By: Izzy Cheung, staff writer
PolyCan Health Centre is a multi-disciplinary health clinic located in SFU Burnaby’s UniverCity. On June 17, they hosted puppy therapy and a community BBQ that was open for anyone to attend. This event took place in partnership with various charities such as the Heart Tattoo Society.
PolyCan opened in 2020 on Burnaby Mountain. The clinic’s services are all covered by SFU student insurance.
To learn more about the clinic and their upcoming events, The Peak sat down with Lylan Phan, PolyCan’s director of aesthetics, and Viktoria Abanos, PolyCan’s assistant marketing and project manager.
PolyCan offers services such as physiotherapy, acupuncture, registered massage therapy, medical aesthetics, mental health services, and shockwave therapy. Booking an appointment for any of their services can be completed either in-person or online.
“It’s on campus, close by, students just need to walk in or they can book online,” Phan said. “For people who are not great at booking appointments for themselves [ . . . ] online booking [is] super easy and non-judgmental.”
PolyCan also offers wellness services for Indigenous communities such as annual assessments, pain management, acupuncture, and personal training. Their online booking site allows Indigenous people to book appointments immediately.
“We have a very rapid booking system for Indigenous peoples,” Abanos said. “They can pretty much immediately make an appointment to come see whatever type of specialist they’d like [ . . . ] all of their services are covered by insurance so they don’t have to pay a dime.”
Abanos and Phan were both very excited when discussing how the idea for the community BBQ event came to fruition.
“Dogs are cute and everyone loves dogs — myself and Lylan included, of course,” Abanos said. “We were trying to find a community event that would be kind of fun for everyone involved.
“[We] definitely want to give back to the student community we serve, so dogs are a great way to have an inclusive event,” Phan added.
The event also included “a variety of raffles” as well as a food drive. Proceeds from the event will go to the Heart Tattoo Society, who “[focuses] on feeding the vulnerable and homeless in the Vancouver area.”
In line with their ideas of giving back to the student community, PolyCan is also offering free facials to anyone who comes in before July 1.
“It’s very convenient and it’s super important for students to take care of their health, especially during stressful times,” Abanos said. “A lot of students often don’t have the time to be going and getting appointments elsewhere so this is absolutely a great opportunity for students to take care of themselves, and also look great while doing it.”
Visit PolyCan Health Centre at 9055 University High St 102, #205, or book an appointment on their website.
