Category: West Park Action

Reflecting on Canada’s water quality for World Rivers Day

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Clara Phillips

September 23, 2022

On September 25 we celebrate World Rivers Day. This global celebration of our planet’s rivers stemmed from the success of BC Rivers Day, founded by Mark Angelo in western Canada in 1980. The first World Rivers Day was celebrated in 2005 among twelve countries and has since grown with several million people participating last year in up to 100 countries. Learn more here about the history of World Rivers Day and its founder, Mark Angelo.

Water quality efforts in healthcare settings

Pollution prevention in wastewater discharge from healthcare facilities is a challenging task. The common products used to ensure a sanitary environment produce unavoidable subject pollutants. However, certain innovations and thoughtful choices have improved water conditions:

  • Phasing out mercury in thermometers and other medical devices
  • Purchasing cleaning supplies without chemicals that are toxic to aquatic organisms, such as nonylphenol ethoxylates
  • Proper disposal of medications, and prescriptions only when truly needed, to reduce pharmaceutical levels found in sewage

West Park’s latest water quality report, completed in June 2022, follows our Pollution Prevention (P2) Plan that ensures our operations (including in the new hospital) meet the environmental legislative requirements with respect to environmental protection. The new hospital will include modern technology to improve water efficiency and lessen the strain on downstream water utilities and treatment plants:

  • Stormwater leaving the campus will be minimized with green roofs, rain water harvesting and stormwater management ponds
  • The demand for potable water will be reduced with water-efficient fixtures, like low-flow toilets and hands-free faucets, and modern landscaping techniques including a rainwater irrigation system, planting native and drought-tolerant plants, and using mulch to retain water

Water quality in First Nations communities

Canada has the 7th-largest supply of renewable freshwater per capita in the world, but this resource is not evenly distributed nor properly maintained across the entire country. According to the Fraser Institute, the overall state of water quality in Canada is very good; however there are localized areas that require urgent maintenance and monitoring. In particular, Indigenous communities face extreme water security challenges. The stats are alarming: 35% of First Nations communities in Ontario are under a drinking water advisory, meaning they have no access to safe drinking water at home. Limited access to safe water can result in serious illness, increased consumption of sweetened beverages as an alternative to water, poor hygiene, and higher infection transmission.

While the infrastructure and operation of water treatment plants plays a critical role in supplying safe water, protecting the quality of environmental water supplies is invaluable. From 2010-2013, 18% of boil water advisories for drinking water were caused by water quality issues like E. coli or other microbiological parameters. In a study from the University of Waterloo that surveyed members from 10 Indigenous communities from the Northwest Territories and Yukon, they found that 7% of participants consume water collected directly from a nearby body of water, as opposed to tap water, due to various factors influencing their trust of the tap water supply.

The Great Lakes provide a significant source of drinking water and 9 of Canada’s 20 largest cities reside in this region. However, the ability of these lakes to support viable ecosystems is strained by the associated population and the urban and industrial facilities. The Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement supports coordinated efforts to restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Great Lakes basin ecosystem. The St. Lawrence River is another vital body of water in our nation, linking the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, supplying an ecosystem of lakes and freshwater reaches, and home to diverse plant and marine life. The quality of the St. Lawrence River water is at jeopardy due to high levels of phosphorus and nitrogen from human activity through industrial wastewaters, agricultural runoff, and air pollution. As shown in the Figure below, only one water quality monitoring station in Saint-Maurice showed “Good” nutrient levels. Learn about the St. Lawrence Action Plan and the efforts being made to conserve, restore, and protect the St. Lawrence River.

Total phosphorus and nitrogen levels for 2017 to 2019 in the St. Lawrence River

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Lastly, we would like to recognize the upcoming National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on September 30. As a vital component of the reconciliation process, this day commemorates the tragic history and ongoing impacts of residential schools. Many Survivors today are unfortunately also members of the First Nations communities facing water security challenges. Across the country, hundreds of activities are taking place to commemorate the history and legacy of residential schools, and for you to learn about the rich and diverse cultures, voices, and stories of the First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples.

West Park’s flourishing Gardening Club is growing its own food

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Michelle Rowe-Jardine

September 21, 2022

For anyone who has visited the rooftop patio this summer, patients, family members, staff, and bumblebees have been treated to a gorgeous splash of nature right here at the hospital. The patio is thriving with vibrant greenery and flowers – and even watermelons!

It has been the perfect backdrop to come and relax, eat, socialize, and bask in nature. At the centre of it all are planters that have been overflowing with flowers, fruits, and veggies – and we have the Gardening Club to thank for that.

