September 2026 Board of Health Meeting - July 15 , 2026 to August 14, 2026 Communications Update Information Report
PREPARED BY: Communications
DATE: 2026-09-24
SUBJECT: Communications Report August 2026
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE:
Provide regular marketing and communication updates to the Board of Health.
| SOURCE | July 15 – August 14 | June 15 – July 14 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| News Releases, Media Advisories and Statements, or Notices Issued | 12 | 11 | 1 |
| Media Requests Received | 20 | 24 | -4 |
| Wechu.org pageviews | 130,955 | 108,825 | 19,813 |
| YouTube Channel Subscribers | 1,868 | 1,865 | 3 |
| Email Subscribers | 6,498 | 6,515 | -17 |
| Emails Distributed | 17 | 15 | 2 |
| Facebook Fans | 27,178 | 27,106 | 72 |
| Facebook Posts | 85 | 81 | 4 |
| Twitter Followers | 8,235 | 8,238 | -3 |
| Twitter Posts | 76 | 71 | 5 |
| Instagram Followers | 2,369 | 2,337 | 32 |
| Instagram Posts | 60 | 61 | -1 |
| LinkedIn Followers | 2,192 | 2,179 | 13 |
| LinkedIn Posts | 48 | 47 | 1 |
| Media Exposure | 309 | 232 | 77 |
Media Exposure Overview Graph
Notes: From July 15 – August 14, we experienced a high level of media exposure due to our involvement in provincial and international news stories. Specifically, coverage of the cyclosporiasis outbreak caused three peaks from July 31 – August 8. On July 25, coverage of a partnership project tracking mosquitos saw an increase in stories, followed by stories on food insecurity due to a joint news release with other public health units regarding food insecurity on July 28 and again August 5.
Website Overview Graph
Notes: Darker blue line is current timeframe. From July 15 – August 14, we saw higher web traffic than usual, which can be attributed to a number of news releases which covered prominent stories in the media (e.g., cyclosporiasis outbreak, presence of West Nile Virus, food insecurity), along with our usual beach water results which always drive web traffic in the summer.
Social Media Overview Graph (followers)
Notes: Darker blue lines are the current timeframe. From July 15 – August 14, we saw a notable increase in followers on Meta platforms, small increase on LinkedIn, and a small decrease on X.
Discussion – Adverse Childhood Experiences Social Media Campaign
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.
