Breakfast at the
Portuguese Canadian Hall, Grand Ave West in Chatham.
Sunrise Rotarians
joined with the YMCA, with the first of a sponsored
series of Speakers on Building Healthy Communities.
The
Breakfast opened with greetings from Jim Jantzen, CEO of
the Chatham-Kent YMCA. Bonny Pigeon, President of the
Rotary Club of Chatham Sunrise brought greetings and
expressed appreciation to the YMCA for involving the
club in this venture.
Michael Weil, the CEO
of YMCA Canada introduced our first Speaker today, Dr
Kellie Leitch, currently working as the Chair of
Pediatric surgery in Children’s Hospital in Western
University, but also as the Advisor on Healthy Children
and Youth to the Ontario Ministry of Health & the
Government of Canada.
Dr Leitch’s report
was recently announced by Health Canada & you can view
all details, including requesting a copy, through the
following link. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/pubs/child-enfant/advisor-conseillere/index_e.html
Dr Leitch spoke about her current
position with the Hospital, seeing kids who really
shouldn’t be there – through unnecessary injuries,
obesity, mental health challenges that haven’t been
addressed, and malnutrition. Her report gives advice
on the current system in Canada, offers new direction on
where the system should be gong & suggests the needed
development of a Council on Health & Wellness issues.
She gives 95
recommendations, of how we can help. It is essential to
the health of our country to invest in our youth, much
the same way as we invest on our infrastructure. Key
issues & the opportunities that she sees are in injury
prevention, obesity rates & mental health issues of our
children.
Programs coming into
place like bicycle helmets, Children’s Safety Villages,
summer camps that promote safety, food choices without
trans fat, removing vending machines filled with pop are
all good programs.
Perhaps surprising to
us, Canada is in the bottom 5 of countries with high
incidents in the 3 areas of concern. We all have a
responsibility in helping to improve the health &
welfare of kids. We have the potential and we have the
resources. It’s easy to change the existing ways, at
low & sometimes no cost. We have to make a
difference. We have to make Canada the #1 place for a
child to grow up.
John Lawrence, Chair of YMCA’s
Board of Directors thanked Dr Leitch for sharing her
enthusiasm & her vision for youth in Canada.