The Gardening Club, run by Recreation Therapy, brings patients together to get their hands dirty while experiencing the joys of watching a living thing grow and thrive under their care.

Rec therapy has been hard at work with patients to transform the space for everyone to enjoy, and learning a lot along the way.

While neither Ksenia Melamed, Recreation Therapist, nor Jennifer DeGuzman, Recreation Therapy Assistant, were dedicated green thumbs before the program, Melamed says the club has helped her grow into one.

“We learn from each other, and we learn from the patients. The patients know so much,” she says.

Patients provided input for what they would like to grow this summer, which is why you’ll spot tomatoes, peppers, kale, green onions, watermelons and more. After all their hard work, the club harvests these goods and turns them into snacks for the patients, including kale smoothies.

Learn how to grow food in your own backyard or apartment balcony! While there is limited time for the summer harvest, use this guide today to check out what to plant next for the fall season!

West Park takes home top prize from Canadian Coalition of Green Health Care

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Samantha Pender, March 4, 2021

With West Park well on its way to becoming a new integrated campus of care, continuing to minimize the environmental impact in the future has been one of the top priorities. And The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care has taken notice.

At the end of 2020, West Park’s sustainability efforts were recognized with one prestigious award and two honourable mentions. The Centre won the Green Leadership award for the Year of 2019, and received honourable mentions in the Pollution Prevention category and the Green Hospital of the Year category.

The Green Hospital Scorecard is a comprehensive health care benchmarking tool that measures energy and water conservation, waste management and recycling, corporate commitment, and pollution prevention. Participating hospitals report on their environmental and sustainability initiatives through an online questionnaire and the resulting Scorecard summarizes their environmental performance relative to their peers. 

Kendra Rainford, Operational Readiness Coordinator for Campus Development and Sustainability Coordinator, has been leading West Park’s sustainability efforts as chair of the Environmental Sustainability Committee for four years, and is looking forward to supporting the planning of an environmentally sustainable future at the Centre.

“It’s really great to have our sustainability efforts for West Park recognized by The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care, and I’m really proud of the work our committee has accomplished so far,” Rainford says. “But we have big plans going forward, and I’m hoping these aren’t the last of our awards.”

This is West Park’s second consecutive year taking home a top award, and third award from The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care overall. West Park has a long-standing history of environmental awards that can be found here: https://www.westpark.org/AboutUs/AwardsandHonours.

While the work accomplished by the Environmental Sustainability Committee so far has captured the attention of many, the committee is forging onward to make a greener and brighter future for West Park’s new hospital, honouring West Park’s longstanding green legacy and commitment to environmentally sustainable healthcare operations.

West Park’s award was presented at the Coalition’s virtual awards ceremony in December 2020 by Executive Director Neil Ritchie.

The Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care is recognized as Canada’s premier, integrated green resource network driving leadership in environmentally-sustainable health care practices and a catalyst for environmental change by encouraging the adoption of multiple environmental principles and practices to reduce the Canadian health care sector’s ecological impact while protecting human health.

“The healthcare industry has a huge environmental footprint, and we really want West Park to be at the forefront of trying to reduce that,” Rainford explains. “It’s incredibly important to us that our future operations and practices align with our new state-of-the-art, energy efficient infrastructure in the new hospital.”

Happy World Environment Day!

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Clara Phillips, June 5, 2020

World Environment Day was established by the United Nations in 1974, and is celebrated every year on June 5 to engage governments, business, celebrities and citizens to focus their efforts on environmental issues. The theme for 2020 is Biodiversity. The interdependence of humans and the ecosystems and species in which we coexist is essential to our existence. Climate change is threatening biodiversity globally, and its fragility is clearly seen with recent events such as uncontrollable wildfires, locust infestations across East Africa, clear-cutting for palm oil production, and collection of animals for wildlife markets. Experts believe this type of destruction of natural habitats increases the likelihood of infectious diseases like COVID-19. By distressing wildlife, reducing genetic diversity within animal and plant populations, and causing climate change, humans have created ideal conditions for the spread of viruses. To truly achieve a healthy planet and restore biodiversity, we must first understand the network of living systems and appreciate that it can only work sustainably if it functions coherently a whole.

