Federal-Provincial-Territorial Conference of Ministers responsible for Fitness, Recreation and Sport

CLEAR LAKE, Manitoba August 8, 1997 -- The future directions of the Canada Games, the elimination of harassment in sport and recreation, the importance of physical activity to children living in poverty and who are at risk, increasing the number of physically active Canadians and improving access to sport for Aboriginal athletes, were among the topics discussed at the federal, provincial and territorial conference of Ministers responsible for fitness, recreation and sport.

The Ministers, meeting on the eve of the Canada Games beginning in Brandon tomorrow, agreed to develop a proposal on the financing of the games from 2005 until 2009. The Ministers also confirmed the host provinces for future Canada Games. Saskatchewan will host in 2005, Yukon in 2007, and Prince Edward Island in 2009. Future games hosts already announced include Newfoundland in 1999, Ontario in 2001 and New Brunswick in 2003.

The Ministers also received a draft document concerning governance of the Canada Games and agreed to a process leading to a transfer of increased responsibility for the games to the Canada Games Council.

With respect to the elimination of harassment, the Ministers agreed to work with partners in the delivery system to identify risk factors and to develop strategies to address them.

Acknowledging the important contribution of coaches to the development of sport in Canada, the Ministers agreed to encourage national, provincial and territorial sport organizations to accept accountability for ensuring their coaches abide by a code of ethics.

Recognizing the importance of physical activity and its relationship to reducing health care costs, Ministers endorsed actions that will help achieve their respective priorities. In setting these priorities, Ministers agreed to work towards a minimum 10 percent decrease in the number of inactive Canadians over the next five years. Ministers also acknowledged the importance of sport, fitness, active living, physical activity and recreation in addressing the needs of Canadian children and youth living in poverty and facing other risk factors. They agreed to consider those benefits in their respective planning, evaluation and budget planning.

The Aboriginal Sport Circle provided the Ministers with information on the barriers and strategies related to Aboriginal participation in sport. The Ministers congratulated the organizers and participants at the 1997 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Victoria. The Ministers agreed to work with their colleagues and Aboriginal organizations to further the participation of Aboriginal athletes in sport. The Ministers recognized the value of the NAIG and agreed to explore how they can be used for Aboriginal sport development.

Alberta took the opportunity at the conference to invite federal, provincial and territorial colleagues, and through them all Canadians, to attend IAVE '98, the conference of the International Association of Volunteer Effort. The conference, hosted in Canada by the Government of Alberta and Volunteer Canada, is being held in Edmonton, Alberta, in August 1998.

The Conference of Ministers responsible for Fitness, Recreation and Sport is held every two years, just before the Canada Games, to discuss issues of importance in fitness, recreation and sport. The Ministers will convene next in 1999 in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.

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