News and event information for Williams Lake, BC - as it happens.

By LeRae Haynes

Two landmark workshops took place in Williams Lake this week at the Western Singh Sabha Temple on Pine Avenue and at the Sikh Temple on Mackenzie Avenue.

(Participants said that the workshop taught leadership and advocacy as well as providing health information.)

Approximately 55 participants took part in two Chronic Disease Self-Management workshops facilitated by Jay Bains. He is the Provincial Coordinator for the South Asian Chronic Disease Self-Management Program at the University of Victoria’s Centre on Aging.

City Councillor Surinderpal Rathor and temple leaders met with Jay Bains earlier to see if there was sufficient interest to put on the workshops in Williams Lake. “Mr. Bains came up to speak to the temples, and found that people were very interested,” he said.

This is the first time that these two workshops, one in Diabetes and one in Chronic Disease, have been offered in Punjabi.

Funded by Interior Health, the workshops train residents to be leaders and advocates in their own communities, sharing the knowledge and information they have gathered from the workshop.

The two four-day workshops were attended by temple leaders and community members, and MLA Donna Barnett visited the Western Singh Sabha Temple on Wednesday to congratulate the participants.

“You are very lucky to have Surinder: he is a great advocate for your community and for all communities, “MLA Barnett stated. “Today I’m very pleased to be here on behalf of the province of British Columbia. I’m pleased that the Ministry has funded projects like this and that you were able to bring this program to Williams Lake,” she said.  

“It’s all about helping communities. Health costs are the highest in the government’s expenses, and as our population ages, it will only escalate in cost. If there is anything we can do as a government to encourage people to eat healthy and be more active, we should,” she continued. 

“We have to work together, to share each other’s cultures and understand each other. You as community members can help others to understand what healthy living is all about.”

Participants in the workshop said that the course was extremely beneficial, not only because of the content, but because of the innovative English/Punjabi language combination. Whether someone speaks and reads no English or very little English, or speaks and reads very little Punjabi, the workshop ‘worked’ for everyone.

They said that the information in the workshops was about health, but also about leadership. Participants learned how to make a strategic plan for change and how to effectively improve communication within the generational and cultural aspects of their communities.

“This workshop will help change the communication level in our community,” one participant stated. “This information helps residents who don’t often leave their homes, and is carried from daughters to mothers and mothers-in-law—in the homes and throughout the community.”  

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