Latest news with #PeelPublicHealth
4 days ago
- Health
Moving to a more walkable city pays off for health, scientists find
People who moved to a walking friendly city walked more, and at the brisk pace favoured to improve health and prevent disease, a new natural experiment shows. Walkable cities allow you to access more amenities on foot for daily life, like going to school or work, buying ingredients to make dinner or heading to the park to play. But that's not available to everyone, given many cities and suburbs in Canada and the U.S. have been designed to emphasize transit by car, urban planners say. Teasing out cause from effect — whether walkable cities lead people to move more or if people who like to walk tend to live in more pedestrian-friendly cities — is important to nail down because it could help encourage more investment in safe sidewalks and zoning to encourage physical activity, medical researchers say. To find out, Tim Althoff, a computer science professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, used data from a step-tracking app to compare daily steps of more than 5,400 people who moved between major U.S. cities. In short, we found that your city can help make you healthier, Althoff said. The design of your city impacts how much you walk and as a result, your health. Paul Sharma of Peel Public Health says the region is working to improve the walkability of Mississauga and Brampton's sprawling neighbourhoods. Photo: CBC / Craig Chivers Althoff and his co-authors said in this week's issue of the journal Nature (new window) that moving from a less walkable city to a more walkable one adds about 1,100 steps a day on average. It's something the computer scientist has seen first-hand. I grew up in a rural area in Germany, Althoff said. I've lived in California and now in Seattle. Personally, I'm a really big fan of public transit, but I also, for instance, intentionally move to a neighborhood where it would be close to a bus stop. Canadian and international guidelines recommend adults get 150 minutes or more a week of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week. The researchers found people who lived in more walkable cities were about twice as likely to accumulate those steps. Dr. Laura Rosella, a professor of epidemiology at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto, said several high-quality Canadian (new window) studies point to decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and prediabetes as well as mental health benefits from more walkable cities. Enlarge image (new window) Pedestrians walking in Old Montreal on a sunny day. The city has slowly increased the walkability of the Plateau neighbourhood, an urban planner says. Photo: Radio-Canada / Charles Contant We spend lots of money on the health care system, Rosella. This [walkability] is something that literally we could make small tweaks that could have a huge difference. To apply the findings in Canada's climate, Rosella said, policy makers would also need to take into account safety considerations, like clearing snow and ice on sidewalks. Benefits of mixed density Ahmed El-Geneidy, a professor in urban planning at McGill University, said it takes about 15 years to gradually make changes to neighbourhoods and change the culture so people walk around cities more. The whole idea is that you need to build high density beside the single family homes, El-Geneidy said. That's how areas like Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood encouraged people to walk to more destinations, like grocery shops, he said. WATCH | Urban renewal for Edmonton residents: Paul Sharma, director of chronic disease and injury prevention at Peel Public Health, said Mississauga and Brampton's sprawling suburban neighbourhoods are sedentary places. Residents tend to have longer commutes compared to elsewhere in Ontario, according to the region's data. To design more walkable communities, Peel officials say they're working on factors like increasing density, proximity to services, and making wider sidewalks with better lighting and shade. This is where public health and local planners need to work closely together to improve the health of the residents, Sharma said. At a playground in Calgary's Crestmount residential neighbourhood, Jarek Soltys said the family chose the location to be close to the mountains and walking paths, where they get steps in for enjoyment, but not transportation for errands. When we moved here seven years ago there really wasn't anything here at all, not even a convenience store so we knew we would be driving places, Soltys said. That is the reality of the suburbs in a big city. Amina Zafar (new window) · CBC News · Journalist Amina Zafar covers medical sciences and health care for CBC. She contributes to CBC Health's Second Opinion, which won silver for best editorial newsletter at the 2024 Digital Publishing Awards. She holds an undergraduate degree in environmental science and a master's in journalism. With files from CBC's Alison Northcott and Melanie Glanz
CBC
11-08-2025
- Health
- CBC
