September 2026 Board of Health Meeting - June 15 , 2026 to July 14, 2026 Communications Update Information Report
PREPARED BY: Communications
DATE: 2026-09-24
SUBJECT: Communications Report July 2026
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE:
Provide regular marketing and communication updates to the Board of Health.
| SOURCE | June 15 – July 14 | May 15 – June 14 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Releases, Media Advisories and Statements, or Notices Issued | 11 | 7 | 4 |
| Media Requests Received | 24 | 10 | 14 |
| Wechu.org pageviews | 108,825 | 87,160 | 21,665 |
| YouTube Channel Subscribers | 1,865 | 1,866 | -1 |
| Email Subscribers | 6,515 | 6,541 | -26 |
| Emails Distributed | 15 | 11 | 4 |
| Facebook Fans | 27,106 | 26,622 | 484 |
| Facebook Posts | 81 | 72 | 9 |
| Twitter Followers | 8,238 | 8,243 | -5 |
| Twitter Posts | 71 | 63 | 8 |
| Instagram Followers | 2,337 | 2,327 | 10 |
| Instagram Posts | 61 | 59 | 2 |
| LinkedIn Followers | 2,179 | 2,170 | 9 |
| LinkedIn Posts | 47 | 36 | 11 |
| Media Exposure | 232 | 54 | 178 |
Media Exposure Overview Graph
Notes: From June 15 – July 14, we experienced a high volume of media exposure. Notably, there was a large peak on June 17, which is related to a national story on overdose trends. Other peaks were due to heat alerts (June 28 and July 2), pertussis exposure notices (June 22), and WECOSS alerts (July 3 and 9).
Website Overview Graph
Notes: Darker blue line is current timeframe. From June 15 – July 14, we saw very steady web traffic at a higher level compared to the previous month, due to our usual seasonal topics which drive web traffic. We had a large spike in traffic on July 2 which can be tied to the news release regarding a potential public pertussis exposure notice as well as beach water testing results.
Social Media Overview Graph (followers)
Notes: Lighter blue lines are the current timeframe. From June 15 – July 14, we saw a moderate increase in followers on Meta platforms, and steady audiences on X and LinkedIn.
Discussion – Responsive Communications for Rabies Awareness
In response to a concern at a local nature centre, the Communications department responded by creating a selection of social media posts to target the problem. Following an increase in raccoon exposures at the park, social media posts were created in an effort to deter individuals from trying to pet or feed raccoons and reminding the public not to attempt to domesticate wild animals. Interesting, eye-catching images were selected to go along with the captions, to boost engagement on the posts.
The top performing social media post was viewed by 15,797 accounts, was shared 34 times, had 17 comments, and 40 reactions. Additionally, the social media posts generated strong media exposure, with inquiries from two local outlets (CBC and AM800). The interviews resulted in three different stories published and an on-air interview with Dr. Aloosh.