September 2009 - Association Update

Diversity: OPHA and Ramadan

Saturday, August 22nd marked the beginning of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a time of fasting and contemplation for Muslims. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours.

Even though the numbers suggest a recent increase in Muslim immigration to Canada, Muslim history in Canada dates back to the 1800s. According to Canadian census information, the first Muslim Canadian was born in Ontario in 1854. Another Muslim couple, described in government documents dated about 1871, migrated from the United States to settle in Ontario. Although the majority of early Muslim settlers made their homes in Ontario, there were many who came to work on building the Canadian Pacific Railway. Many others arrived in the early 1900s and eventually settled in Alberta.

The Muslim population experienced a boom in the mid-1960s when Canada removed immigration quotas on Asians and Africans and replaced the quotas with selection criteria based on skills and education. Today, Ontario has the largest Muslim population in Canada with Quebec having the second largest. The majority of Muslims in Ontario are in the Greater Toronto Area.

All’s Well That Ends Well: OPHA, NRC and the City of Toronto Strike

The Nutrition Resource Centre welcomed Vivian Ng for her summer placement, in June 2009 originally for a short stay while Toronto settled its strike. However, since the strike carried on for six weeks, Vivian stayed at OPHA to complete her 12 week practicum.

Vivian Ng.
Vivian received a panoramic view of provincial public health through her summer practicum at OPHA. Here she shares her recent panoramic view of the City of London, England from high above the Thames.

Vivian went to the University of Guelph, and graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Applied Human Nutrition. Realizing in her last year that her interests were definitely in community and public health nutrition, she applied for and was accepted into the Master of Health Science (MHSc) program at the University of Toronto, majoring in Community Nutrition.

This summer is her first practicum experience. Vivian now has the unique experience of being exposed to the local level public health department and exposure to the provincial level of programming at OPHA and NRC.

OPHA Internship Powers a Promising Future in Public Health

Michelle Manarina.

Fresh from her Masters degree in Public Health (MPH) at the University of California’s Berkeley School of Public Health and her undergraduate studies in Human Biology, Health and Society at Cornell University, Michelle Manarina looks northward from Taughannock Falls, Ithaca, New York, towards a public health career in Canada.

“During my internship at NRC, the steady cascade of information I gathered sparked many opportunities to gain a greater understanding, not only of NRC’s programs, but also of the intricacies of Ontario’s public health system. By connecting with professionals at NRC’s partner organizations and across OPHA and building on the perspective I have acquired through academic training, I feel confident as I look northwards for an exciting public health career.”
— Michelle Manarina

Deliciously Decadent Desserts

Winners of the Decadent Dessert contest.
(L-R) Top Three Winners: Dayna Albert, Manager, Toward Evidence Informed Practice (holding Apricot Fool); Donna Galasso, OPHA Finance and Administration Officer (holding Bran Flax Muffins); and Cindy Scythes, Manager, Nutrition Resource Centre (holding Mango Mousse).

“We should find a fun way to promote healthy eating,” one OPHA staffer suggested. “Let’s have a healthy dessert contest,” added another. And so the OPHA’s Fun Squad sprung into action. May 13, 2009 12:00 noon was the appointed date and time. All OPHA staffers were invited to lunch and learn by sampling delicious desserts created by their colleagues. There was only one condition. Each dessert must be prepared with three important values in mind. Great taste, high nutritional value and healthy habit forming—healthy choices for a wide variety of tastes.

Then came the deluge! Mango Mousse, Carrot Raisin Bran Cookies, Apricot Fool, Blueberry Flan, Curried Fruit with Blueberries and Bran Flax Muffins Enough for everyone and more…There was tasting, more tasting and a methodical evaluation of each recipe according to the Canada Food Guide by one of our OPHA Dietitians who also happens to be a member of the Fun Squad. Then there was voting and more tasting. I guess you really had to be there. Drop us a line if you want to use our recipes to try making healthy treats at home…We would also be glad to hear about some of your healthy eating escapades.

“We three chefs of OPHA are
Bearing treats! From home in our cars
Blueberry flans, flax muffins with bra-a-n
Healthier foods by far…Oh O…