Government of Canada Invests $424,000 in School Travel Planning Pilot Project

News Release

December 19, 2007
For Immediate Release

Peterborough – Dean Del Mastro, Member of Parliament for Peterborough,
today highlighted the Government of Canada’s recent announcement
to invest close to $424,000 to support Green Communities Canada’s
School Travel Planning Project. This project aims to encourage children
and youth from across Canada to get active by walking or cycling safely
to and from school. Mr. Del Mastro shared this news at Edmison Heights
Public School on behalf of the Minister of Health, the Honourable Tony
Clement.
“Unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity are critical public
health challenges that can increase the risk of developing many chronic
diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes and cancer,” said
Mr. Del Mastro. “The Government of Canada is working closely with
provincial and territorial governments and non-government organizations
such as Green Communities Canada to help make it easier for Canadians
of all ages to be physically active and make healthier food choices.”
With this project, Green Communities Canada will create an effective
school travel planning policy for Canada. This policy will ensure that
all children in Canada have improved access to supportive physical and
social environments and the opportunity to increase their physical activity
to and from school.
The funding will be used to establish tools – such as training
materials – for the School Travel Planning process to be used at
the local level. The organization will also pilot test the program in
12 schools in four provinces, and recommend subsequent revisions to fine
tune the process.
The project will be funded through the Healthy Living Fund, which will
provide $5.4 million over two years toward national projects delivered
by non-government organizations to promote physical activity, healthy
eating and healthy weights.
In addition to supporting projects through the Healthy Living Fund, the
Government of Canada has also:

Introduced Canada’s first Children’s Fitness Tax Credit
to help parents with the costs of their children’s organized physical
activities;
Revised the Canada Food Guide and released Canada's first ever
Food Guide for First Nations, Inuit and Métis;
Renewed funding for ParticipACTION;
Provided annual SummerActive and WinterActive programs in
communities across Canada; and
Supported the Concerned Children’s Advertisers’ Long
Live Kids campaign.

In Canada, obesity rates among adults have nearly doubled over the last
25 years and nearly tripled among children and youth. In addition to the
health impact, the economic costs of physical inactivity and poor eating
are significant. Direct and indirect costs associated with obesity have
been estimated at $4.3 billion in 2001.

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Media Inquiries:
Karen Feeley
Office of MP Dean Del Mastro
(705) 745-2108
Elizabeth Haydon Laughlin
Public Health Agency of Canada
(416) 954-5327

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Government of Canada Invests $424,000 in School Travel Planning Pilot Project

News Release

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