Whether they came to meet a TV personality, get their flu shot or learn about a local service, thousands of Prince George residents kept the fifth annual Healthier You Expo hopping.
The Civic Centre was bustling from the time doors opened at 10 a.m. Sunday for the free health fair organized by the Prince George Citizen in partnership with Prince George-Valemount MLA Shirley Bond and Immigrant and Multicultural Services Society (IMSS)executive director Baljit Sethi.
"Thank you for coming, enjoy the day and ask lots of questions," said Bond, who encouraged the crowd that leading healthier lifestyles leads to having a healthier community.
Citizen publisher Hugh Nicholson said the Expo was probably his favourite event. "It attracts so many people and it's so interesting," he said. "It's about staying healthy, not getting treated after you fall ill."
For Sethi, partnering with the others for the fair meant the information could reach a broader segment of the cross-cultural community. The IMSS was able to partner in the event through funding from the Immigrant Integration branch of the ministry of jobs, tourism and innovation which was distributed through the Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies (AMSSA).
"To provide funding to IMSS for the promotion of cross-cultural education and health care," Sethi said. That collaboration could be seen through the presence of Dr. Jay Bains, a University of
Victoria self-management co-ordinator who gave talks on managing chronic disease for the elderly both at the Civic Centre and in Punjabi at the Sikh temple. There was also a cooking demonstration of fragrant East Indian cuisine and cultural dancing.
The main draw of the event was the return of Dr. Art Hister as the keynote speaker. Hister has been a correspondent for BBC Radio and CBC Newsworld and is currently a health analyst for Global TV. Due to his popularity (there was standing room only at is talk last year), he gave two separate presentations to try and accommodate his fanbase.
"I love talking to people, it's my passion," Hister told The Citizen.
He said he enjoys the warmth from the people in the North.
"I still get goose-pimply when I remember how comfortable [last year's talk] was," Hister said.
Hister said he has the ability to influence more people in his current broadcast platform than he ever could seeing them one-on-one as a practicing physician.
"There's something so unique about television that I didn't understand ... On TV, it's a trusted family, and you trust members of your family - generally," he said.
The doctor had a table where he sold and signed copies of his books and as many people were merely interested in shaking his hand and telling him how much they enjoyed watching him on television.
"People here are really lovely and relate to me in a kind, comfortable, gentle way," Hister said.
One of those people was Gayle Strasdin, who said she comes to Healthier You Expo every year, but came this year mainly for Dr. Hister.
"I knew he was coming up and wanted to meet him," she said, but added she always learns something from the event. "You always get something out of coming to these things."
