<http://www.activeliving.ca/headers/CALBulletin-E-Header.jpg> 

March 2007


 

BUDGET SILENT ON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY 
AND SPORT COMMITMENT TO CANADIANS


(OTTAWA - March 19, 2007) 

The Coalition for Active Living (CAL) is still waiting for Canada's new
government to fulfill its election promise to invest in a strong and better
Canada by reducing chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease caused by
physical inactivity. The organization, which represents over 100 physical
activity, recreation and sport organizations across Canada expressed
disappointment that today's federal budget gave no indication how the
government will make the investments necessary to reverse the trend of
sedentary living, and increase health through physical activity. 

The commitment the Conservative Party of Canada made to Canadians in their
2006 election platform STAND UP FOR CANADA, stated:

The most important part of health care is prevention, including insuring
that Canadians, especially children, have proper diet and exercise.

A Conservative government will promote a wellness and physical fitness
agenda to help Canadians and their children stay fit and healthy.

A Conservative government will commit to spending at least one percent of
total federal health funding annually on physical activity, including
amateur sport and programs for school age children such as the Awards of
Excellence program.

Much work needs to be done to fulfill this pledge, but today's federal
budget fell silent.

"The previous government was good at making promises to invest in physical
activity and then not making the necessary investments." CAL Co-Chair
Christa Costas-Bradstreet commented, "We are hopeful that this government is
more interested in keeping a commitment, especially one that will benefit
the health and well being of our children and families, and ultimately
reduce the burden on our health care system."

The Coalition for Active Living has developed a business plan and shared it
with the government. It describes the strategic investments necessary to
undertake an aggressive strategy to address the physical inactivity epidemic
in Canada. It targets new investments and incentives in areas of strategic
emphasis, which will be needed in order to achieve the pan-Canadian goal of
increasing physical activity by ten percent in every province and territory
by 2010, as agreed to by all 14 provincial/territorial ministers responsible
for physical activity. These five points include:

 

*	Healthy Public Policy;
*	Community Physical Environments that encourage physical activity;
*	Supportive Social Environments;
*	Public Education; and
*	Research and Knowledge Exchange.



Recent investments by the Federal government in ParticipACTION and the
Children's Fitness Tax Credit are an important start in addressing Public
Education and Healthy Public Policy, but fall far short of the 1% investment
promised by the government. Without comprehensive investment, Canada will
not make the grade when it comes to increasing physical activity and
decreasing chronic disease.

"We are committed to working with this government to fulfill its promise to
make a stronger and better Canada", says Costas-Bradstreet, "but it is now
time for them to make the investment they've promised Canadians."

The Coalition for Active Living (CAL) is a national action group of over 100
organizations advocating for health promotion/disease prevention and the
broader determinants of health. The goal of the Coalition is to ensure that
the environments in which Canadians live, work, learn and play support
regular physical activity. Together, members of the Coalition contribute
resources and expertise to develop, implement and evaluate the outcomes of
joint actions, which will enable all Canadians to achieve the health
benefits of physical activity. CAL is a member of the Chronic Disease
Prevention Alliance of Canada.

-30-

Contents






For more information please contact:
The Coalition for Active Living
613-277-9979
[log in to unmask]


You are subscribed as [log in to unmask] To unsubscribe please click
<http://cmpgnr.com/r.html?c=919688&r=918945&t=974467324&l=6&ea=nracine@veriz
on.net&la=1&o=-75>  here.

 <http://www.campaigner.com/?testdrive_1> 

 
<http://cmpgnr.com/app/campaigner/trk/opn.jsp?cid=919688&rid=918945&ctd=9744
67324&lid=88120939&g=0&f=-1> 


To UNSUBSCRIBE send to: [log in to unmask] the following phrase "unsubscribe click4hp" as unquoted text. To view archives or manage your subscription (and create a password) go to http://listserv.yorku.ca/archives/click4hp.html