BC Healthy Living Alliance urges British Columbians:
“Think Healthy, Vote Locally”
Last week, the BC Healthy Living Alliance launched the “Think Healthy, Vote Locally” guide to get more people interested, informed and involved in the upcoming elections.
BCHLA Chair and CEO of the Canadian Cancer Society, BC and Yukon Division, Barbara Kaminsky said, “we know that supportive environments make all the difference when it comes to whether people can and do make healthy choices which in turn affects their risk for chronic disease.”
She added, “physical activity and healthy eating should be an easier part of our daily lives and supported by local governments - we want citizens to get informed and vote with these issues in mind.”
Suzanne Strutt, BCHLA Member and CEO of BC Recreation and Parks Association, highlighted, “living in walkable neighbourhoods where you can walk to the store, to school and run errands on foot lowers the risk of being an unhealthy weight by 35 per cent.
The “Think Healthy, Vote Locally” voters’ guide provides an overview of some of the key issues that fall within the jurisdiction of local government. It covers six main issues:
Healthy Community Planning
Active Transportation – Providing More Places to Walk and Bike
Healthy Eating and Food Security
Renewal of Recreation Facilities
Healthier Schools
Support for Affordable Housing
The guide also provides a checklist and sample questions that can be used to assess candidates’ positions on healthy living, background information on the issues, social media tools, sample letters and links to media from Abbotsford to Williams Lake.
The “Think Healthy, Vote Locally” voters’guide is available on the BC Healthy Living Alliance websitehttp://www.bchealthyliving.ca/think-healthy-and-vote-locally and Facebook page.
Contributed by Rita Koutsodimos, Manager, BC Healthy Living