Residents in 50 communities across B.C. will soon be able to walk, cycle and move more safely, thanks to support for new infrastructure and traffic-calming measures. The Vision Zero in Road Safety Grant Program awards funding to projects to improve road safety, make active transportation accessible and prevent injuries. This year, a record 17 Vision Zero grants were awarded in the Interior Health region to local and Indigenous governments, non-government organizations and parent advisory committees. Find out if your community was awarded a grant Shianne Bains is Interior Health’s (IH) Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion lead. She’s a member of IH’s Healthy Communities Team and the BCCDC Injury Prevention Team, and is on the Vision Zero selection committee.  “This year, funded projects included new and upgraded pedestrian crossings, infrastructure upgrades such as intersection narrowing and speed bumps to reduce vehicle speed, and construction of new multi-use paths for active road users,” says Shianne. “These projects are not only making our roads safer, but also strengthening our partnerships with communities. When we invest in safer ways for people to move, we’re investing in health and reduced injuries and deaths on our roads.” In this story, we highlight two of the award recipients and what they plan to do with their funding.

This post was originally published May 27, 2024 Jean Kearney leans in close to speak to Mick, smiling widely as she grasps his hand and holds his arm like a lifelong friend. They chat about his wife, Jill, whom he met in Sheffield, England. In his soft Yorkshire accent, Mick tells Jean he’d marry Jill all over again. “I married her 61 years ago and I’ve been chasing her ever since,” chuckles Mick. “It sounds like to me Sheffield is where your best memories are, Mick,” says Jean, an adult day program coordinator at the Good Samaritan Village by the Station care facility in Penticton.

Your child’s first word is one of those moments that’s written down, caught on video and remembered well into their adulthood. But did you know before—and long after—that celebratory milestone, there are a lot of other speech and language milestones a baby will reach? In the first year of life, your baby has so much to tell you and is such a good communicator, even if they’re not talking yet. Up to about two years of age, your baby’s speech and language skills are evolving rapidly. Skills continue to advance until five years old. Not all children develop at the same pace, however. If your instincts are telling you something is amiss, listen to them and reach out to a speech-language pathologist.

Barbara was enjoying the sunset on her porch on a warm summer evening in Penticton when a bat fell on her legs. “It flapped around a bit, fell on the deck, flapped around a bit more, then flew away,” she recalls. “I felt its soft, skin-like wings on my legs. My husband and I looked at each other, shrugged, and carried on with our evening.” A few days later, she recounted the story to a friend. “She told me to get myself to the hospital. I learned that you should get a rabies shot after any interaction with a bat because they can leave tiny scratches you may not notice.” Barbara jokingly posted this photo on her Facebook page after her encounter with a bat and visit to the hospital.Bats are fascinating mammals that play an essential role in B.C.'s ecosystem and provide natural pest control. They can eat their weight in insects (including mosquitoes) in one night. All bats in Canada eat nothing but insects and arachnids (spiders and scorpions), and in most cases, only flying insects. Half of the species in B.C. are considered vulnerable or threatened. But love them or loathe them, bats can also carry diseases that can be transmitted to humans, including rabies. Rabies is a very serious disease caused by a rabies virus. It's transmitted through saliva (spit), usually by the bite of a mammal. If not treated in time, a rabies infection is almost always fatal. It’s important to know that it typically takes 3–8 weeks before rabies symptoms start in humans—but can be much longer. If you wait until the symptoms appear, it’s usually too late to start effective medical treatment. In B.C., between four and eight per cent of bats that come into contact with people test positive for the rabies virus. When the general population of bats is randomly sampled, less than 0.5 per cent of bats tested positive for rabies. In 2024, 140 people in the region were treated for potential exposure to rabies.

Name:  Erik Reimer (he/him/his)Job Title: Spiritual Health PractitionerYears of Service: Seven monthsWorksite:  Vernon Jubilee HospitalCommunity: VernonAncestral Territory: syilxFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “Shame and insecurity intimidate us into hiding. Connection and belonging invite us to step out into the open.” Meet Erik Reimer, the newly appointed spiritual health practitioner at Vernon Jubilee Hospital (VJH). Erik brings a wealth of experience in spiritual care, having spent more than two decades as a pastor walking alongside people through life’s most significant moments.  His journey is not just one of academic learning and teaching, but of profound personal reflection and empathy that undoubtedly resonates with those he serves.  

From May 5-9, 2025, the Healthcare Travelling Roadshow made its way to high schools in Salmo, Creston and Lumby. More than 450 students got to roll up their sleeves and explore real-world health-care careers through hands-on activities and face-to-face learning. With a team of nine post-secondary health-care students leading the way, the annual Roadshow offers an interactive and engaging look into the many opportunities in the health-care sector. The Roadshow aims to inform, inspire and spark interest in exciting future careers.

Algae are a natural part of the aquatic ecosystems of lakes and algae blooms can occur throughout the Interior Health region. Blue-green algae are actually a microscopic bacteria called cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria can live in waters through winter. In the warmer spring and summer months, cyanobacteria can multiply very quickly and produce several types of toxins that can be poisonous to people, pets and livestock. “It’s that time of year when we can see increased blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) blooms on lakes. These blooms tend to stay on the water surface and may have a leafy scent,” says Interior Health medical health officer Dr. Andy Delli Pizzi. “Sometimes blooms can be toxic for those who come in contact with the water. My advice is to use common sense and avoid contact or consuming water if you suspect there is a cyanobacteria bloom.”

Name: Robert GignacJob Title: Care AideYears of Service: 35Worksite: Parkview PlaceCommunity: EnderbyAncestral Territory: Secwépemc NationFavourite Quote / Advice to live by: “It’s better to give than to receive.” Since joining Parkview Place in 2012, Robert Gignac has left his mark on the long-term care home. He has greeted people with a smile as a screener, helped things run smoothly behind the scenes, and most recently, has been serving residents as a care aide.  Most importantly, Robert always tries to leave residents smiling after an interaction. “When I work with some of my residents, they ask, ‘What is your name?’ When I say, ‘Mr. Wonderful,’ they burst out laughing,” Robert says. 

Name: Bettina Panio (she/her/hers)Job Title: Certified Practice Registered Nurse (RN)Years of Service: 13Worksite: Blue River Health Centre, Clearwater, Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital & Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital (ED & ICU)Community: Louis CreekAncestral Territory: SecwepemcFavourite Quote: I love quotes that touch me and call to me. There are too many to chose from but since this is about nursing, I really like this quote, “Value what you do and add value by what you do.”Advice to Live By: Be like a tree: Stand tall and proud. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Go out on a limb. Drink plenty of water. Be content and enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing. Enjoy the view. A desire to expand the scope of her practice, coupled with great family support, has led Certified Practice Registered Nurse Bettina Panio to try a new position at Interior Health (IH) in the remote community of Blue River. Since November 2024, Bettina has been providing care two days a week for clients at the Blue River Health Centre. The centre, located between Clearwater and Valemount along Highway 5, is based out of the historic Blue River Outpost building which was established as a first aid clinic in 1948.