One of the sites for the 2010 Olympic Winter games,
Richmond, B.C. has been dubbed “Canada’s healthiest city” by Canadian Living
Magazine.
In addition to the longest life expectancy in Canada, several other factors make
up this healthy community. Its residents are generally more fit than the average
Canadian with access to over 80 km of walking, running and biking trials, 90
parks and a host of sporting clubs and recreational facilities. Its rates of
smoking and obesity are the lowest in the country.
It is situated such that eating local foods is a real
possibility. It is a city devoid of extreme weather conditions, has “an
unspoiled environment and clean air” and residents and city leaders interested
in maintaining that environment. “Council now includes a “triple bottom line”
for environmental, economical and social sustainability when evaluating major
city projects.”
It doesn’t stop at the physical health. Health, looked at in a global
perspective, incorporates much more than the physical realities. “Richmond
residents also seek some kind of spiritual connection.” And they do some through
giving – one of the measures of a health character and a healthy city. The
people are willing to generously and selflessly spend some of their time helping
their community.
According to Richmond resident Rick Hansen “through the eyes of our children,”
the residents of Richmond “are immersed in an incredibly healthy lifestyle and
community stewardship that involves family and friends.” Mayor Malcolm Brodie
adds that “Volunteers are the fabric of our community. People extend themselves
and give thousands of hours a week.”
Living in a way in which we are not only physically healthier, but also
connected to our environment and our neighbours in deeper ways will lead to more
optimal emotional and mental health. This kind of health displays itself, among
other ways, in a spirit of generosity, where we open our hearts and our hands to
uplift our communities and by extension, our world.
