How One Small BC Town is Taking on Type 2 Diabetes, One Meal at a Time
- amullens6
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
“We’re In This Together"
TUMBLER RIDGE, BC — On a recent Monday morning, fifteen seniors sit attentively at folding tables and chairs at the Willow Hall Senior Centre, mugs of coffee and curiosity in hand. The topic of today’s session isn’t genealogy or estate planning—it’s blood sugar. More specifically: how to lower it, possibly reverse type 2 diabetes, and maybe even get off some medications.
Local physician Dr. Charles Helm and I, a representative from the Institute for Personalized Therapeutic Nutrition (IPTN), are leading the discussion. Most of the attendees have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. Some have had it for more than 25 years. All are eager to learn how simple changes, particularly in what they eat, might make a profound difference in their blood sugar levels.
Surprise spreads through the room when I explain that even a seemingly virtuous breakfast staple like oatmeal can spike blood sugar for some people. The blood sugar response, science is learning, can vary not only by the food itself, but by the individual’s genetic makeup, gut microbiome, their insulin sensitivity and the extent of their diabetes.
“You mean my oatmeal might be making my blood sugar worse?” asks John, 76, clearly shocked. He’s on injected insulin and would love to need fewer injections or even get off the shots. Could a different breakfast, like eggs, improve his blood sugar?
“Maybe,” says Dr. Helm. “We could get you to try a continuous glucose monitor and see for yourself.”
Across the room, Linda, 80, rolls up her sleeve to show the small white disc on her upper arm. “This little thing has made a huge difference to my diabetes,” she tells the group about the continuous glucose monitor, or CGM.
“Since I started using it, my blood sugar has dropped by many points.” She beams as we explain how these devices work—a tiny filament goes into the interstitial space of the cells in the back of the arm and tracks glucose levels in real time, revealing how individual foods affect each person differently.
Dr. Helm stresses that if they are on glucose-lowering medication, changes in their diet must be done in partnership with their doctor and pharmacist, who can monitor and adjust the dosages. The dietary changes are so powerful their blood sugar can go too low if their medications are not tapered.We also tell them about the website diabetesremission.ca, created by the IPTN to help raise awareness, support safe practices, and answer common questions about the ways individuals may personalize choices to lower blood sugar levels and even put their type 2 diabetes into remission.
This gathering is part of a bold, rural health initiative aiming to tackle type 2 diabetes at the community level by connecting, educating, and empowering people in small towns like Tumbler Ridge to take charge of their metabolic health.
Nestled in the eastern slopes of BC’s Rocky Mountains, 1000 km northeast of Vancouver, Tumbler Ridge is a remote community with a population of just 2,400. The nearest hospital is a two-hour drive away in either Dawson Creek to the northeast or Chetwynd to the northwest. It’s estimated that one-third of residents here have either type 2 diabetes or prediabetes. But instead of being daunted by that statistic, this town is rolling up its sleeves.
The community-led initiative is being piloted in Tumbler Ridge and Port Alberni through the joint efforts of the IPTN, BC’s Rural Coordination Centre (RCCbc), the BC Institute for Health System Transformation and Sustainability (IHSTS) and the South Peace Division of Family Practice. Funded initially by Health Excellence Canada, the project brings together healthcare providers, pharmacists, civic leaders, and community members to address the diabetes epidemic in ways that are local, creative, and most importantly doable and unique to each community.
Each community shapes its own approach. In Tumbler Ridge, everything and everyone is connected. There’s one grocery store, one pharmacy, one gym, one health clinic with two family doctors, one community centre, and four restaurants. This kind of cohesion is common in very small towns. And powerful.
Instead of focusing on all that Tumbler Ridge doesn’t have in health care resources — no overnight hospital beds, no medical specialists, no specialty health services— the aim is to focus on what it can do well.
“Unlike larger urban centres with multiple systems and bureaucracies, small towns are nimble,” says Dr. Helm. “The strength of rural communities lies in their interdependence and their ability to act quickly together.”
Pharmacist Charissa Tonnesen, who runs the town’s pharmacy, is a perfect example. Not only can she conduct on-the-spot HbA1c tests to identify people with type 2 diabetes and track their level of blood sugar control, she’s also a living example of remission: she reversed her own type 2 diagnosis over a decade ago through a low-carbohydrate diet and regular physical activity.
“When people come in, I can answer their questions right away,” she says. “I stock continuous glucose monitors, help people apply them, and show them what the numbers mean.” She’s quick with food swap suggestions, too. “Instead of oatmeal and toast, try full-fat yogurt with berries and seeds, or a veggie omelet.”
Tonnesen is one of several local champions. Others include town councillor Roxanne Gulick, who has lived with type 2 diabetes since her early 40s and believes the “wrap-around” community model is exactly what’s needed. “Diabetes can be really lonely,” she says. “But when the whole town is pulling together, it becomes a group effort. It’s not just about the individual anymore—it’s about all of us.”
Even the mayor is involved. Darryl Krakowka not only leads town council but also owns the local grocery store. He’s in talks with the planning team to bring in more diabetes-friendly foods, such as cauliflower for low-carb pizza crusts, and to display recipe cards next to those ingredients. “Why not add a symbol beside certain foods—like we do with the Canadian flag—to show what’s good for blood sugar?” he says.
The team is even developing a “Stomp of Approval” icon—a dinosaur footprint—to denote healthier menu items and groceries, a playful nod to the town’s identity as BC’s dinosaur capital.
Behind the scenes, a planning committee has proposed hiring a full-time community health coach to be the project’s lynchpin. Council approved the motion in June. This person will help coordinate efforts, from printed recipes and restaurant menu labels to organizing cooking classes and walking groups, to helping those with type 2 diabetes navigate the health care system. It’s community transformation from the ground up.
Nationally, type 2 diabetes is rising at an alarming rate. Over 11 million Canadians live with diabetes or prediabetes, and the burden on individuals and the healthcare system is enormous. A 2021 study, published in CMAJ Open, found that 28% of all hospital admissions involved patients with diabetes. Even if diabetes was not the main reason for admission it complicated treatments for other health problems such as skin infections or cardiovascular problems. According to Diabetes Canada, in 2024 diabetes cost the Canadian health care system $27 billion annually with estimates it will exceed $39 billion as soon as 2028.But Tumbler Ridge is proving that small communities may be able to play a role in reversing the trend.
As Dr. Helm puts it: “The only way we can solve some of our biggest healthcare challenges is by supporting and empowering people to take control of their health. If we can help someone bring their blood sugar back into the normal range, that means fewer complications like blindness, amputations, and kidney failure in the future. And the word of their success spreads among family, friends and neighbors who then want to try it, too.”
It may also encourage innovation-minded physicians to practice in smaller communities because of the ability to foster and support such changes.
More funding proposals are in the works to support the town’s efforts and expand this model to other rural communities in BC and beyond. But for now, in Tumbler Ridge, the work is already underway.
As the seniors file out of the Willow Hall, the room buzzes with energy. They’re eager to learn more, to meet again, to test their own blood sugar responses and share their findings.
“If they want people to sign up, I am ready to do it,” said John. He’s a little wary of the CGM technology, as he doesn’t want to have to wear one for life. “But if it is just two weeks, I might learn something.” He plans to stop by the pharmacy and talk to Tonnesen about it.
“If my breakfast oatmeal makes my blood sugar go high,” he says, “maybe I’ll try a switch to eggs.”
And just like that, the ripple of change begins.
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