September 20, 2022, Toronto, ON – Residents of high-rise towers in two Greater Toronto Area neighbourhoods will enjoy a greener, healthier environment thanks to a Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) program supported by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) under the Intersectoral Action Fund.
Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre, announced PHAC’s funding commitment of $117,315 to support TRCA’s Growing Healthy Towers initiative today in Knightsbridge, Bramalea in the City of Brampton. TRCA Board member and City of Brampton Regional Councillor Rowena Santos represented TRCA at the announcement.
The Growing Healthy Towers project will benefit residents of the Knightsbridge neighbourhood of Bramalea in Region of Peel, and the Rexdale/Smithfield neighbourhood in the City of Toronto. The project will build on initiatives that TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) is currently undertaking in these communities.
Growing Healthy Towers is designed to help transform low-income residential tower communities into healthier and greener places to live. TRCA brings together resident champions and partners from various sectors to develop solutions to improve the physical and mental health of community members. The project’s areas of focus include promoting access to greenspace, food security, healthy living, social inclusion, and skills training.
The initiative brings together more than 20 organizations across two regions and 12 sectors, including City of Brampton and City of Toronto, local Public Health units, municipal, private and public housing sector partners, and community organizations working on the ground in these neighbourhoods.
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) established the Intersectoral Action Fund to support action on social determinants of health by building capacity in communities to advance intersectoral action in ways that improve population health and reduce health inequities.
Quotes:
“These organizations play an important role in helping the Government of Canada strengthen its efforts to address our country’s complex public health challenges. These projects will help build a healthier future for communities in Ontario.”
— Shafqat Ali, Member of Parliament for Brampton Centre
“Supporting community resilience, and healthy human and natural systems is at the core of what we do at Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. We are honoured that the Public Health Agency of Canada has chosen to fund TRCA’s Growing Healthy Towers project, which is working with more than 20 organizations, across two regions, and 12 sectors, investing in neighbourhoods experiencing intersecting climate and community health issues.”
— John MacKenzie, Chief Executive Officer, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
TRCA’s Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP)
- The Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) is a proven solution for sustainable urban renewal that places neighbourhoods at the centre of the implementation framework.
- SNAP seeks to develop action plans to improve the local environment on the neighbourhood scale and build resiliency against climate change by greening local infrastructure and encouraging positive behavior changes among residents.
- SNAP works with local stakeholders, including residents, businesses, groups, and institutions, to identify strategic approaches for advancing resilience at the neighbourhood scale.
- TRCA to date has initiated SNAP programs in 10 Greater Toronto Area neighbourhoods. While all SNAP programs follow a common approach, each SNAP is unique to its neighbourhood.
- In 2021, TRCA launched two new SNAP programs in the Thornhill and Bramalea neighbourhoods in Vaughan and Brampton. SNAP held 50 events, engaged more than 2,750 stakeholders, and increased active partnerships from 60 to 90.
To learn more visit trca.ca/snap.
About Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
With more than 60 years of experience, TRCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario, created to safeguard and enhance the health and well-being of watershed communities through the protection and restoration of the natural environment and the ecological services the environment provides. More than five million people live within TRCA-managed watersheds, and many others work in and visit destinations across the jurisdiction. These nine watersheds, plus their collective Lake Ontario waterfront shorelines, span six upper-tier and 15 lower-tier municipalities. Some of Canada’s largest and fastest growing municipalities, including Toronto, Markham, and Vaughan, are located entirely within TRCA’s jurisdiction.
To learn more about TRCA, visit trca.ca.
Media Contact
Shereen Daghstani
Senior Manager, Communications, Marketing and Events
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA)
Shereen.daghstani@trca.ca