Health Promotion External Resource Library

Physical activity

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology offers the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines which provide information on physical activity, sedentary behavior and sleep. 

ParticipACTION promotes healthy living and physical fitness. The web page provides information on physical activity programs, resources and benefits and guidelines. 

The Heart & Stroke Foundation provides tips and tricks on how to stay physically active along with a variety of exercises and how to monitor and track your fitness. 

The Canadian Disability Participation Project is an alliance that strives to enhance community participation among Canadians with physical disabilities in sports and exercise. 

Sport for Life provides information on quality sport and physical literacy along with additional resources, events and news.

The World Health Organization provides fact sheets, data and guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour.

The Government of Canada provides information on the importance of physical activity and resources to support healthy living.

Additonal supports

Abilities Centre 55 Gordon St, Whitby, ON L1N 0J2

City of Oshawa Recreation Facilities

Durham Region Explore and Engage

Leisure Bowling Lanes Ltd 728 Champlain Ave, Oshawa, ON L1J 6W8

Treetop Eco-Adventure Park 53 Snow Ridge Ct, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4

Healthy eating

Canada’s Food Guide provides healthy eating recommendations along with information on how to eat mindfully, use food labels and limit highly processed foods. It also includes a large selection of recipes and free nutrition resources. 

Unlock Food helps connect Canadians with a dietitian and provides information related to nutrition, food and healthy eating. The website also includes a  variety of recipes, videos and online tools. 

The Heart & Stroke Foundation web page on healthy eating provides information related to the basics of healthy eating, food groups and news articles with nutrition tips and tools. 

Partnerships for Food Safety Education promotes educational materials and programs related to food safety along with information on foodborne illnesses. It also provides free resources and safe recipes.

Durham Regional Health promotes healthy eating choices and habits from Canada’s Food Guide. It provides a variety of resources and services including the Community Food Advisors - volunteers who provide education on healthy eating and safe food handling in the community.

Ontario Health Healthy Choices webpage provides tips for healthy eating along with information on food poisoning and food safety. It also encourages individuals to use Health Connect Ontario or call 811 to speak to a Registered Dietitian about nutrition and healthy eating.

Additonal supports

FreshCo 2650 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1L 0R1

Costco Wholesale 100 Windfields Farm Dr W, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4

Giant Tiger 250 Taunton Rd E, Oshawa, ON L1G 7T1

​​Shanya Supermarket 1251 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4W4

The Grocery Outlet 133 Taunton Rd W, Oshawa, ON L1G 3T4

Community Care Durham Community Food Box

Food security

Budget Bytes provides a wide variety of easy and budget-friendly recipes that use simple and nutritious ingredients. It also provides a list of how-to articles, kitchen basics and pantry staples.

Use Flipp to browse the latest savings and deals on groceries with weekly digital flyers from stores near you. 

The Durham Region webpage on Food Poverty provides information on what food poverty is, the top risk factors, what you can do to help and income strategies that address food insecurity.

Feed Ontario is a collective of hunger relief organizations that works to end hunger and poverty by delivering fresh and healthy food, developing innovative programming and driving change through research and advocacy. The web page provides information on food banks, food programs and community programs.

Food Secure Canada is a pan-Canadian alliance of organizations and individuals working together to advance food security and food sovereignty through three interlocking goals: zero hunger, healthy and safe food and sustainable food systems. 

This Government of Canada webpage shares services and information on how Canada determines food security status and provides tools to measure food security status.

This United Nations web page addresses the global issue of food insecurity and provides information on changes in world food markets, healthy diets, development goals and hunger and nutrition facts.

This article articulates the history of food insecurity in Canada and how it’s measured, who experiences it and strategies on how to address it and its policies.

Additonal supports 

Durham Region Food Banks

Durham Integrated Growers 

Durham Farm Fresh

Linton's Farm Market 571 Raglan Rd E, Oshawa, ON L1H 0N1

Sleep

The Sleep Foundation helps individuals improve their sleep by providing informative articles on sleep routines, fighting sleep apnea, finding the best mattress, pillow and more.

Sleep on It Canada is an awareness campaign that seeks to demystify sleep for the general public, offer solutions to deal with sleep disorders and make healthy sleep a public health priority. The webpage includes events, support, resources and tools related to sleep. 

