Every four years, CivicAction holds a summit to discuss the biggest issues facing the Toronto region. This year, it’s called the Better City Bootcamp, and the goal is improving the prosperity of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
A wide range of voices and experiences will be on hand at the April 28 event, thanks to the collective contributions of more than 600 civic leaders. They’ll be discussing some of the main challenges facing the region based on five themes: housing affordability and the growing need to match seniors’ healthcare to housing options; mental health and the workplace; childhood health and the importance of the first 1000 days of a child’s life; public spaces, physical activity, and health; and increased density/weather intensity and the infrastructure needs of tomorrow.
The Star spoke with panelists representing these five themes to learn more about the challenges and opportunities facing the GTHA in the years ahead.
Childhood health
Marilyn Knox, president, Institute for Better Health, Trillium Health Partners
What do you see being the biggest challenge facing the GTHA over the next decade?
I would say the health and equity — the differences in health outcomes for people that are prescribed or described by their socio-economic status — we see across the region are something we can actually do something about.
Why are the “first 1000 days” so important to a child’s future health?
The “first 1000 days” are that critical developmental period that starts from the moment a child is conceived, all the way up to age 2. It’s so much easier to lay down healthy lifestyle patterns at the beginning, rather than to try to change lifestyle habits later. Nutrition, physical activity, sleep time, socialization — those things really matter in those early years.
How does a family’s socioeconomic status impact the health of their children?
At the prenatal stage, the health status of the mother and the quality of prenatal care she has are fundamental in determining a healthy outcome for her child, such as her health status as she gets pregnant, the quality of her prenatal care, the amount of weight she gains, and her exposure to substances that may not be helpful in child development. For someone in a lower socio-economic situation, there could be challenges. Will she get the rest she needs? Will she have to worry about income? Those are things that matter at birth and all the way through.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
The 2015 CivicAction Summit – Better City Bootcamp is happening Tuesday, April 28. You can follow along at two regional satellite locations in Rexdale and Scarborough, through social media, or via an online livestream. For more information, visit
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