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Crossroads
COMPANIONS
DARRELL NESBITT/CROSSROADS THIS WEEK
This small herd of horses is often entertained by their companion – a goat – seen here climbing over a hay bale on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 10. Livestock and pet owners have had to deal with a variety of temperatures over the winter, from arctic cold to spring-like temperatures and melting water as of late. Like farmers, board members of the Prairie Mountain Regional Museum keep watch over the health of these animals at the site along Highway 16.
Heart Month, in more ways than one
With Valentine’s Day serving as a reminder, the Heart & Stroke Foundation launches free online risk screen tool
RACHEAL FLINTOFT
Crossroads This Week
As many across the region are preparing for Valentine’s Day, local health officials are asking residents to look past the chocolate and flowers to focus on the actual muscle behind the holiday.
February is officially Heart
Month, and according to data from Prairie Mountain Health (PMH) and the Heart & Stroke Foundation, the news for our communities is sobering. Nine out of 10 Manitobans currently live with at least one risk factor for heart disease or stroke.
While the timing often focuses on romance, health experts are
using the mid-month holiday to highlight the modifiable risks. These are factors like blood pressure, activity levels, and nutrition that individuals can control to prevent life-threatening events. To help people understand their own health, the Heart & Stroke Foundation has launched a free online risk screen tool. This digital resource provides a personalized action plan based on a person’s lifestyle, medical history, and specific life stages, including pregnancy and menopause. For those navigating heart conditions or recovering from surgery, PMH offers a regional Heart Program. While the physical centre for the program is lo-
cated in Brandon, the health authority has made it accessible to residents throughout the wider region who may live several hours away.
The initiative provides one-onone education and weekly group sessions held every Tuesday.
