Our Symbol
We chose the Inukshuk as EHI-Canada’s symbol for several reasons:
- It is well-recognized as a Canadian symbol
- It connects us with Canadian indigenous people, some of whom (the Inuit) have long used Inukshuk as guideposts in the northern wilderness.
- The Communications Officer of the Inuit Tapirisat in Ottawa informed us that the Inukshuk is in the public domain, and that an exchange of cultural icons was recommended by the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples in 1996
- While its pattern is instantly recognizable (symbolizing stability) and its feet are firmly planted on the earth (symbolizing practicality), its component rocks can come in different shapes and sizes (symbolizing flexibility)
- It has a ‘looking forward’ meaning
- It stands on the earth, but it also relates to the air and water as we all do
Our Vision
Healthier people in healthier places
We at EHI-Canada admire and indeed aspire to the United States Centers for Disease Control’s vision of “Healthy People in Healthy Places”. We agree with Toronto Public Health which states they consider health and environment to be “partners for life” on their “Healthy People Healthy Environment” information website (http://www.toronto.ca/health/hphe/enviro.htm). We also agree with Research Australia that “Achieving a population of HEALTHY PEOPLE requires a HEALTHY PLANET to ensure the fundamentals, and HEALTHY PLACES in which to live, work, interact and play” (McMichael Tony, Steering Committee Chair. Healthy planet, places and people, Research Australia, 2007:8).
We also recognize the following realities:
- Perfection is not likely attainable given the multiple genetic endowments, ages and stages of people and the complexity of their various and continually varying environments
- While pollution knows no jurisdictional boundaries on our planet, the ability to prevent or reduce it definitely does.
Hence, at EHI-Canada we will work continuously towards improvement in the health of people and the places they inhabit, utilizing whatever resources are available to us.
Our Mission
Partnering to persistently progress towards healthier people in healthier places
We at EHI-Canada recognize that we cannot accomplish our vision working in isolation. Hence, our mission is to collaborate with many other key partners to continually leverage individual efforts towards the mutual goal of improved human health through better protection from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.
EHI-Canada envisions being an international leader in the coordination and exchange of environmental health information for the ongoing benefit of citizens, communities and governments.