Festival of Hope

Join us for the 3rd Annual Festival of Hope!

Saturday June 6, 2009
11 am to 3 pm
Ferry Terminal Park
Alderney Landing, Dartmouth

• Free BBQ and entertainment
• Information booths from community organizations that support mental health
• Complementary therapy practitioners
• Vendors market
• Children's activities

For more information, please call The Empowerment Connection at 404-3445 or check out the Festival's website at www.festivalofhope.ca

Come Along For The Ride....

HRM Bike Week is May 29 to June 7, 2009

The HRM Bike Week Committee is pleased to invite you to join us at the many events and activities happening during HRM Bike Week 2009. Building on the success of last year's Bike Week, we have put together an exciting program of events which celebrate cycling, as well as educate and motivate residents to bicycle even more in 2009.

Please be sure to check out all of the Bike Week events and updates at www.halifax.ca/bikeweek .

Help us spread the word - as there are over 30 events taking place from May 29th to June 7th, 2009. May 29th will kick off this years HRM Bike Week - free ferry rides, Bicycle Auction, OPEN STREET party, workshops, films, bike and boat, bike and bowl, draw prizes at all events, and PANCAKES galore . . . .

This event could not be possible without the support from countless volunteers, local organizations and community members.
A huge thank you for your continual support to:

Halifax Cycling Coalition - www.cyclehalifax.ca
Ecology Action Centre - www.ecologyaction.ca
Halifax Regional School Board - www.hrsb.ns.ca
Halifax Ramblers Bicycle Club - www.nsramblers.ca
Halifax Regional Police - www.halifax.ca/police
Halifax Community Recreation Services - www.halifax.ca/rec
Metro Transit - www.halifax.ca/metrotransit
Bike Again - www.bikeagain.ning.com
Bicycle Nova Scotia - www.bicycle.ns.ca/
Velo Halifax - www.velohalifax.ca

Canadian Environment Week - May 31 to June 6, 2009

COMMUNITY SHRED EVENT - BEAT IDENTITY THEFT

Saturday June 6, 2009
10 am to 2 pm
Halifax Forum, Civic Centre Parking Lot
Corner of Young and Windsor Streets

You are invited to bring your personal documents to be shredded and recycled at a special one day paper shred event. To ensure as many residents as possible take advantage of this FREE services, there is a limit of 3 files boxes per individual. Please: NO binders, CD's, DVD's, credit cards, plastic report covers or video tapes. Staples and paper clips are ok.

Visit: www.halifax.ca/wrms or call 490-7152 for more details.

HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE DROP OFF

Saturday June 6, 2009
9 am to 4 pm
Mic Mac Mall - Lower Parking Lot

Get rid of your unused solvents and chemicals. The HHW drop off at 20 Horseshoe Lake Drive in Bayers Lake will also be open on this same day.

Community Health Survey

Public encouraged to take part in major health survey

Beginning May 14 until mid-June, Capital Health and the Halifax Peninsula Community Health Board will be conducting a major telephone health survey. The information gathered through the survey will help your local Community Health Board and Capital Health set priorities and plan services and programs. Survey participants who receive a call will have the option to do the survey over the telephone or online. Make a contribution to the health of your community and answer the survey if you receive a call.

For information, contact:
Halifax Peninsula Community Health Board
(902) 424-5147

Community Health Director
(902) 424-3390

Mobile Tech 4 Social Change Halifax

Mobile Tech 4 Social Change

is an open dialog barcamp exploring mobile technologies and new media to help make the world a better place. This active conversation of turning ideas into action welcomes nonprofits, software developers or anyone interested in how new technologies can be used to organize, advocate and provide better health, environment, human rights, citizen media and other social services.

How can Twitter be used quickly mobilize a group of supporters to rally your cause?
Can geo caching be used to increase tourism to your community?
How can Facebook be used to fund your nonprofit?
Can SMS be used to improve healthcare by providing timely intervention messages to patients?
How do you engage new volunteers to form lasting relationships for your organization?
Can mobile phones be used to gather current environmental information?
How can mobile crowdsourcing provide knowledge and skills to achieve tasks previously not possible?
Our goal is to draw together the nonprofit and tech communities to share knowledge, ask interesting questions and spark ideas.The one-day event will be hosted at theHubHalifax on Saturday, May 23rd .

Some of the sessions include:
Jacob Colker of Extraordinaries - Future of Mobile Crowdsourcing (video conference call)
John Sheridan of SocialMedia404 - Integrating Mobile into Your Non-Profit Organization
Dan Robichaud of C@P - Using Geo-Data To Improve Our CommunitiesJhonatan Rotberg of Next Billion - [un-determined at the moment] (video conference call)For more information visit the M4ChangeHFX website or follow us on Twitter <https://twitter.com/m4changehfx> .

Halifax is a great community because...?

