health and UNBC to create the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN), a national innovation hub in the AGE-WELL network on technology and aging.

“Through CTAAN, we work with communities in Northern B.C. to identify needs and connect with industry partners from across Canada to introduce technologies that complement existing services and supports to help older people engage in meaningful activities,” she says.

Research projects have included use of a robotic glove that can help reduce tremors in the hands of persons living with essential tremors, examining the benefits of e-readers to mitigate apathy and promote easier access to reading in long-term care homes, and an intergenerational digital storytelling program that brought together Elders and school children.

Research producing lasting change

Research in an assisted living and long-term care facility in one community produced benefits that extended across Northern B.C. and beyond.

Dr. Freeman and her team worked with facility residents and staff to co-design and pilot a four-month gardening program along with an activity and educational program. At the time, policy didn’t permit residents to grow their own food for mealtime consumption in such facilities.

Raised-bed vegetable gardens were created in an outdoor courtyard space, and a hydroponic tower garden was set up indoors.

“The research showed that the gardening program increased social engagement, reduced social isolation, and boosted health and well-being for all residents, while also benefiting staff and families,” says Dr. Freeman. “And as a result, our Northern Health Authority partners changed the policy to make this type of program permissible for all individuals in long-term care, and now similar programs are spreading to other facilities in the North.

“The biggest joy for me as a researcher is responding to community needs and having our partners use the evidence to create meaningful change in our health system to enhance the lives of older adults and support them to age well in rural and northern communities.”

Leveraging community connections

Through deep partnerships with local communities and Northern Health, and extensive collaboration across Canada and internationally, Margot Parkes is engaged in research to advance knowledge about the connections between ecosystems – and equity and health in communities relying on those ecosystems.

With a background in clinical medicine, public health and ecohealth, Dr. Parkes has spent over a decade working on collaborative and interdisciplinary projects focused on the Nechako watershed, a river basin in north-central B.C. that joins the Fraser River at Prince George. The confluence of the Nechako and Fraser rivers is also carried in the name of Lheidli T’enneh First Nation, on whose territory the UNBC main campus is located. UNBC research in the Nechako watershed spans academic specialists across disciplines that include environmental, health and aquatic sciences, working with First Nations communities, governments and other stakeholders to strengthen evidence and understanding at the intersection of climate change, watershed security, health and well-being.

“The Nechako is a large and important watershed within the Fraser River basin, geographically the size of Switzerland, and is facing numerous challenges including drought, declining fish stocks and more frequent wildfires. Our research is not only relevant for rural, remote and Indigenous communities but also helping to expand global understanding of the health of people, places and the planet at a crucial time for all of our futures,” says Dr. Parkes.

A related initiative is the Koh-Learning in our Watersheds program, which brings together students in the Nechako Lakes School District to engage with other partners in hands-on outdoor learning connecting students, communities and waterways.

“What we do with schools has amazing ripple effects,” says Dr. Parkes. “This research helps students connect as environmental stewards in their communities, while cultivating learning grounded in place that brings knowledge in STEAM [science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics] subjects together with well-being and identity.”

Dr. Parkes also connects the watershed and health research with researchers involved in similar work in rural, remote and Indigenous communities in New Brunswick, Ontario and Alberta. “We are able to build on each other’s strengths through these collaborations, and this cross-fertilization has extended to other partners in places like New Zealand, Australia and Fiji,” she says. “We all prioritize relationships among ecosystems, social equity and community impact in our research and not a focus on health in isolation. Otherwise, we’re not going to be moving together fast enough to address these complex local and global issues.”

For Paula Wood-Adams, UNBC vice-president research and innovation, these examples underline that “innovation leading to impact happens across all disciplines at UNBC because of our unique connections with community, environment, industry and government partners.”

She adds, “UNBC faculty and students develop local solutions through research that informs policy, decision-making and action at a global level.”

An interdisciplinary multi-party approach is also central to an upcoming submission to the Canada Foundation for Innovation: to support the Northern Hub for Health Research, an Indigenous-informed, collaborative project by the Health Research Institute, Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and the Northern Centre for Clinical Research. The hub will transform health research in Northern B.C. by fostering health research to address regional health disparities and promote economic and academic growth in the life sciences and health sectors.

To view this report on The Globe's website, visit globeandmail.com

To view the full report as it appeared in The Globe's print edition Excellence in research & innovation