News Release Archive

EALTH--UP TO $500,000 FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES 
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The Nova Scotia government will invest up to $500,000 to
encourage healthy community initiatives throughout the province.
These initiatives seek to bring together citizens to promote
healthy lifestyles and improve the quality of life in their area.

"Good health isn't just about buildings and services," said
Premier John Savage. "It's about people and communities coming
together at the grassroots level to provide leadership in
creating healthier communities for us all."

As a former family doctor, Premier Savage has been a strong
advocate of the "healthy communities" concept for many years.
During the 1980s, as mayor of Dartmouth, he led an initiative
that made that city the first "healthy community" in Canada. "I
am very pleased that we can now begin to expand this concept as a
provincewide initiative," he said.

Community health boards will be key to the success of the Healthy
Community Project. The boards are responsible for producing a
community health plan through widespread public participation.
The Healthy Community Project will help the boards in developing
action strategies by bringing individuals and groups together to
improve the overall health of their community.

"I am confident that the Healthy Community Project will help to
assert the position of community health boards as local community
health planners," said Health Minister Bernie Boudreau.

"Communities will continue to play a vital role in ensuring their
local health care needs are met."

The Department of Health and regional health boards will oversee
the provincial initiative by ensuring a co-ordinated effort in
evaluating and sharing of information between participating
communities.

Regional health boards are responsible for establishing community
health boards within their region. There are currently 20
community health boards throughout Nova Scotia.

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Contact: Sue McKeage
         Department of Health
         902-424-3581

trp                     Apr. 22, 1997 - 3:20 p.m.