Vancouver's park board and Diabetes Canada are teaming up to offer free diabetes-risk assessments at city community centres next week.

In association with Cities Changing Diabetes—an international public-private partnership initiated by Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk—the assessments will take place at eight community centres on November 14 between 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

The participating community centres, according to a media release, are as follows:

The assessments, the second of what is planned to be an annual occasion marking World Diabetes Day, will continue with limited access for two more days afterward, November 15 and 16.

The release noted the following locations and times for the extra dates: "Additional testing is available [Thursday] November 15 between 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Renfrew Pool (2929 E 22nd Ave), and at the West End Community Centre (870 Denman Street), and on Friday, November 16, between 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Strathcona (601 Keefer Street)."

More than 500 people participated in last year's assessments at only one community centre, the release noted. Participants this year will all receive a free single-use pass for any park board pool fitness centre, or ice rink. They will also be eligible to win a three-month community-centre pass.

The release goes on to say that 1.5 million people in B.C. have diabetes or prediabetes, including seven percent of the population of Vancouver (projected to increase to 10 percent within 10 years). As much as 30 percent of those living with diabetes in Vancouver remain undiagnosed and face serious and potentially life-threatening complications, the release added.

The assesment involves waist measurements and a test called CANRISK that will be explained by volunteers; a health-care provider will be present at all locations to answer participants' questions.