The Canadian Sleep Society provides resources on sleep and sleep disorders including brochures, books and podcasts along with information on sleep centre, research and events.

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine provides information on healthy sleep habits and sleep disorders. The webpage also includes blog posts and a variety of sleep resources and tools including the bedtime calendar and sleep diary. 

The National Sleep Foundation advances sleep health and well-being through education and advocacy. The website includes articles on various facets of sleep health, useful tips of improving your sleep health and the latest education around sleep.

Additonal supports 

Sleep Country Canada 750 Taunton Rd E, Oshawa, ON L1K 1B7

Oshawa Clinic Group Oshawa Clinic Centre For Sleep Medicine

Oshawa Durham Sleep Laboratory 

Personal hygiene

The Canadian Dental Association provides information on how to enhance oral health and oral hygiene. It includes helpful links and tips for brushing your teeth and flossing.

Infection Prevention and Control Canada works to advance public wellness and safety through advocating for best practices in infection prevention and control. The webpage provides a variety of evidence based resources and education materials.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information related to personal hygiene, coughing and sneezing, hand washing, infant feeding and everyday household cleaning.

The Government of Canada shares information on healthy habits, proper hand washing and how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety provides a fact sheet outlining  steps to reduce the spread of germs and what the workplace can do to prevent infections.

Durham Region’s Healthy Living page provides information on what you can do to stay healthy.  Infection prevention information surrounding hand washing, immunizations and food safety is found on this website

Additonal supports

Shoppers Drug Mart 2045 Simcoe St N Rr #1, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4

Smile View Dental 102-2069 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4

Sexual health

Options for Sexual Health provides information on a variety of topics related to sexual health, STIs, contraception, sexual orientation, gender expression, pleasure, intimacy, relationships and consent.

SexandU.ca takes a real-life approach to the questions and issues around sex and sexuality that matter most to Canadians. From talking about sex, to lifestyle choices, to contraception awareness and sexually transmitted infections, SexandU.ca provides accurate, and up-to-date information on topics related to sexual and reproductive health.

Sexual Health Ontario provides important information related to sexual health, STIs and reproductive health. The webpage provides resources related to sexuality, healthy relationships and LGBTQ2S+ health, contraception and fertility. The webpage has a feature that allows users to find a nearby sexual health clinic along with a live chat function for sexual health questions, information and assistance.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides information on varioussexual health topics including: sexually transmissited infections, reproductive health, sexual violence prevention, healthy pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and LGBTQ2S+ health. It also provides a list of sexual health resources and the latest sexual health publications, reports and presentations.

The World Health Organization includes an overview of sexual health and sexual health related issues, sexual health definitions and terminilogy and fact sheets on STIs, HIV/AIDS, pregnancy and contraception.

Additonal supports

Oshawa Sexual Health Clinic 419 King St W Suite 180, Oshawa, ON L1J 2K5

Durham Women's Care Clinic 1290 Keith Ross Dr, Oshawa, ON L1J 0C7

AIDS Committee of Durham Region 115 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 4G7

Durham Region Pregnancy Options

Durham Region Sexual Health and Clinics

Substance use

The Canadian Mental Health Association describes substance use and addiction, outlines factors that impact substance use and addictions and provides information on harm reduction and treatment options.

The City of Toronto describes the continuum of drug use, drug tolerance, types of substances, and provides information on how to prevent and respond to an overdose. The City of Toronto also includes information on how to access harm reduction programs and services, where to get a naloxone kit and how to locate supervised consumption services. 

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction provides public education, research, videos, policy and regulations related to various substances. The webpage also includes information related to health and public safety along with upcoming events and recent news related to substance use and addiction. 

The Government of Canada provides services and information related to alcohol, cannabis, smoking, vaping and tobacco, the stigma around drug use, supervised consumption sites and other relevant topics.

Drink Smart is an alcohol awareness and education program created for Ontario Post-Secondary Students-by-Students. Drink Smart provides quick tips for responsible alcohol consumption, a blog, a BAC calculator and a variety of resources to help students make informed decisions related to alcohol.

Smoking and vaping cessation

Smokers’ Helpline has free and personalized tools to help individuals quit successfully. The web page includes resources to create a quit plan, cope with cravings and withdrawal symptoms and find local resources and supports. Smokers’ Helpline promotes Talk Tobacco free confidential program offering culturally appropriate support about quitting smoking, vaping and commercial tobacco use to First Nations, Inuit, Métis and urban Indigenous communities.

