Thrive! Halifax Unites Major Employers in Healthy Living Partnership

Four of Halifax's largest employers are joining forces to make their employees and the places they work healthier.

Premier Darrell Dexter will join leaders from Capital District Health Authority, Halifax Regional Municipality and Maritime Forces Atlantic today, May 9, to sign a declaration for the four employers to work together to encourage and help people make healthy lifestyle changes and nurture a culture of wellness with Thrive! Halifax.

"The province is working to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for Nova Scotians through Thrive! a plan for a healthier Nova Scotia," said Premier Dexter. "Workplaces are an important place to start supporting and encouraging healthy choices.

"This partnership demonstrates that Nova Scotia employers also see value in helping their employees stay active and healthy. Formal partnerships like Thrive! Halifax can help make life healthier for today's families."

The signing at CFB Halifax will feature a short performance by HEAT Theatre and exhibits by Local Source Market and Hope Blooms community garden project, to show the partnership's early focus on mental health awareness and healthy eating.

"About a year ago, Maritime Forces Atlantic launched a new health and wellness strategy," said Rear Admiral David Gardam, commander of Maritime Forces Atlantic. "My senior leaders and I are steadfast in providing our people and their families with the tools to effect a life-long commitment to health and wellness."

Thrive! Halifax will encourage employers to take steps to improve the quality of their employees' lives, which will also benefit businesses through reduced absenteeism, sick leave and accidents.

"With so many people spending more than half of their waking hours at work, it only makes sense to promote health and wellness in the workplace to take care of our most important resource, our employees," said Mike Savage, Mayor of Halifax Regional Municipality.

"We realize that what happens in the workplace can have a huge impact on the overall health of our people, which in our case, can also have an impact on the programs and services we provide to our citizens."

The partnership's early focus on healthy food policy and addressing mental health, particularly stigma, will include sharing information and expertise, and focusing on making a difference to employees and the community.

"We've felt it is our responsibility, as an organization dedicated to health and health care, to lead by example in helping our employees to achieve their optimal health," said Chris Power, president and CEO of Capital Health. "We're pleased to share with other large employers the lessons from our experience to date as we continue on that journey."

Thrive! a plan for a healthier Nova Scotia has 34 points for healthy eating and physical activity, to help reshape the places where we live, learn, work, commute and play. Thrive! works with other government programs such as Together We Can: The Plan to Improve Mental Health and Addictions Care for Nova Scotians.

More information is available at thrive.novascotia.ca .