>-----Original Message-----
 >At least the new Ministry of Health Promotion has a placeholder of a
 >website, indicating more information coming soon.
 >http://www.gov.on.ca/MBS/english/government/minOverviews/hpr.html
 >
 >Let's have some discussion about the implications of this new 
 >Ministry of
 >Health Promotion - does it have potential for addressing conditions
 >affecting health, or is it a dilution to only individual 
 >lifestyle?  What
 >has been the experience in other places, such as in Nova 
 >Scotia where the
 >office of Health Promotion (or is it a Ministry /Department) 
 >was set up in
 >2002 (see website at http://www.gov.ns.ca/ohp/), or in 
 >British Columbia
 >with the separation into  Health Services and Health Planning 
 >ministries?
 >Alison Stirling
 >

We were just listening to the new Minister, Jim Watson, in an interview on CBC.  

I suppose we should give the poor man a few days to find his feet, but it sounded very much like he is interpreting health promotion very narrowly -- fitness, recreation, healthy lifestyle were the things he mentioned.  He is taking a very cost-prevention focus "we want to take people away from George Smitherman's ministry [i.e., the main Ministry of Health] because it's just too costly".  

And then he signed off the interview with "Keep fit!"

So, kind of mixed so far, in my mind!  Nice to have it, but slightly depressing that the initial message is so narrow.

Robyn Kalda
Health Promotion Information Specialist
OPC Health Promotion Resource Centre
(416) 408-2249 x226
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