By Brennan Phillips
Special to the Western News
The Okanagan Similkameen Healthy Living Fair Society’s annual Healthy Living Fair will be held at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre on March 10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This year’s Healthy Living Fair includes a variety of speakers that will cover topics ranging from gender identity to physical and mental fitness. With attendance to the event free, the public is invited to listen to any of the speakers or to visit one of the 60 organizations hosting exhibitions at the fair.
Related: First steps to a healthier lifestyle at Healthy Living Fair
The fair begins with speaker Ivan Coyote, a highly regarded author and speaker. Coyote’s presentation, Somewhere Over The Rainbow Sticker. takes place at 9:15 a.m. and will look at some of the author’s own experiences grappling with the complex and personal issue of gender identity, as well topics such as family, class and social justice.
Beyond the Scale, hosted by Alisa Senecal and Melanie Beatty at 10 a.m., takes aim at the idea that one’s weight can define their health. The presentation looks at the alternative approach of Health At Every Size. With Beyond the Scale, it is hoped to encourage building a more positive body image, enjoyment of food, and joy in exercise and movement, instead of potentially harmful diets.
Carrie Few will offer an insight into the nature of Trauma Informed Practice at 10:30 a.m., as well as how it is important and useful in the current climate. The seminar will look at how TIP can be used in social groups, volunteering, the workplace, and beyond, as a useful skill for both organizations and individuals.
Liesel Reimer will discuss some of the obstacles women face in staying mentally fit, as well as tools and strategies to try and maximize one’s mental health at 11:30 a.m.
Katrina McKeown and Tracy Franklin will host a presentation at 11:30 a.m. on the effects of poverty on women in the Okanagan, looking in particular on its effects on their physical and mental health. Following the presentation there will be a question and answer session. After the session is finished, there will also be a “Day in the Life” poverty simulation workshop.
A workshop on using the Wellness Wheel of the First Nations’ Health Authority with additional learning tools and skills to empower women in their own lives, presented by Bonnie Kooistra is the final seminar at the fair. It takes place at 2:30 p.m.
The Healthy Living Fair will also host 9- booths profiling over 60 different organizations who support a healthy lifestyle. There will also be healthy eating sessions, entertainment and activity demos. More information on the fair and its speakers can be found at www.healthylivingfair.com.