Bat tests positive for rabies in Mississauga, prompting reminder not to touch wild animals
A bat has tested positive for rabies in Mississauga and public health officials are reminding residents to avoid touching wild or unknown animals. Peel Public Health confirmed the case near Derry Road and McLaughlin Road, the agency said in a news release Monday. Rabies is a viral infectious disease, which affects the central nervous system of warm-blooded animals, including humans. It can be transmitted through the saliva of an infected animal, whether through a bite, scratch or mucous membranes such as the eyes, nose or mouth. Peel Public Health is reminding residents to avoid touching, approaching or feeding unknown or wild animals, even if they look healthy. Residents should also ensure pets and livestock are up to date with their rabies vaccines. If you find a bat in your home, the agency recommends calling Animal Services. Anyone bitten or scratched by a wild or unknown animal should speak to a healthcare provider immediately, the news release says. Prompt medical care, rabies vaccination and an antibodies injection can prevent the virus if given prior to the development of symptoms. While the risk of contracting rabies from an infected animal is low in Ontario, Peel Public Health says symptomatic rabies infections in humans are commonly fatal.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
2 new confirmed cases of Measles in Peel Region, public health agency warns
Peel Public Health is warning the public of multiple possible measles exposures after confirming two new, but unconnected, cases of the virus in the region. The health agency put out a release Friday saying it was investigating the new cases and warning that anyone who was present at the following locations during the times listed may have been exposed to the disease. May 21 Chapters and Starbucks at 3900 Highway 7 W. in Vaughan between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. May 22 Brampton Urgent Care Centre East at 51 Mountainash Road between 7:20 p.m. and 10:43 p.m. May 23 Pakistan International Airline, Flight PIA 781 arriving from Pakistan at 7:59 p.m. Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 3, including any areas visited during arrival, customs and exit processes between 7:59 p.m. on May 23 and 12:30 a.m. on May 24. May 24 Brampton Urgent Care Centre East at 51 Mountainash Road, between 2:32 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. Raman's Salon & Spa at 130 Father Tobin Rd. in Brampton between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Browns Social House Erin Mills at 2525 Hampshire Gate in Oakville between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Cineplex Cinemas Winston Churchill & VIP at 2081 Winston Park Dr. in Oakville between 8:20 p.m. on May 24 and 2:10 a.m. on May 25. JJQ's Billiards and Lounge Mississauga at 3055 Dundas St. W. in Mississauga between 11 p.m. on May 24 and 4:30 a.m. on May 25. May 26 IELTS Test Centre - BITTS Testing Services at 7895 Tranmere Dr. in Mississauga between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. North Brampton Medical Centre, including the pharmacy and physiotherapy clinic, at 6475 Mayfield Rd. in Brampton between 12:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dollar Wide at 125 Father Tobin Rd. in Brampton between 5:45 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Shoppers Drug Mart at 10970 Airport Rd. in Brampton between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Domino's Pizza at 10950 Goreway Dr. in Brampton between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. May 27 North Brampton Medical Centre, including the pharmacy and physiotherapy clinic, at 6475 Mayfield Rd. in Brampton between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Summary of measles cases in Peel, rest of Ontario So far this year, Peel Public Health has confirmed eight measles cases in the region. Five were travel-related, and three were from close contacts or community spread. Last year, the agency confirmed three cases. Cases in Peel are not known to be connected to the current multi-jurisdictional measles outbreak in Ontario, according to the Peel Public Health release. Peel Public Health advises anyone who was at any of the exposure sites during the times listed to check their immunization record to confirm they are up to date with vaccinations. Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their health provider and stay home from work or school. Anyone who is pregnant, has a weakened immune system, or has an infant under the age of one, should contact their local public health unit right away. Symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body and small blue-white spots that can appear on the inside of the mouth and throat. They usually begin seven to 21 days after infection. There have been nearly 1,800 measles cases reported in Ontario since October, when a measles outbreak began across Canada. The disease is deemed eliminated in Canada by the World Health Organization, but the country is now at risk of losing that status.
