Cape Breton Physical Activity Grants Make a Difference

People in Cape Breton have more opportunities to be active through new projects supported by the Office of Health Promotion's physical activity grants.

Health Promotion provided grants totalling $500,000 to more than 100 groups throughout the province to help Nova Scotians get active through walking, swimming, dancing, boxing and many other physical activities.

"These programs provide a wide range of opportunities for Nova Scotia children, families and seniors, who might not otherwise be active," said Health Promotion Minister Rodney MacDonald. "Nova Scotians are not as active as they should be, but that is changing thanks to groups across the province that are receiving these grants and developing programs."

The Physical Activity Grant Program supports initiatives that create or increase participation in organized and unstructured forms of sport, physical recreation and active transportation. Programs focus on those who are currently inactive, with priority placed on young people.

One unique program taking place in the Cape Breton region is Healthy Minds and Bodies, an initiative aimed at addressing both physical- and mental-health issues. The South Side Learning Centre in Sydney is leading this project, and 122 students between the ages of 10 and 16, as well as 10 adults, will participate.

Students will meet five days a week for two or three hours each session, while the adults will meet once a week. The learning centre will be the venue where the children will participate in the program's structured and unstructured physical activities, with support from parents and project leaders. Healthy Minds and Bodies is aimed at children who, under normal circumstances, would not have the opportunities to engage in physical activity at home or on a team.

"This program provides a safe and accessible place where kids can play and be active. It will also act as a forum for adults to address the many issues related to a healthy lifestyle, be it physical or mental," said Mr. MacDonald.

For more information on the grant program, contact Health Promotion's representative in Cape Breton, Coleen Chisholm, by e- mail at chishoco@gov.ns.ca, or call 902-563-2380. Additional information can also be found on the website at www.gov.ns.ca/ohp/srd/pagrants .

Note: A list of programs that have received funding in Cape Breton and provincewide follows.

• Healthy Minds and Bodies, Southside Learning Centre, $7,750
• Helping our School Communities be Active, Brookland School & Cusack Complex, $10,000
• Cape Breton Highlands Table Tennis Club, Inverness, $1,950
• WPM Extra Curricular and Community Leisure Club, Whitney Pier, Memorial Junior High School, $9,980
• Brookvillage Youth Recreation Program, Brookvillage Youth Recreation Committee, $2,600
• After School Skating Program, Port Hood Fitness Centre, $5,690
• Women in Motion, Holy Angels High School, $4,453
• Walking for Wellness, Public Health Services/Canadian Diabetes Association, Cape Breton, $3,000
• Cape Breton Musketeers Fencing Club, Sydney, $9,515.87
• Parent & Tot Skating Program, Mabou Athletic Centre, $1,620
• The Eibhleag Project, Bay St. Lawrence Community Centre, $10,000
• Greenfield Elementary School After school PA Program, Greenfield Elementary School, $6,608

Programs that have received funding provincewide:

• Helmet Program, Recreation Facility Association of Nova Scotia, $10,000
• Learn to Play Program, Softball Nova Scotia, $10,000
• Lifesaving Sport Clinics, Lifesaving Society Nova Scotia, $9,630
• Minor Tennis League, Nova Scotia Tennis Association, $10,000
• 12 & Under Community Volleyball Leagues, Volleyball Nova Scotia, $10,000
• Aboriginal Canoe/Kayak Programming Initiative, Canadian Canoe/Kayak Association, Atlantic Division, $10,000
• Active Family and Young Teen Program, East St. Margaret's School and Community Association, $4,927
• Caper Athletes Promoting Education, Recreation, and Sportsmanship (CAPERS), Harbourside Elementary School, $9,740
• Experience Skiing, Alpine Ski Nova Scotia, $4,000
• Registration Day, Special Olympics Nova Scotia, $10,000
• Run, Jump, Throw After School Track and Field, Athletics Nova Scotia, $3,142
• Summer Youth Track Camp, Ceilidh Track Club, $4,200
• Youth Running for Fun, Doctors Nova Scotia, $6,528