This Government of Canada web page provides information on the health effects of vaping versus smoking, vaping to help quit smoking and supports to help individuals quit smoking.

This Government of Canada webpage features reasons people smoke, benefits of quitting, doubts about quitting and the impacts smoking has on sexual health and fertility.

Smokefree.gov provides information on how to quit vaping, the challenges to expect, how to create a personalized vaping quit plan, understanding vaping triggers and craving and depression and anxiety related to vaping.

Additonal supports

Durham Region Alcohol, Cannabis, Drugs and Smoking

Alcoholics Anonymous, Durham Region

Self-care 

Self Care provides information on the seven pillars of self-care including health literacy, physical activity, risk avoidance, self-awareness, healthy eating, good hygiene and optimal use of products and services.

The Canadian Mental Health Association Durham encourages individuals to take care of their mental wellness by getting social support, staying educated, acknowledging emotional pain, paying attention to your health and finding meaning in life.

The World Health Organization provides an overview of self-care interventions for your health and features fact sheets,Q&A, guidelines and data.

The Global Self-Care Federation highlights information on what self-care involves, the benefits of self-care, the future of self-care and the economic and social value of self-care. The webpage also includes key initiatives, news, events and resources related to self-care.

Additonal supports

Cineplex Odeon Oshawa Cinemas 1351 Grandview St N, Oshawa, ON L1K 0G1

Oshawa Zoo & Fun Farm 3377 Grandview St N, Oshawa, ON L1H 0J5

Power Yoga Canada Oshawa 866 Taunton Rd W #1, Oshawa, ON L1L 0P1

Oshawa Museum 1450 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 8J7

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery 72 Queen St, Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z3

Canadian Automotive Museum 99 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 4G7

Ontario Regiment Museum 1000 Stevenson Rd N, Oshawa, ON L1J 5P5

Parkwood Estate 270 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4T5

The Oshawa Valley Botanical Gardens 155 Arena St, Oshawa, ON L1J 4E8

Emotional well-being 

Good 2 Talk is a free, confidential 24/7/365 support service for post-secondary students in Ontario and Nova Scotia that offers professional counseling, information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being.

Wellness Together provides free and virtual mental health and substance use support. It provides access to resources related to managing worry, coping with stress, managing low mood, strengthening relationships and managing substance use.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes emotional health by providing information on cultural connectedness, workplace health promotion, promoting healthy school and more.

The National Institutes of Health promotes an emotional wellness toolkit that outlines six strategies to improve your emotional health: brightening your outlook, reducing stress, getting quality sleep, coping with loss, strengthening social connections and being mindful. 

The Mental Health Commission of Canada disseminates programs and tools to support the mental health and wellness of Canadians. It provides information on stigma and discrimination, suicideorevention, mental health first aid, mental healthand substance use and additional resources.

Additonal supports

Durham Region Mental Health

Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences

Canadian Mental Health Association of Durham

Social wellness 

Positive Psychology defines social wellbeing and outlines activities to develop positive relationships and improve social well-being.

The National Institutes of Health promotes a social wellness toolkit that outlines six strategies to improve your social health

The Government of Canada curates a list of ways to maintain social wellness.

Additonal supports

City of Oshawa Festivals and Events

City of Oshawa Community Clubs, Groups and Organizations

Durham Alliance Association Social Club

Neb's Fun World 1300 Wilson Rd N, Oshawa, ON L1K 2B8

Yuk Yuk's Oshawa 67 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4S3

Tribute Communities Centre 99 Athol St E, Oshawa, ON L1H 1J8

The Music Hall - Oshawa 44 Bond St E, Oshawa, ON L1G 1B2

Oshawa Little Theatre 62 Russett Ave, Oshawa, ON L1G 3R5

Oshawa Golf and Curling Club 160 Alexandra St, Oshawa, ON L1G 2C4

Enviornmental wellness

Earth Day is a worldwide environmental movement that aims to diversify, educate and drive positive action for our planet. Earthday.org provides information on campaigns related to climate and environment literacy, conservation and restoration, how to end plastic pollution and how to act on climate change.

The David Suzuki Foundation works to conserve and protect the natural environment to create a sustainable Canada through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis. The web page provides information related to climate solutions, thriving nature and sustainable communities along with blog posts and resources outlining how individuals can take action online, locally and at home.

