The Cost of Waiting: Managing Cancer Risk in Canada’s Fire Service

Stock photo of a firefighter sitting in a fire hall, looking at another firefighter and a firetruck in the background

This article is part of a series of posts led by CHASI Research Associate Len Garis, who has been a long-time partner of CHASI through his work with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. His guest blog posts explore a wide range of topics related to firefighting and firefighters in Canada. You can read all of … Read more

Prostate Cancer Trends and the Firefighter Community: A Canadian Perspective

Stock photo of firefighters walking towards a fire truck parked on a city street

This article is part of a series of posts led by CHASI Research Associate Len Garis, who has been a long-time partner of CHASI through his work with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. His guest blog posts explore a wide range of topics related to firefighting and firefighters in Canada. You can read all of … Read more

Occupational Cancer Trends Among Canadian Firefighters: Implications for Health, Safety, and Governance

Stock photo of three firefighters. One is slumped over, while another helps them our of a smoke-filled building, and a third holds the door.

This article is part of a series of posts led by CHASI Research Associate Len Garis, who has been a long-time partner of CHASI through his work with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. His guest blog posts explore a wide range of topics related to firefighting and firefighters in Canada. You can read all of … Read more

The Canadian Firefighter Registry: A New Initiative to Combat Occupational Cancer

Photo of Len Garis speaking

This article is part of a series of posts led by CHASI Research Associate Len Garis, who has been a long-time partner of CHASI through his work with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council. His guest blog posts explore a wide range of topics related to firefighting and firefighters in Canada. You can read all of … Read more

A New Mandate for Safety: Integrating Public Health into Canadian Fire Services through Indigenous Leadership

Logo of the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council

CHASI is proud to maintain a longstanding partnership with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC). The NIFSC supports Indigenous communities in the development of their internal capacity to enhance community safety and resiliency. As part of this partnership, CHASI is pleased to amplify their articles on our blog. CHASI’s collaboration with the NIFSC, and … Read more

CHASI research explores health impacts of technology during pandemic

Photo of a person silhouetted against a cold blue window with the blinds drawn, looking at the phone. It conveys loneliness and isolation.

COVID-19 had more impacts on Canadian’s health than just the effects of the disease: during the early years of the pandemic, restrictions radically changed the way we socialized, learned, and engaged with medical professionals. In particular, technology enabled new, safer alternatives, but they were not a perfect solution. The Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) … Read more

CHASI researchers show new moms what a realistic return to movement can look like

Thumbnail photo of a mother sitting on an exercise mat outdoors, holding her baby upright and smiling.

CHASI Faculty Associate Dr. Iris Lesser and UFV student research assistant Megan Filiatrault have released a new report sharing their findings from an initial series of workshops aimed at engaging new mothers in physical activity and presenting a realistic look at what their return to movement may look like. The report, titled Postpartum Physical Activity … Read more

CHASIcast 17: Women’s Health and Physical Activity with Dr. Iris Lesser and Amber Johnston

Photo of Iris Lesser, Martha Dow, and AmberJohnson posing near podcast microphones, smiling for the camera. The graphic has text reading: "CHASIcast #17 - Women's Health and Physical Activity."

In our first CHASIcast of the year we welcome back Dr. Iris Lesser, who is joined by her Kinesiology colleague Amber Johnston, MSc, to discuss their unique course — KIN499: Women’s Health and Physical Activity. Through this course and their teaching, they aim to fill crucial gaps in understandings of women’s health, particularly around menopause … Read more

CHASIcast: Dr. Shelley Canning discusses Canada’s aging population, nursing, and her dream course

Dr. Shelley Canning sits on a couch in a radio studio opposite Dr. Martha Dow. They speak into microphones, with a glowing orange “on air” sign on the wall above Dr. Canning. A quote superimposed on the lower third of the image reads: “I think we lost our way. So we lost our focus, and we lost our place at the bedside, and we lost our passion for that hands on nurse. Nurses, we do bodily care, we work with our hands, and there’s great pride, I think, in doing that. But we kind of turned away from that work. And what I think the last couple of years of COVID has shown us is that that work is what’s needed.” The quote is attributed to Dr. Shelley Canning.

After a brief hiatus, the CHASIcast returns with Dr. Shelley Canning. As an associate professor in nursing, director of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging (CERA), member of UFV’s Board of Governors, and a CHASI Faculty Associate, Dr. Canning brings considerable knowledge to our podcast. Dr. Canning’s efforts recently contributed to UFV becoming … Read more

Striving for safe and respectful childbirth

Illustration by Celina Koops of a mother holding her baby while wearing a mask. Both of them are symbolically being held and supported by embracing arms.

September 17 marks World Patient Safety Day, a day which “calls for global solidarity and concerted action by all countries and international partners to improve patient safety.” This year, the theme is safe maternal and newborn care — an essential conversation, as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates 6,700 newborns die every day, while 810 … Read more