Selkirk Waterfront

Enjoy Summer! - July & August 2023

Information - Resources - Online Classes - Career Opportunities

Your Budget Friendly Recipe for Summer: Strawberry Freezer Jam

Contributors: Kristen Ticknor, Registered Dietitian, and Marilyn Sitar, Wellness Facilitator with the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority

One of the best activities in the summer is berry picking… well, maybe not so much the picking, but the eating! So many choices in Manitoba – strawberry, raspberry, saskatoons, blueberry, & haskap. The one thing they have in common is the abundance of nutrients you get even in just a handful - they are chock full of antioxidants and fiber! You can grow your own, go to a U-pick farm, or maybe you have that “hidden” picking spot in the bush. If purchasing berries, you can cut down on cost by using recipes that use a mixture of fruit -- combining berries with apple or rhubarb will not only be delicious, but the berries will go further!

Click here for this recipe and more!

Beat the Heat!

Contributor: Bonnie Stefansson, Wellness Facilitator with the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority

Summer in Manitoba is beautiful! Countless adventures await you as you celebrate the season. Early June 2023 was a reminder however that extreme heat can bring its challenges as we work in and enjoy the great outdoors! Manitoba Health reminds Manitobans to “make heat health part of summer planning by knowing health-related risks of heat, taking precautions to prevent overheating, learning how to recognize and respond to symptoms of heat illness."

Click here to learn more.

Veuillez cliquer ici pour la version française.



Photo credit: Pixabay

Fit Kids

Healthy Kids

Source: sportmanitoba.ca/fkhk

"Fit Kids Healthy Kids is a Physical Literacy program founded as a partnership between Doctors Manitoba and Sport Manitoba. It teaches children and their adult leaders the fundamentals of movement that make kids confident and competent in sport, recreation, and life.

Fit Kids Healthy Kids offers an extensive database of over 700 different activities that can be easily combined together to create a lesson plan for kids of all ages."

Click here for the games database.

Photo credit: freepik-pressfoto

Manitoba Seniors Guide

Source: gov.mb.ca/seniors

"This guide is a powerful resource providing descriptions and lists for community, health and government programs. Designed for older adults, caregivers and families, the guide will help you navigate supports and services in the province."

The guide includes brief descriptions and contact information on a range of resources and supports.

You'll find information on:

• Healthcare
• Housing
• Community programs
• Transportation
• Personal safety and security

Click here to download the guides for Manitoba and for the Interlake-Eastman Region

Photo credit: Pixabay

Water Safety Tips

Source: lifesaving.mb.ca

If you’re not within arms’ reach, you’ve gone too far. Always supervise children.

Never leave children alone near water and always keep them in your sight. If children are at the water’s edge, a responsible guardian needs to be with them. 

Safety Tips for Parents - Children Under 5 Years

Safety Tips for Parents - Children Ages 5-12 Years

Boat sober. Alcohol consumption is a factor in 35% of boating-related fatalities.

In Manitoba, alcohol consumption is a factor in 35% of boating-related fatalities, higher than in other provinces. The consequences in Manitoba for impaired boating and impaired driving are identical. Leave the booze at home; it can lead to disastrous consequences on the water.

Choose it. Use it. Wear a lifejacket!

Not wearing a lifejacket or PFD was a factor in 53% of boating deaths in Manitoba. Lifejackets must fit properly and be in good working conditions. Buckles and zippers should be functioning and intact. Everyone should wear lifejackets while boating and anyone who cannot swim – especially young children – should wear a lifejacket while swimming. Lifejackets don’t work if you don’t wear them.

National Drowning Prevention Week: July 16-22

Photo credit: Pixabay

International Overdose Awareness Day

August 31, 2023

Contributor: Bonnie Peloski, Wellness Facilitator with the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority

International Overdose Awareness Day is the world's largest annual campaign to end overdose and remember those who have died without stigma and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind. Overdose touches people and communities in many ways. With our theme for 2023, “Recognizing those people who go unseen,” we honor the people whose lives have been altered by overdose.

