The Vancouver Active Communities Initiative
Vancouver takes aim at its sedentary citizens.
By Jim McKenzie
| Health experts agree that physical inactivity is emerging as one of the largest threats to public health in the western world. Obesity levels amongst Canadian youth are alarmingly high, and most Canadian adults are not active enough to benefit their health.
Regular physical activity increases people’s energy and improves their ability to fully participate in work, play, social and family life. The benefits of increased physical activity lead to a more productive and healthier citizenry. The City of Vancouver is leading the way in taking action to inspire, support and equip its residents to become more physically active. The Vancouver Active Communities initiative is one of the key components of the “ActNow BC” provincial program aimed at promoting healthy lifestyle choices and environments for all British Columbians. The City has invited the world to come to Vancouver in 2010 for the world winter Olympiad, and the Active Communities initiative will help raise the health and fitness of our citizens. The intent of this initiative is to make Vancouver one of the healthiest municipalities to ever host an Olympic and Paralympic Games. |
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The fitness goal of the Vancouver Active Communities initiative is to increase by 20% the proportion of the Vancouver population who are physically active or moderately active during their leisure time by the year 2010. This goal will be achieved by focusing on sedentary individuals and developing strategies to increase physical activity opportunities, communicating and marketing these opportunities and reducing barriers to participation.
The five priority areas for implementing the Active Communities initiative are as follows:
1. Measure and support success
2. Develop new Active Communities programs
3. Enhance and optimize current programs
4. Network and collaborate with others
5. Build an Active Communities brand
An Ipsos-Reid survey will be conducted each year to determine the current activity levels of Vancouver residents. The January 2006 survey confirmed that 70% of Vancouver residents are physically active for more than 30 minutes three or more times each week. It also identified that 30% of residents are sedentary. A wide range of programs and social marketing activities will be aimed at motivating and supporting this sedentary population to become more active.
| “The intent…is to make Vancouver one of the healthiest municipalities to ever host an Olympic and Paralympic Games.” |
New programs will include:
• A “Step-Out” walking program that highlights the wide range of walking and jogging paths in the city.
• Special theme walks to highlight Vancouver’s art, heritage, natural beauty and history. Active Special Events, such as “Move for Health Day” on May 10th, will celebrate and encourage healthy living.
• Fitness and Adventure Passports will be distributed to school children and seniors encouraging them to participate and record fitness activities such as swimming, skating, wall climbing and exploring the many Step Out walks.
Active Outreach is the component of Active Communities that reaches out to identified sedentary populations. Helping Spirit Lodge in partnership with the Park Board is implementing the first stage of “Active Outreach – Red Fox Waking.” This program is aimed at increasing access to fitness opportunities for First Nations Families.
Elite athletes will be linked with local Active Communities’ events through the “Athletes in Vancouver” program. This initiative provides community associations with grants to contract with our elite athletes to provide support and instruction for local events. These fitness activities could include jogging clinics, team sports and fitness workshops.
Current fitness programs will be highlighted and promoted to reach the sedentary populations that most need to start participating in fitness activities on a regular basis. The Park Board “Go Play” program emphasizes the benefits of the city’s nine swimming pools, eight ice rinks and 24 public fitness centres.
To enable effective networking with other agencies, City Council created the Vancouver Active Communities Network (VACNet). This network will act as an advisory committee to help Council achieve the goal of “20% More Active By 2010.” Vancouver Whitecaps G.M., Bob Lenarduzzi, is the honourary chair; he works closely with the VACNet Chair, Sharon Urton, and a wide range of government, non-profit and private sector organizations to support and enhance the City’s Active Communities programs.
Since reaching the sedentary population is best achieved through social marketing, considerable emphasis is being placed on encouraging people to bring a friend when they participate in fitness activities.
The City of Vancouver would like to hear from other civic organizations that would like to join the VACNet and help make Vancouver one of the fittest cities in the world.
Jim McKenzie is the Active Communities Coordinator for the Vancouver Park Board.
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