ASI Organizational Map

The Foundation — Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986)

“Health is shaped not by healthcare — but by the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age.”

Upstream Health

Act on root causes before crisis

Social Determinants

Income · Housing · Education · Food · Connection

Health in All Policies

All government decisions are health decisions

Mental Health Promotion

Build conditions for wellbeing before problems develop

Whole of Society

Health needs everyone at the table

Population Health

Why are some communities healthier? What can policy change?

A year-round, bilingual hub connecting people and evidence to advance upstream policy and community action across Atlantic Canada.

NB · NS · PEI · NL — the only organization doing this work consistently, bilingually, and over the long term in the region.

Founded

2003

Incorporated

2008

Mental Health Focus

Since 2014

Provinces

NB · NS · PEI · NL

Languages

EN + FR

Governance & Team

Board of Directors

Malcolm Shookner

Board · Archive Review Lead

Patsy Beattie-Huggan

Co-Founder · ASI Coordinator

Susan Hartley

Board Member

Maggie Snow

Board Member

Nathalie Boivin, PhD

Board Member

Tadiwa Ronald Rushambwa

Board Member

Brian Kelly

Board Member

Gage Sabattis

Board Member · Eskasoni NS

Emyn Hayden

Board Member · St. John's NL

Ujunwa Aja-Onu

Board Member

Board members are a key — and currently underused — comms channel. The 2026 toolkit directly addresses this.

Staff & Operations

Patsy Beattie-Huggan

ASI Coordinator / Co-Founder

Mizuho Miller

ASI Project Manager

Lordslove Ngonge

Communications & PR

Luciana Quiroa Paredes

ASI 2026 Program Coordinator

Maureen Kerr

Consultant

Nikki Mackinnon

Bookkeeper

+ Canada Summer Jobs hire (incoming) · Comms

Cove Consulting

External comms & web partner · 12+ years · Social media, branding, bilingual website, strategy

Advisory Committee

Lori Mayne

Chair · Journalist · Federation of Municipalities · Recommended 2026 media lead

Full member list to be compiled.

Their Role — Advancing the “WHY”

  • Amplify upstream health messages in their own networks
  • Weave ASI themes into their sector communications
  • Support media with their credibility and voice
  • Op-ed opportunities — ASI drafts, they publish

Policy Influencer Sub-Committee
Opens doors with unions & policy organizations → workshop team takes over → next door

Projects & Programs

All projects are grounded in ASI’s 2022 Policy Brief — “A Mental Health in All Policies Framework for Atlantic Canada” — calling for upstream investment, knowledge mobilization, and whole-of-government action.

PEI Upstream Project

Promoting Mental Health on PEI. Implementing the Policy Brief. Shifting mental health into all policies. Social marketing & measurement phase just beginning — running to March 2027.

Budget includes:

  • Communications specialist
  • Workshops across PEI
  • Policy influencer outreach
  • Social change measurement (baseline → 2027)

Menopause in PEI

Focus groups on perimenopause & menopause. A Health in All Policies example — employment, healthcare, community support all play a role.

Children's Program

Workshops for children. Grocery cards & supplies from local donors. Don’t ask Atlantic Superstore too late this year.

ASI 2026 Policy Forum

40th anniversary of the Ottawa Charter. Keynote: Dr. Liane Comeau (grew up in NS, now leads IUHPE globally). Opening Plenary: Chief, Île River Barra — polycrisis at the local level.

ASI Knowledge Hub

20 years of upstream health leadership made permanently searchable.

Living Archive: Every theme, speaker, event — bilingual

AI Search Layer: Ask a question, get an answer — not links

Stakeholder Toolkit Home: Board & advisory tools — always current

External Partners, Funders & Media

Current Funders

PHAC

$250K · PEI Upstream Project

Michelle Harris-Genge

$15K · Menopause Project · Director, Social Dev & Seniors / Women's Secretariat

Innovation PEI

Existing relationship · Strong near-term prospect

Media & Comms

CBC PEI

Key outlet · Radio slot available at launch

The Guardian

Previous Patsy interviews

Journal Pioneer

Regional reach

IUHPE

Dr. Comeau's org · International angle

Sector & Policy

Federation of Municipalities

Lori Mayne's employer

Community Sector Network

Hailey [TBC] · Comms referrals

Sean Casey's office

Federal amplification

Susie Dillon

Standing Committee on Health

Rotary Club

Children's program proposal in

Knowledge Hub Prospects

ACOA

Up to $100K · Digital adoption

Health Canada

$25–75K · HiAP alignment

SSHRC

$10–50K · University partner needed

McConnell Foundation

$25–100K · Systems change

Lawson Foundation

$10–40K · Healthy communities

Health in All Policies in action — two ASI projects on PEI

INSPIRE

Why this work matters

Annual themes · Keynote talks · Policy quotes · Patsy’s recorded conversations · Ottawa Charter 40th

CONNECT

People & community

Speaker spotlights · Youth Leadership Program · Testimonials · ‘Why I attend’ stories

ACTIVATE

Register, share, attend

Registration CTAs · Countdown posts · Board toolkit · ASI Insider Email weekly

EDUCATE

The language of upstream health

Upstream explainers · Health in All Policies · Menopause findings · Plain-language glossary

Campaign Timeline — April to August 2026

April

Registration open · Keynote (Dr. Comeau) · New branding launch

May

Speaker spotlights · YLP applications · Early bird deadline

June

‘Why I’m attending’ · Full program release · Testimonial video

July

Countdown · Maximum sharing effort · Subsidies deadline

August

Event week · Live content · Capture for 2027