In Canada:

There was a total of 32,632 apparent opioid toxicity deaths between January 2016 and June 2022. A majority of deaths occurred in British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario; high rates were also observed within other regions. In 2021, fentanyl was responsible for 87 per cent of opioid-overdose deaths in Canada. Of the accidental stimulant toxicity deaths during the year, 62 percent involved cocaine, while 55 percent involved methamphetamines.

Click here to learn more.

Community Wellness Programs

Explore FREE Classes for Healthy Living

* Feeding Your Baby - Introduction to Solids in July

* Commit to Quit classes coming in fall

* Life in the Middle Workshop Series coming in fall

* Relaxation Series coming in fall

We also include program and class listings from our Community Partners on our calendar each month!

Call 1-877-979-9355 or email [email protected] to register for Community Wellness programs.

For information on using Microsoft Teams click here.

'OurCare' is coming to Manitoba!

Help shape the future of primary care.

Source: ourcare.ca

"OurCare is a pan-Canadian conversation with everyday people about the future of primary care. And we’re coming to Manitoba this fall!

We are organizing the Manitoba Priorities Panel on Primary Care and would love it if you volunteered to join us!

We’re looking for 36 residents of Manitoba to join us to learn about primary care in Manitoba and to make recommendations on how to ensure we have an equitable, sustainable system that delivers high quality care for all residents of Canada. We will share your recommendations with the federal and provincial governments, and professional associations like the College of Family Physicians of Canada.

You don’t need to be an expert to participate. What matters most is your experience as a patient and your ideas about how to improve primary care for others just like you."

Click here to learn more.

Visit the OurCare Website

Photo credit: CIRA, 1037

This summer, be sure to check emergency department schedules https://www.ierha.ca/emergency-department-schedules/ for physician availability in the region's emergency departments. You can also dial 1-866-267-5818 to hear a recording of physician availability.

We are Mask Friendly

Medical masks are now still available to those who choose to wear them but it is no longer mandatory for people to enter Interlake-Eastern RHA facilities with masks. Some areas of our facilities will still require masks, especially in areas where people are immunocompromised. You may also see mandatory mask wearing return in the event that a facility is experiencing an outbreak. Members of the public are encouraged to request their care providers to wear masks when caring for them which reflects our mask friendly approach. Read more from Sharedhealthmb.



Have you tested positive for COVID-19?

If your rapid antigen test is positive for #COVID19, or you don't take a test but have symptoms, you should isolate for 5 days after your symptoms start and until you don't have a fever & your other symptoms have been improving for 24 hours. Click here to learn more.

Vaccine Resources

The COVID-19 bivalent vaccine gives you double protection - against the original strain of #Covid19MB and the omicron variant. 

A COVID-19 bivalent booster is available for kids 5-11. A pediatric COVID-19 vaccine is available for children 6 months to 4 years of age. A booster dose is particularly important for children with an underlying medical condition that places them at high risk of severe illness due to COVID-19. Click here for eligibility.

Additionally, the following high-risk individuals may choose to receive a spring 2023 booster dose:

• Adults age 65 and older
• Indigenous people age 45 and older, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples, regardless of place of residence
• Residents of long term care (LTC), assisted living or supportive housing facilities
• Adults age 18 and older who are moderately to severely immunocompromised

COVID-19 immunization appointments can be made through your local public health office. If you are wanting to book your COVID-19 vaccine, please see our list of public health offices throughout the region click here.

For COVID-19 Vaccine Pop Up Clinics in our region, please visit our website: click here.

Six months is the minimum interval after the last dose of the primary series or between booster doses. Vaccine effectiveness increases with longer duration between doses. It is also recommended to wait at least six months between COVID-19 infection and receiving a booster dose. Be aware that a spring booster dose may result in a delay of your eligibility for a fall booster dose and a less robust immune response if a fall booster dose is administered at a shorter interval (i.e. less than six months from the previous dose).

Our next issue will be in circulation in September 2023.

Community Wellness Team | Toll Free 1-877-979-9355

[email protected]  | ierha.ca