FRANCAIS

August 31, 2004

Premier Gary Doer today appointed Seine River MLA Theresa Oswald to chair an all-party task force that will tour the province asking Manitobans to provide their views on how to keep children and youth active and healthy now and into their adult lives.

"Issues regarding improving the health and fitness of our children extend beyond partisan politics and we will welcome the opposition parties’ participation in the all-party process," the premier said. "We all have a stake in ensuring that young people set healthy life patterns now that will extend into their adult years, allowing them to lead productive lives and taking pressure off our public health care system."

The Healthy Kids, Healthy Futures Task Force will hold a series of public hearings throughout Manitoba starting this fall in urban, rural, northern and Aboriginal communities and schools to examine issues of physical activity and nutrition including:

• determining what current community, in-school and government initiatives on activity and nutrition best serve the needs of Manitoba youth;

• exploring the barriers that keep young people from leading active, healthy lives; and

• providing a forum where Manitobans can share ideas on how to tackle the important issues of childhood nutrition and activity.

"Our committee will go out and find the success stories where programs are already making a positive impact on the lives of children so those ideas can be duplicated. We also want to find the root causes of inactivity and poor nutrition," said Oswald. "That kind of valuable information is found in places where young people live, go to school and play—not in legislative committee rooms."

Oswald, a former teacher and school administrator who was first elected in 2003, said a day-long forum to be held this fall involving youth from across the province will provide a springboard for other public sessions. Discussions at public meetings will focus on nutrition, physical activity and fitness, and early childhood development.

"Young people know themselves which programs and activities work for them and, just as importantly, which ones don’t work," Oswald said. "We also want to engage their parents, coaches, teachers, community leaders and other concerned citizens and tap into their valuable ideas and expertise."

Manitobans will also be asked to respond to the task force on a soon-to-be-launched website.

Oswald also said she is pleased that Dan Johnson, who has already made a significant contribution to the province as the founder and former executive director of Manitoba Special Olympics, has agreed to lend his experience to the committee.

"Mr. Johnson will prove to be a valuable resource for the task force as we work to transform the ideas and enthusiasm of Manitobans into public policy that will make a lasting impact on the lives of our young people."

Locations of hearings will be announced and a discussion paper will be released once task force members are appointed. The committee is expected to report back to the legislature in the spring of 2005.

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