Greens stress link between healthcare and active living

SIDNEY, BC – Green Party deputy leader and former 12-year NHL forward Georges Laraques is campaigning with leader Elizabeth May today in her riding of Saanich--Gulf Islands. May and Laraque used the occasion to emphasize the need for government to promote healthy, active living as a key component of healthcare

“Keeping people healthy through promoting active living must be a key goal of our healthcare system. Reducing healthcare costs, reducing crime rates, and maintaining community strength all have links to physical fitness and sport,” said May.

The Greens have promised to create a Sports, Cultural and Recreational Facilities Fund as part of a strategy to invest in municipal infrastructure and support the development and refurbishment of green recreational and cultural facilities. Greens would also create healthy sporting opportunities for Aboriginal youth.

“The Green goal is to increase physical activity among Canadians by 10% over the next five years,” said May. “This will take effort from all levels of government, but it will benefit our society in immeasurable ways. We must end the epidemic of obesity, particularly in our youth. Children should participate in daily, quality physical activity in schools, colleges and universities to help create healthy habits for life.”

The Greens are calling for a strategic investment through Health Canada of $500 million over five years to aggressively address inactivity and obesity.

Part of the Green plan is to ensure safety in sport by developing a comprehensive national set of protective helmet standards for different sport and vehicle use, and the allocation of federal funding for a national education program to encourage protective helmet use.

“Protecting people of all ages from head injuries through helmets is critical,” said Laraque. “Concussions and other head injuries can be prevented, and the federal government needs to help keep people safe while they play sports.”

May and Laraque will speak at a rally on Wednesday night in Sidney as momentum builds in advance of election day. May is in a tight two-way race with the Conservatives in Saanich-Gulf Islands.

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