Each year, Communities ChooseWell recognizes ChooseWell Champions for their accomplishments in advancing healthy eating and/or active living in their communities through the Healthy Community Awards.
Awards are given in four categories: Creating Healthy Environments, Providing Health Education, Developing Healthy Policies, and Building Community Capacity. Three additional awards are given for Most Significant Community Change and Overall Healthy Community Champion. The Community Wellness Leadership Aware recognizes an elected local government official who champions healthy living.
2020 Healthy Community Awards is Now Open!
The nomination process for the 2020 ChooseWell Healthy Community Awards is now open!
The Healthy Community Awards are an opportunity for champions to share and celebrate the great work that is being done in their communities around healthy eating and active living.
Please note, our process has been simplified for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the time and effort required to complete the nomination. The only requirement is a Most Significant Change Story.
How to Nominate your Community: Write a story (max 500 words) about the most significant change in your community related to healthy eating and active living in 2020. We recognize that 2020 has been a difficult year for many communities and community health initiatives, and, to that end, your story may (but does not have to) showcase the resilience and response from your community to pandemic circumstances.
Judging Process: These stories will be compiled, short-listed, and sent out to all champions to read and vote on. The top 4 vote-getting stories, as well as 2 additional stories chosen by ChooseWell staff, will have their story celebrated at the Alberta Healthy Community Symposium in March of 2021, in person if possible.
Submission: You may submit your nomination story in one of two ways:
- Submit your written story here, or,
- Submit a story via interview by contacting Patrick MacQuarrie at pmacquarrie@arpaonline.ca or 780-238-5251.
Submission Deadline: The deadline for submitting a written story is Friday, October 30.
If you would like to submit a story via interview, please reach out by October 15 to schedule a time.
2019 Healthy Community Award Recipients:
In 2019, Communities ChooseWell recognized 21 Alberta communities, including five Indigenous communities, for their efforts to advance
healthy eating and active living.
You can read more about the award-winning projects in our Community Stories section or by clicking on the story links below!
| Community | Award | Story |
|---|---|---|
| Town of Sexsmith | Overall Healthy Community Champion | Farmers Markets Report Cards and Nerf Wars |
| Samson Cree Nation | Most Significant Community Change | Hunting For Healing |
| Kathie Wight, Mayor of Longview | Community Wellness Leadership | Leading by Example |
| Chipewyan Prairie Dene First Nation | Creating Supportive Environments | Community Driven Decisions |
| Town of Fort Macleod | Creating Supportive Environments | Committed Citizens Drive Change in Fort Macleod |
| HEAL our Future, Strathmore | Creating Supportive Environments | Heal Strathmore |
| Fort McKay Wellness Centre | Providing Health Education | Planting Healthy Patterns |
| Iiyika’kimaat Youth Program | Providing Health Education | The Iiyikakimaat Program a Place to be Brave |
| Clymont Community League | Building Community Capacity | Partnering for Rural Recreation |
| Siksika Run as One Committee | Building Community Capacity | It Gives You Hope: Siksika Nation Empowers youth |
| Camrose Wellness Coalition | Building Community Capacity | In Camrose They Play Well Together |
| QUEERFLEX | Developing Healthy Policies | Safe Affirming Accessible |
| Strathcona County | Developing Healthy Policies | Redefining Normal Strathcona County Works to Bring Back Healthy Habits |