Conference of Federal-Provincial-Territorial Ministers responsible for Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation
NEWS RELEASE – FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR SPORT, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND RECREATION
Whitehorse , Yukon, February 22, 2007 – Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers responsible for sport, physical activity, and recreation met today and joined the community of Whitehorse and the northern territories in celebrating the 2007 Canada Winter Games. This is the 40 th anniversary of the Games, and they are the first to be held in Canada’s North. They are providing Ministers with the opportunity to witness first hand Canadian athleticism at its finest.
Federal, Provincial and Territorial ministers approved a hosting rotation for the third cycle for the Canada Games through to 2035 that will provide each province and territory the opportunity to host the Games. Ministers agreed to continue their work towards strengthening the Canada Games and will review progress in 2008.
Ministers received a presentation which highlighted that, while improvements are being made generally in physical activity levels, there is still work to be done. Based upon the evidence provided by the Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute, Ministers remained concerned that children are not as active as they should be for optimal growth and development.
To help address this challenge a draft framework for developing bilateral agreements on physical activity and healthy eating was tabled for discussion. These bilateral agreements will encourage and enable more Canadians to be more physically active and to make healthy food choices.
Ministers approved new federal, provincial and territorial priorities for collaborative action that will guide their efforts in advancing the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy until 2012. In addition to ongoing priorities, Ministers agreed to focus their collaborative efforts toward enhancing sport capacity. They also agreed to implement the Canadian Sport for Life models in their respective jurisdictions, strengthen the contribution of the Canada Games to athlete development, and, carry out a plan for assessing progress towards achieving the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.
Provincial and territorial ministers agreed that sport, recreation and physical activity infrastructure continues to be their top priority in support of healthy, active lifestyles and sport participation. The federal minister reiterated the government of Canada’s commitment to working in cooperation with provinces and territories in developing a comprehensive plan for infrastructure in general.
Ministers acknowledged the progress made in increasing participation in sport and in understanding issues facing Aboriginal Peoples when participating in sport and physical activity.
The entry into force of UNESCO's International Convention against Doping in Sport on February 1 st was acknowledged as an important milestone for sport that will contribute to creating an environment that enables athletes to compete on a fair and equal playing field.
The next meeting of Federal, Provincial, Territorial Ministers is scheduled for
Spring of 2008, in Victoria, British Columbia.
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
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Jeffrey Kroeker |
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Erik Waddell |
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Doug Caldwell |