Econation provides a comprehensive guide to sustainability, well-being and reducing one’s ecological footprint. The webpage provides blog posts, frameworks and tools related to sustainability and additional resources such as Carbon and Ecological Footprint calculators.

Sustainable Self provides support for building a healthy and sustainable life through self-care, outdoor therapy and training. Sustainable Self informs individuals on eco-anxiety and the effects of the climate crisis on mental health. 

The National Institutes of Health promotes an environmental wellness toolkit that outlines seven strategies to improve your environmental health.

Eco-grief and eco-anxiety

Climate and Mind explores the relationship between climate disruption, human behaviour and the human experience. The web page provides information and resources related to climate impacts on mental health, climate grief and how to cope in the face of climate breakdown.

Good Grief Network brings people together to process collective grief, eco-anxiety, and other heavy emotions that arise in response to the daunting planetary crisis. The Good Grief Network also offers a 10 step program, peer to peer support and a variety of online resources.

​​Eco-Anxious Stories provides tips and tools to help individuals share stories, normalize climate anxieties and spark solutions.

Additonal supports 

Durham Region Environment and Your Health

Durham Region Transit

Lakeview Park Beach 1675 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 8J7

McLaughlin Bay Wildlife Reserve 1908 Colonel Sam Dr, Oshawa, ON L1H 8P7

Purple Woods Conservation Area 38 Coates Rd E, Oshawa, ON L1H 7K4

Memorial Park 110 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 7M7

Joseph Kolodzie Oshawa Creek Bike Path Travels along the Oshawa Creek

Vocational wellness

Charity Village is a career resource that offers paid job postings, volunteer opportunities, training,  eLearning courses, hiring tools, webinars, newsletters, articles and other resources.

Volunteer Durham provides an accurate, current and comprehensive database where users can search for volunteer opportunities in Durham and surrounding areas.

LinkedIn Learning provides expert led courses across a variety of online class topics for every step of one’s career.

The Durham Region Employment Supports page features workshops, programs and  education and skills training.

This Government of Canada web page provides information related to workplace hazards, rights and responsibilities, health and wellness, injury prevention, compensation and the federal Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.

Additonal supports 

Durham Works Resource Centre 200 John St W, Oshawa, ON L1J 2B4

United Way Durham Region 345 Simcoe St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 4J2

City of Oshawa What We Offer

Durham Region Employee Assistance Program

Durham Region Unemployed Help Centre

Financial wellness 

MoneySense provides content on smart spending, retirement, and insurance and includes a TFSA contribution room calculator.

Financial literacy in Canada provides information on the National Financial Literacy Strategy along with resources and publications related to financial literacy.

Financial Tools and Calculators on the Government of Canada webpage includes a variety of financial tools and calculators including a budget planner, financial goal calculator, bank account comparison tool, credit card comparison tool and financial literacy self-assessment quiz. 

The Ministry of Finance page provides information related to the province's tax system, benefits programs, credits and economic data.

The Government of Canada provides information and resources related to budgeting and money management, paying debt, smart ways to save, planning for retirement, financial wellness at work and more.

Additonal supports 

Durham Community Legal Clinic Centre for Financial Literacy

Durham Region Living with Low-Income

Spiritual wellness

Creative Awakenings combines creativity, mindfulness, and time spent in nature into programming that supports you in connecting with inner wisdom, discovering tools to serve you in living with more authenticity and joy.

Spirituality & Health provides information related to mental wellness, spiritual practices, the body, relationships, perspectives and more.

The Daily Meditation blog offers meditation techniques and  benefits.

Better Up provides information on spiritual wellness, spiritual fitness, the importance of spiritual wellness and how spiritual wellness activities can improve your spiritual health.

This Healthline article provides information on spiritual meditation, how to practice it and its health benefits.

Additonal supports 

Beth Zion Congregation 144 King St E, Oshawa, ON L1H 1B6

St George's Anglican Church 51 Centre St S, Oshawa, ON L1H 3Z9

Al Rayan Islamic Centre 1660 Durham Regional Hwy 2, Courtice, ON L1E 2R6

Salvation Army Church 570 Thornton Rd N, Oshawa, ON L1J 6T6

2SLGBTQ+ health and wellness

Rainbow Health Ontario creates opportunities for the healthcare system to better serve LGBT2SQ communities. The webpage includes a service provider directory, resource library and Trans Health knowledge base.