Canada’s Biodiversity

The second-largest nation in the world, and bordered by three oceans, Canada’s abundant space and beauty makes this country unique. While we are a nation of rich biodiversity, we depend on it for survival, and thus we are responsible for the sustainable use of our biological resources. The Canadian Nature Survey, conducted in 2012, found that almost 70% of Canadian adults choose to spend time outdoors in order to experience nature, and that 13% of Canadian adults volunteered in nature conservation away from their home during an average of 31 days per year. Awareness of the terms “species at risk”, “biodiversity”, and “ecosystem services” was also consistently high in every province and territory. While it seems that Canadians may, in general, appreciate and take the time to enjoy their country’s outdoors, there is still more we can do, and must do, to protect our biodiversity.

Canada’s 6th National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity highlights our conservation plans for biodiversity by protecting fragile areas. In 2018, Canada reported it was on track to meet its target of conserving 10% of coastal and marine areas by 2020. However, progress has been slower in areas of terrestrial land conservation, recovery of species at risk, ecosystem-based management of fisheries, and reducing pollution levels in Canadian waters. These will be continued areas of focus moving forward, as some of our ecosystems are showing signs of stress.

How to Get Involved

Biodiversity education begins with learning. Discover the names of trees, birds, insects and native plants in your area. Once you know a little more, get out and experience the joys of your diverse environment. However, please be cautious of health officials’ pandemic safety guidelines at this time, and if you are looking to visit a recently opened provincial or national park, be prepared before you go with these tips! There are also many ways to get involved without going out into your community: increase biodiversity in your backyard and in your home!

See how West Park is combating climate change with sustainable practices and how we’re leveraging the benefits of nature for therapy in our design of the new hospital coming in 2024.

Thank you for your commitment to the environment. Stay Safe, Flatten the Curve, and Keep It Green!

Take a deep breath… It’s Clean Air Day!

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Clara Phillips, June 3, 2020

Did you know it’s Canadian Environment Week? Canadian Environment Week, established in 1971, is celebrated every year during the week of June 5 to coincide with UN World Environment Day, and this year it also includes Clean Air Day Canada (today!). Take this week to appreciate our beautiful country, and to learn more about our unique and diverse habitats. But first, what is Clean Air Day?

About Clean Air Day

Good air is vital to good health. In 1999, Canada declared Clean Air Day an annual celebration as part of the federal government’s commitment to prioritizing clean air for the physical, social  and economic well-being of all Canadians and their environment.

Environment Canada states that air pollution is one of the most significant environmental challenges that affects public health, yet is also one of the most avoidable causes of death and disease. During this concerning time of COVID-19, the importance of clean air has an even greater influence. Exposure to air pollution increases susceptibility to respiratory viral infections and pneumonia, suggesting that people exposed to higher levels of air pollution may be at greater risk of becoming ill with COVID-19.

How West Park is Taking Action

In the healthcare field, facilities are now challenged by environmental interference as a result of rising temperatures, humidity advisories and poor air quality. West Park, as a leading healthcare facility with a tenacious focus specializing in respiratory rehabilitation, has recognized how the detrimental effects on air quality predisposes our vulnerable patient population to additional injury or illnesses.

Therefore, West Park has established additional precautions and corresponding procedures to ensure the respiratory safety and well-being of staff, physicians, volunteers, students, and patients by operating in accordance with the Government of Canada Air Quality Health Index report. Each year, West Park also voluntarily completes the Green Hospital Scorecard to help us improve our pollution prevention, as well as other climate factors such as energy and water conservation, waste management and recycling, and corporate commitment. Click here to read more about how we are tackling climate resiliency.

As West Park is currently undergoing the largest redevelopment in its history with the construction of a new six-story hospital, we are continuing to uphold our roots of integrating nature into therapy. The design of the new hospital features bringing elements of nature indoors and extending the therapeutic environment to the outdoors. With trails dispersed throughout the 10,000 square feet of outdoor space, respiratory patients, in particular, can use these trails to improve lung capacity in an environment supported with clean, fresh air supplied by surrounding trees. In fact, for every tree removed during construction, three new trees will be planted in their place. Read the full article about West Park’s campus development, “Nature is Nurture”, in the Canadian Healthcare Facilities Winter 2018/2019 issue here, on page 18.