We're curious. We'd like to know what you think makes Halifax a great community. People...services...green spaces...weather...You get the idea.

Add your two cents worth. We'd love to hear from you!

Early Childhood Development

Dr. Clyde Hertzman, President, Council for Early Child Development
will speak on
"Early Human Intervention as a Determinant of Health"

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Wednesday, May 13OE Smith Auditorium, IWK Health Centre
[Level 2 (main level), Children's Site]

As the President of the Council for Early Child Development, Dr. Hertzman is a leader in advocating for and working towards a national system of child monitoring that will act as a foundation for a comprehensive early child development system in Canada.

A graduate of Medicine, Community Medicine, and Epidemiology at McMaster University, Dr. Clyde Hertzman has been a faculty member of the Department of Health Care and Epidemiology at the University of British Columbia since 1985. He is the Director of the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) at UBC, an internationally recognized research network that integrates behavioural and social sciences with biomedical sciences to study life course development, with a particular focus on early child development. Dr. Hertzman developed the conceptual framework for the determinants of health as well as explained the role of early childhood development as a determinant of health. He has led the provincial implementation of the Early Development Instrument, measuring children’s development in five areas: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, language and cognitive development, and communication and general knowledge.

This event is part of the IWK Department of Pediatrics, Grand Rounds, and is open to the public.

Invest in Yourself!

Mental Health Week Events

MONDAY, MAY 4th

Halifax Mental Health Week Launch: “NOW MORE THAN EVER: INVEST IN YOURSELF" May 4th, 12noon-2:00pm, Scotia Square. Staff & Volunteers from Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) will be distributing test your stress cards and the Capital District Health Authority (CDHA) will be promoting their new mental health website www.ourhealthyminds.com .

For more information on Mental Health Week visit; www.cmha.ca & www.cmhahaldart.ca or call CMHA Halifax-Dartmouth Branch at 455-5445.

CMHA National Mental Health Week Sponsor - Desjardins Financial.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 6th

Inspiring Lives Awards, An Event by the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia & the Canadian Mental Health Association, Nova Scotia Division
May 6th, 11:30am – 1:30pm, Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax, Tickets $50 each

The Inspiring Lives Awards recognizes the achievements of Nova Scotians who have inspired others as they face their own challenges with mental illness or addictions. For more information call the Mental Health Foundation at (902) 464-6000, web: www.mentalhealthns.ca or CMHA NS Division at 466-6600/1-877-466-6606, web: www.novascotia.cmha.ca
2nd Annual Spring Dance-A-Thon, Independent Living Resource Centre
May 6th, 7:00pm – 9:30pm, Bloomfield Centre Gymnasium, 2786 Agricola Street
$5 for members, $7 for guests, payable at the door. To confirm your attendance please call 453-0004. Pledge sheets available for donations.

THURSDAY, MAY 7th

Stop the Silence: Our Mental Health Matters, National Child & Youth Mental Health Day May 7th, 9:00am – 4:00pm. Keynote presentation by the Hon. Michael Kirby, Chair of the Mental Health Commission of Canada. Presented by The Mental Health & Addictions Program, IWK Health Centre. For registration information (deadline may 1st), please visit www.iwk.nshealth.ca or contact Nicole Fraughton at (902) 470-8588.

FRIDAY, MAY 8th

Mental Health and Addictions Awareness Event:
Friday, May 8th, 9:00am – 12 noon (register by May 1st), IWK Auditorium, Halifax.

The IWK Health Centre welcomes you to join us to promote Advocacy and Awareness in Mental Health and Addictions. This event will feature youth and their families as well as experts in Mental Health such as Dr. Stan Kutcher and a “first voice” panel and discussion hosted by Susan Hess, former president of the Parents for Children’s Mental Health There will be no fee for this event but seating is limited. To register e-mail or nicole.fraughton@iwk.nshealth.ca

Community Mental Health Open Houses in Downtown Dartmouth
May 8th, 2:00pm – 4:00pm.

Visit: Among Friends Social Club, CMHA Halifax- Dartmouth Br. (86A Portland Street)
Our Thyme Cafe, Elizabeth Fry Society (98 Portland Street);
Canadian Mental Health Association, NS Division (63 King Street)
Self Help Connection & Consumer Initiative Centre (63 King Street Top Floor)
New Beginnings, CDHA (16 Portland Street).
For more information visit: www.cmhahaldart.ca or call 455-5445.

SATURDAY, MAY 9th

Schizophrenia Society of Nova Scotia, Five-Kilometer Walkathon
May 9th 12noon-6:00pm, St. Mathews United Church, 1479 Barrington Street, Halifax.
Road to Recovery: Supporting Families as Partners in Mental Health Care. To register & obtain an official Road to Recovery Pledge Sheet, please contact Donna Methot at (902) 462-8658 or hrmchapterssns@accesswave.ca Website: www.ssns.ca