THUNDER BAY – “It is important to continue to enforce healthy lifestyles and healthy choices. Funding from this program to our community partners will continue to help people become active and to address individual challenges,” stated Bill Mauro the MPP for Atikokan. The Ontario Government is helping people of all ages and abilities in Thunder Bay improve and maintain their most valuable asset – their health. Through the Healthy Communities Fund, the province helps local partners deliver programs for community members that promote physical activity, sport and recreation, healthier eating, injury prevention and mental health, as well as programs that address tobacco use and exposure, and alcohol and/or substance misuse.
In Northwestern Ontario, the province is investing $431,590 to help four organizations deliver innovative local health promotion programs for 2011-12:
- Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club – ski program focused on physical activity, healthy eating, injury prevention and mental health promotion for youth 13-18 years
- Community Living Atikokan – new physical activity initiatives, including training facilitators in the Healthy Eating Adds Up program for people with disabilities
- Lakehead University – development of a Fitness That Fits Functional Scale that can be used by older adults to select safe and appropriate fitness programs
- Nishnawbe Aski Nation – implementation of a community garden program, “Get Growing – Cultivating School Gardens”, in four remote First Nation communities to train leaders who will facilitate proper nutrition, healthy eating and increased physical activity for children and youth within their 49 First Nation communities.
“Our government is committed to helping Ontario families lead healthier lives through programs like the Healthy Communities Fund. More than 500,000 people across the province are expected to benefit from this year’s support,” stated Mauro.
“Funding for programs like these is an important part of creating a stronger, healthier Ontario now and for the future. I’m delighted to see these investments towards healthier lifestyles for people in Northwestern Ontario,” added Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay-Superior North.
“One of the best things about Thunder Bay is the vibrant outdoor community that centers on endurance sport and the idea of healthy active lifestyle. Since moving here, I have continually been impressed with how this community has embraced the concept of healthy living and how the residents of Thunder Bay place such an emphasis on personal health and well-being. The Healthy Community Funding, which our community has recently secured, is a testament to the prevalence of this belief in our community and will only serve to increase the opportunities for us to put these ideals at the forefront of future community initiatives,” commented Adam Kates, Big Thunder Nordic Ski Club Head Coach.