OTTAWA --The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, on Jan. 18, 2022, announced an investment of more than $4.8 million to fund two projects which support healthy living and increased physical activity for children, youth and their families.
They recognize the importance of adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle by engaging in regular physical activity and healthy eating in order to reduce the risk of children developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases later in life.
The Minister of Health spoke about a major concern that he has. "The rising rates of diabetes and obesity in children across Canada, especially among Indigenous, racialized, and immigrant children is a big concern. For children and youth to be at their healthiest, they need high levels of physical activity and healthy foods during their day. Through these two projects, children will get to learn healthy habits early on, which in turn will support good health throughout their adult life."
The funding will provide the Thunder Bay District Health Unit up to $1.1 million for the Healthy Kids HOME (Health on the Move for Equity) Program which supports urban families with children aged 12 and under.
When compared to the provincial averages, Thunder Bay experiences a higher rate of chronic diseases. A well- known fact is that since the beginning of the pandemic, only 4.8 per cent of children aged 5-11 and 0.8 per cent of youth aged 12-17 are meeting Canada’s 24-hour movement guidelines.
This project is aimed at creating Neighbourhood Wellness Hubs “to serve as a safe, trusted space for health promotions programs, including outreach to families with young children.” These Hubs provide support to and encourage families to increase their levels of physical activity and to make eating plenty of fruits and vegetables a daily practice.