CBC
31-05-2025
- General
- CBC
2 new confirmed cases of Measles in Peel Region, public health agency warns
Social Sharing Peel Public Health is warning the public of multiple possible measles exposures after confirming two new, but unconnected, cases of the virus in the region. The health agency put out a release Friday saying it was investigating the new cases and warning that anyone who was present at the following locations during the times listed may have been exposed to the disease. May 21 Chapters and Starbucks at 3900 Highway 7 W. in Vaughan between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. May 22 Brampton Urgent Care Centre East at 51 Mountainash Road between 7:20 p.m. and 10:43 p.m. May 23 Pakistan International Airline, Flight PIA 781 arriving from Pakistan at 7:59 p.m. Toronto Pearson International Airport, Terminal 3, including any areas visited during arrival, customs and exit processes between 7:59 p.m. on May 23 and 12:30 a.m. on May 24. May 24 Brampton Urgent Care Centre East at 51 Mountainash Road, between 2:32 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. Raman's Salon & Spa at 130 Father Tobin Rd. in Brampton between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Browns Social House Erin Mills at 2525 Hampshire Gate in Oakville between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. Cineplex Cinemas Winston Churchill & VIP at 2081 Winston Park Dr. in Oakville between 8:20 p.m. on May 24 and 2:10 a.m. on May 25. JJQ's Billiards and Lounge Mississauga at 3055 Dundas St. W. in Mississauga between 11 p.m. on May 24 and 4:30 a.m. on May 25. May 26 IELTS Test Centre - BITTS Testing Services at 7895 Tranmere Dr. in Mississauga between 7:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. North Brampton Medical Centre, including the pharmacy and physiotherapy clinic, at 6475 Mayfield Rd. in Brampton between 12:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Dollar Wide at 125 Father Tobin Rd. in Brampton between 5:45 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Shoppers Drug Mart at 10970 Airport Rd. in Brampton between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. Domino's Pizza at 10950 Goreway Dr. in Brampton between 6:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. May 27 North Brampton Medical Centre, including the pharmacy and physiotherapy clinic, at 6475 Mayfield Rd. in Brampton between 11:30 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. Summary of measles cases in Peel, rest of Ontario So far this year, Peel Public Health has confirmed eight measles cases in the region. Five were travel-related, and three were from close contacts or community spread. Last year, the agency confirmed three cases. Cases in Peel are not known to be connected to the current multi-jurisdictional measles outbreak in Ontario, according to the Peel Public Health release. Peel Public Health advises anyone who was at any of the exposure sites during the times listed to check their immunization record to confirm they are up to date with vaccinations. Anyone experiencing symptoms should contact their health provider and stay home from work or school. Anyone who is pregnant, has a weakened immune system, or has an infant under the age of one, should contact their local public health unit right away. Symptoms can include fever, runny nose, cough, red eyes, a red rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body and small blue-white spots that can appear on the inside of the mouth and throat. They usually begin seven to 21 days after infection. There have been nearly 1,800 measles cases reported in Ontario since October, when a measles outbreak began across Canada. The disease is deemed eliminated in Canada by the World Health Organization, but the country is now at risk of losing that status.
Edmonton Journal
08-05-2025
- Health
- Edmonton Journal
Toronto's Pearson airport: Possible measles exposure prompts health officials to investigate
Article content Health officials in Ontario's Peel Region are investigating a new case of measles, warning that some people who were at Toronto Pearson Airport over the weekend could have been exposed to the highly contagious disease. Officials said the exposure would have occurred on May 3 after an Air Canada flight AC540 from Seattle to Toronto landed, according to a news release by Peel Public Health on Wednesday. People who were in the vicinity of Terminal 1 between 7:28 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET could have come into contact with measles.
