Speaking Notes for the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq Minister of Health - Healthy Living Announcement Boys and Girls Clubs/Sun Life Financial project

Thursday, September 27, 2012
Halifax, Nova Scotia

Check Against Delivery

Good afternoon. 

Today I'd like to talk about a challenging issue facing Canadians and what our Government is doing to address it.

Let me begin by saying: the importance of healthy living cannot be overstated. Encouraging Canadian children, parents and families to embrace healthier lifestyles is a public health challenge that requires a collectivecommitment.

We all have a role to play when it comes to tackling this issue. Governments, private sector and non-profit organizations, must all work together.

Different levels of government continue to show their collective commitment to this issue. Two years ago, Health Ministers signed onto a Declaration on Prevention and Promotion and endorsed a framework to address childhood obesity and promote healthy weights. 

Ministers also launched a national dialogue on healthy weights and, earlier this year, governments co-hosted the Summit on Healthy Weights, bringing together many stakeholders to build partnerships for collective action.

An update on work underway across the country on healthy weights will be shared at tomorrow's annual Federal/ Provincial/Territorial Health Ministers' Meeting.

Our Government works closely with the provinces and territories to support Canadian families in their efforts to live active, healthy lifestyles.  But, governments can't solve these issues alone. Shared leadership and action by all sectors of society is required, which includes the private and public sectors.

Together, we can create environments that help make the healthier choice, the easier choice and encourage Canadians to make changes to the way they live and to what they eat.

With those objectives in mind, I am pleased to announce an exciting initiative with private sector involvement.

Our government is joining Sun Life Financial in providing funding to Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada to expand the Get BUSY program.  This project will receive $200,000 in federal funds to encourage physical activity and healthy eating among children ages 8 to 12 in 22 communities across the country, including low-income, rural, remote and northern communities.  SunLife will then match these funds in the first year, allowing Boys and Girls Club to double the impact they can have.

This project shows us how private/public partnerships can create meaningful change at the community level and, ultimately, help us work together more effectively to achieve results that could be replicated in other communities across the country. 

Everyone has a role to play in promoting healthy living and healthy weights.  Let's work together to give our children the healthiest start in life.

Thank you.