What You Can Do

Wondering what you can do to help reduce your impact on air pollution? Here is a list put together by Air Quality Ontario:

  • Reduce your car use: walk, cycle or take public transit. Leave your car at home, if possible, or be efficient by doing all your errands at once. Hold a teleconference (something we’ve become accustom to during COVID-19) instead of travelling to meetings.
  • Drive clean: try carpooling and join the commuter challenge. Keep your car well maintained to ensure it runs its best, which will help limit its pollutants. If it’s in your means, purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle.
  • Turn off the lights: generating electricity contributes to smog, so remember to turn off the lights whenever you don’t need them!
  • Reduce hydro usage: air conditioning uses up energy which emits pollutants that contribute to smog. Set your air conditioning temperature a few degrees higher to help improve air quality.
  • Use air-friendly products: avoid using aerosol sprays and cleaners, oil-based paints and other chemical products that contribute to poor air quality indoors and outdoors. Use latex and water-based paints, and try a recipe for a DIY chemical-free cleaner.
  • Limit use of small engine tools: small gasoline engines in mowers, chain saws and leaf blowers emit high levels of pollutants that cause smog. Did you know that gasoline-powered lawn mower pollutes 3-4 times as much per hour as your car? Use electric-powered or, even better, manual tools which don’t produce any pollution. Use a push lawn mower to burn calories and protect the atmosphere, and don’t blow your leaves – rake them!

To learn more about the importance of clean air at home and how to protect yourself against air pollution, check out these online resources.

Stay Tuned

This year, the UN’s theme for World Environment Day is Biodiversity. Stay tuned for our upcoming post this Friday, June 5, to shine a light on this special day, and what it means for Canada.

Happy Earth Day!

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Clara Phillips, April 22, 2020

Most of our efforts have been devoted to frontline efforts to care for our patients during the current COVID-19 pandemic. There are few, if any, silver linings to a pandemic, but one has been the impressive resiliency, strength and positivity shown by our staff and other essential workers around the world to get through this time of uncertainty.

Even during these busy times, West Park has always proudly acknowledged the inherent connection of a healthy environment to the health of people, and continuously look for ways to decrease our carbon footprint. We’d like you to join us this Earth Day to celebrate our planet and West Park’s environmental sustainability efforts. From recycling to reducing energy consumption, we’ve now also utilized technology to allow staff who can work from home, to do so effectively, thus not only limiting the risk of viral transmission, but also ensuing a  reduction of emissions from commuting, something that has benefitted the environment on a global scale.

We wish nothing more that you stay safe and healthy during these unprecedented times. Read on for some tips to help you stay green while keeping within our health officials’ pandemic safety guidelines.

With recommendations to go out less frequently, or self-isolation requirements, you may have to be more creative with the food in your kitchen and your “pandemic pantry”. This gives us the opportunity to practice reducing food waste – a significant way to lower your carbon footprint (and your grocery bill!). The best way to reduce food waste is to cook with ingredients you already have at home. Look here for a list of simple and delicious meals you can make using common staple ingredients, and try this challenge:

Prepare a menu for the week with your family using as many close-to-expiring ingredients as you can. Get in the habit of rotating older food to the front of your fridge so you can see what you should be using first (this goes for your freezer and pantry as well!).

If you’re now spending significantly more time at home, make it a point to step away from any screens and streaming. Turn off the television, and do an electricity-free activity: read, work on a puzzle or a craft with your family, or practice an instrument.

Clean out your closet: mend, repurpose or donate old items instead of tossing them in the trash. Check with your local donation centre if they are currently accepting donations, and remember to practice physical distancing measures if you do go out to donate items.

Learn how to plant your garden with native species to protect our natural habitats, grow a small herb or vegetable garden, and click here to see how to grow ingredients on an apartment balcony.Read this article for more creative tips.

Join the Canadian Club Toronto and Thomas Mulcair, chairman of the board of directors at Earth Day Canada, through this virtual event on April 22!

Become an Earth Day digital volunteer, join a digital activity, or find a digital event near you.

Thank you for your commitment to the environment. Stay Safe, Flatten the Curve, and Keep It Green!

West Park Named Green Hospital of the Year!

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Mark Palmer, January 3, 2020

View this story and more at westpark.org.

In recognition of its commitment to environmental stewardship in greening its internal health care practices, West Park has received this year’s Green Health Care Award naming us 2018 Green Hospital of the Year (non-acute) by the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care.

The award is based on a comprehensive scorecard by which each participating hospital across Canada is measured. The scorecard reviews metrics related to energy use, water generation, recycling rate, leadership, policy and planning and more. West Park is proud to report the following:

•  A 21.1% year-over-year decrease in waste generation
•  A 4.1% year-over-year decrease in water usage
•  A 3rd consecutive year of below average energy use intensity (earning West Park an honourable mention in this category)

“The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change’s annual report for 2019 recently noted that Canada’s healthcare sector was the third-highest per-capita greenhouse gas emitter in the world [only behind The US and Japan] so we are pleased that our efforts have produced excellent results,” said Shelley Ditty, Vice President Campus Development and Support Services. “As we undergo construction of our new hospital development project we will maintain our focus on environmental sustainability.”

