August 28, 2012
For immediate release
Fact Sheet: Funding to Active and Safe for Life – Physical Literacy
(Victoria, British Columbia) – Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health, today announced on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, support for a physical literacy project that aims to promote greater awareness on how children and youth can avoid injury by playing safely.
“Unfortunately, more than 40% of child and youth injuries treated in emergency departments are sports- and recreation-related,” said Parliamentary Secretary Carrie. “Today’s investment encourages children and youth to develop the skills they need so they participate in a wide variety of sports safely.”
Canadian Sport for Life, with support from Canadian Sport Centre Pacific, will develop the Active and Safe for Life – Physical Literacy project to enhance the skills, knowledge and attitudes of children and youth so they can avoid injury when participating in sport and recreational activities. The project will also create safe sport environments by promoting best practices and using the appropriate equipment and facilities.
“Many sporting injuries can be prevented,” said Richard Way, Canadian Sport for Life. “When children and youth know how to move safely along with the rules of fair and safe play, they can avoid being injured and in the longer term, maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.”
Through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Active and Safe initiative, the federal government supports a number of projects that focus on preventing injuries among children and youth by reaching Canadians in the communities where they live and play. Active and Safe encourages community level action to increase sport and recreation safety awareness.
