Ontario Challenges Thunder Bay Kids to be More Active
and Healthy
Thunder Bay Launches Healthy Kids Community Challenge
NEWS
|
November 9, 2015
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The City
of Thunder Bay is among 45 communities selected to take part in The Healthy Kids
Community Challenge, which promotes healthy eating, physical
activity and healthy lifestyle choices for children.
Bill
Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan and Michael Gravelle, MPP for Thunder
Bay—Superior North were at Algonquin Avenue Public School to announce that the
City of Thunder Bay will invest funds from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term
Care in programs that support healthy habits among local children and their
families.
As it
develops and implements its plans, the City of Thunder Bay will draw on the
support of various partners including:
§ Thunder Bay District Health Unit
§ Lakehead University
§ Students
and parent representatives
§ A local health centre
§ The Francophone community
§ The First Nations community.
The
Healthy Kids Community Challenge combines a community-based approach with
centralized provincial supports to help communities develop and implement
policies, programs and environmental supports that enable one common outcome:
healthy kids.
Encouraging
kids to stay active and healthy is part of the government's plan to build a
better Ontario through its Patients First:
Action Plan for Health Care, which provides patients with faster
access to the right care; better home and community care; the information they
need to live healthy; and a health care system that is sustainable for
generations to come.
QUOTES
“I
am pleased to be a part of this important program. We need to get children
excited about the benefits of greater physical activity and better food
choices. This initiative will promote active lifestyles at an early age for a
healthier community.”
— Bill
Mauro, MPP for Thunder Bay - Atikokan
“It’s
great to see so many partners working together to encourage local youth to live
healthier lives here in Thunder Bay. Young people need the best start possible
in order to achieve their best. The community based approach to the Healthy
Kids Community Challenge will allow Thunder Bay partners to meet the unique
local needs of Northern Ontario.”
— Michael
Gravelle, MPP for Thunder Bay - Superior North
“I
am extremely excited to launch this program. The idea is to get kids to learn
about healthy living from an early age. Good habits learned in childhood will
serve them well throughout their lives.”
— Dipika Damerla, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term
Care
“For
kids to thrive, they need their community to support them to eat well, be
active every day and feel good about themselves. That’s what the Healthy Kids
Community Challenge is all about. It will greatly benefit our community.”
— Janet
DeMille, Medical Officer of Health (Acting)
“This
is an excellent initiative that brings our community together for a common
purpose: to enhance the health and well-being of children where they live,
learn and play in Thunder Bay.”
—
Councillor Frank Pullia, Child Advocate and Community Champion for the Healthy
Kids Community Challenge in Thunder Bay
QUICK FACTS
§ The City of
Thunder Bay is receiving up to $825,000
from Ontario to fund local community projects.
§ In total, Ontario is investing $33.5 million over three years in
communities across Ontario through the Healthy Kids Community Challenge.
§ The Healthy Kids Community Challenge builds on steps the government has
already taken to implement recommendations from the Healthy Kids Panel,
including a 24-hour support line for breastfeeding moms and expanding Ontario’s Student Nutrition Program.
§ In 2009, the economic cost associated with physical inactivity and
unhealthy weight in Ontario was $4.5 billion.
§ Supporting
community-based activities to promote healthier living is a key recommendation
of the Healthy Kids Panel
report.
LEARN MORE
FOR
MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY:
|
James
Carleton Bill
Mauro, MPP
Office of the Honourable
Michael Gravelle Thunder Bay
- Atikokan
(416)
327 1208 (807)
623-9237
"The food environment needs to be challenged and improved in order to create an impact on health and health equity." Paul Murphy
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