This Durham Region 2SLGBTQ+ page provides information on how to be an ally, 2SLGBTQI+ definitions, coming out, resources and more.

Eagle aims to improve the lives of 2SLGBTQI+ people in Canada and to enhance the global response to 2SLGBTQI+ issues through research, education and awareness.

Spectrum Health aims to ensure that everyone feels safe seeking care and to improve the health, safety and well-being of the LGBTQIA+ community. The web page includes a feature to find a safe and affirming provider along with other resources and information about safe spaces.

Trans Wellness Ontario aims to enhance and sustain the health and wellness of Transgender, Genderqueer, Two-Spirit, Non-Binary, Queer and Questioning communities and their families. The webpage provides information on community programs including the clothing cupboard, food bank, ID clinic and peer groups along with education, events, individual services and resources.

Fierté Canada Pride helps build vibrant and strong Canadian Pride organizations through collaboration, offering support, networking, helping to develop a national identity of Pride, and by offering resources and advocacy for its members.

It Gets Better Canada aims to uplift, empower, and connect Two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (2SLGBTQ+) youth across Canada through storytelling and building community.

Additonal supports 

Trans Lifeline 877.330.6366

GlitterBaby Studio 2 Glenabbey Dr Unit 4, Courtice, ON L1E 1B8

Carea Community Health Centre 360 Bayly St W Unit 5, Ajax, ON L1S 1P1

Durham Alliance Outreach 717 Wilson Rd S #8, Oshawa, ON L1H 6E9

Durham Alliance Association Social Club 7-717 Wilson Rd S, Oshawa, ON L1H 6E9

PFLAG Canada Durham Region 

Pride Durham

General health

Better Health Channel provides tips on how to manage your health and the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

Health Connect Ontario is a free, secure and confidential service you can call or access online 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get health advice from a registered nurse or find health services or information.

The Ontario Ministry of Health web page provides information on how to apply for OHIP, coverage for prescription drugs and links to other health care agencies.

The Ontario Public Health Association provides leadership on issues affecting the public’s health and strengthening the impact of people who are active in public and community health throughout Ontario. The web page provides information on public health programs, projects, events, news and media. 

Canadian Public Health Association aims to enhance the health of all people and communities in Canada, particularly those who are structurally disadvantaged, and to contribute to a healthier and more equitable world.

This Durham Region web page on healthy living offers resources and support to help people living in Durham Region make healthy living choices.

The health and well-being web page provides information on a variety of health and wellbeing topics including public health, dental care, mental health and addictions, fall prevention, nutrition, community support services and more. 

Health Canada is responsible for helping Canadians maintain and improve their health. It ensures that high-quality health services are accessible and works to reduce health risks. Health Canada provides services and information related to drugs and health products, food and nutrition, healthy living, health concerns and more. 

The National Institutes of Health provides information on a  variety of health-related topics along with several wellness toolkits, news and research.

Additonal supports

Telehealth Ontario (+1) 866.797.0000 

Oshawa Health Centre 247 Simcoe St N, Oshawa, ON L1G 4T3

Lakeridge Health 1 Hospital Ct, Oshawa, ON L1G 2B9

The Healthline

Durham Region Health Department Health and Wellness

Ontario 211

Free wellness apps

PocketWell is the official companion app of Wellness Together Canada (WTC), a mental health and substance use portal funded by the Government of Canada. The app allows users to measure and track their wellbeing, to connect with trained counselors & crisis responders for one-on-one support, and to access evidence-based free resources and tools. 

BetterSleep helps you understand and improve your sleep with its easy-to-use sleep tracker, sleep recorder, premium sleep sounds, amazing stories and soothing guided meditations.

The Calm app has multiple guided meditations. The free version includes “7-steps to calm” breathing exercises and sleep stories to increase your relaxation and improve your sleep.

The MindShift CBT app is a free self-help anxiety relief app that helps you reduce worry, stress, and panic by following evidence-based strategies. Using CBT tools, you can challenge negativity, learn more about anxiety, develop more effective ways of thinking, be mindful, and relax.

Smiling Mind is a free mindfulness meditation app developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life. Listen to guided meditations to reduce feelings of worry and anxiety and create a sense of calm.