The Coalition recognized this focus by noting that West Park has made significant progress in all six policy and planning areas; environmentally preferable purchasing, toxins management, sustainable construction/renovation, energy, waste and water. The Centre’s scorecard also notes that leadership is reflected through commitment, support and outreach all of which can be attributed to management and staff efforts and by the presence of West Park’s Environmental Committee.

The committee has a number of important plans for 2020 including efforts to further decrease the use of single-use plastics and the planning of a second annual sustainability fair for staff and patients. “The Centre’s Environmental Committee is always looking for new and exciting ideas to raise awareness about the importance of doing our part to minimize our carbon footprint.” stated Diane Zdybal, Director of Support Services.

Congratulations everyone at West Park for Keeping it Green!

West Park Holiday Market – With a Green Twist

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Mark Palmer

This year on December 12, West Park presented a festive, fun, green holiday event for staff and patients – the West Park Holiday Market.

Due to the current campus construction, the hospital’s perennial Winterfest is hibernating for the next few years, but West Park partnered with the hospital’s Environmental Committee to offer a unique holiday experience inspired by the many holiday markets that happen every year in Toronto.

West Park’s Holiday Market included several vendors, including local environmentally sustainable companies and the Rotary Club’s holiday cake, cookie, and gingerbread house sale, as well as Recreation Therapy’s Helping Hands Beeswax Paper and Gemstone Bracelet sale. The Holiday Market also featured a food drive collection for the Daily Bread Food Bank, a holiday photo-booth, and travelling carolers to visit patients on their units. Staff members and patients experienced a traditionally decorated market with holiday music, while having their chance to buy unique gifts and win prizes!

Busy As Bees for Sustainability

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Patients from West Park’s Recreation Therapy were busy as bees leading up to the holidays, working away in their workshop to make specialty gifts that give back.

Introducing their creations at the West Park Holiday Market on Dec. 12, Recreation Therapy sold handmade beeswax food wraps along with handcrafted gemstone bracelets, with 100 per cent of proceeds going to the West Park Foundation.

“Our patients were adamant about wanting all of the money made from the sale to go to the Foundation,” says Naomi Max, a recreation therapy assistant, who says the patients wanted to use their Helping Hands program budget towards the cost of materials to accomplish their fundraising efforts.

The project was decided upon back in September, and patients were working almost every week to achieve their goal of making at least 100 beeswax food wraps. The extensive process included cutting up fabric – which took three weeks alone – smashing pine nuts to create resin, melting the ingredients, coating the fabric, and baking and drying the fabric.

The food wraps are 100 per cent organic, food safe, and environmentally friendly, consisting only of fabric, organic beeswax, organic pine resin, and organic jojoba oil. The food wraps were available in various sizes, colours and patterns, with each sheet selling for $5 or three sheets for $12.

The gift that keeps on giving, the food wraps should last up to a year, with the donated cost going much further towards the new hospital build. Gemstone bracelets, made from high-quality stones and beads, varied in price – depending on the beads used – from $10 to $20. They also included messages of motivation and aspiration, each one a unique representation of the patient who made it. 

Pumpkin Pick-Up Day is Here

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Mark Palmer, October 10, 2019

Pumpkin Spice season was alive at West Park Healthcare Centre, and the Foundation was certainly Farm Market ready!

Jay Vagh, Environmental Committee Champion with the massive Centre delivery.

You’re thinking ORANGE – but Keep it GREEN:

Pumpkins make a great addition to Thanksgiving and Halloween décor and the best part is – they are 100% compostable! When the Fall season comes around, remember – pumpkins can be collected curbside with your green bin – but there are also many other ways you can reuse and recycle the festive fruit in your yard.

  1. Add it to Your Own Backyard Compost Pile: Pumpkins are primarily composed of water. Because of this, they decompose quickly and make a great addition to any backyard compost pile.
  2. Make a Snack-O-Lantern: Feeling creative? Use your old pumpkin as a pumpkin feeder for birds and other small wildlife in your yard by filling your carved pumpkin with seeds. NOTE: Make sure the pumpkin is free of mold and only place a few seeds as the pumpkin will naturally decompose quickly.
  3. Harvest the Seeds for Wildlife to Enjoy: Remove the seeds from your pumpkin before composting and allow to dry – do not add seasoning. Place the seeds with existing bird feed in your yard or place in a shallow dish for birds to enjoy!

Interested in more information on recycling your pumpkins into your yard?

Click here for additional information from the National Wildlife Federation!