The region mobilises for healthy lifestyles

Press release
THE REGION MOBILISES FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES
AN INVESTMENT OF MORE THAN $600,000 FOR THE REGION
Baie-Comeau, May 27, 2015 – The partners of the Regional intersectoral table for healthy lifestyles (RITHLs) on the North Shore would like to announce the signature of an agreement for investments
representing more than $600,000. The aim of the agreement is to act collectively in order to implement
environments that are favourable to healthy lifestyles (HLs) in the region.
This agreement provides for the implementation of an action plan that targets the attainment of the
following objectives by 2017:
1. Fostering the commitment of regional decision-makers toward HLs;
2. Encouraging active and safe transportation to school, among others;
3. Encouraging the access to recreation infrastructures and to natural environments;
4. Encouraging the access to local and healthy foods;
5. Supporting principal stakeholders in HLs initiatives.
The prescribed actions target several organisations and clienteles, including municipalities, community
organisations, local and regional joint action bodies, schools, youth, families and seniors.
A few examples of interventions
Through its actions, the RIT-HLs wishes to support citizen from remote and isolated areas who must pay
much more than their counterparts to purchase nutritious foods. Based on a study conducted in 2011 by
the Montréal Diet Dispensary the cost of a nutritious food basket (NFB) varies greatly from one North
Shore RCM to another due to the cost of milk which is not regulated in some RCMs of the region, contrary
to the rest of Quebec.
The partners also intend to encourage active transportation (walking, cycling, etc.) especially among young
people when they travel to school. On the North Shore, identifying safe routes to school can be difficult at
times as some educational institutions are located on major thoroughfares where traffic is heavy. In the
region, approximately 57% of high school students are considered sedentary with respect to the mode of
transportation they use, according to the Québec Survey of High School Students (ISQ, 2010-2011).
Involved partners
The financial partners involved in this agreement are: Québec en Forme ($388,000), the Centre intégré de
santé et de services sociaux de la Côte-Nord ($174,400 for goods and services) and the Forum Jeunesse
Côte-Nord ($50,000). Other partners are also part of this group: the Conférence régionale des élus de la
Côte-Nord, the ministère des Transports (Transportation), the ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la
Solidarité sociale (Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity), the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries
et de l’Alimentation (Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), the ministère des Affaires municipales et de
l’Occupation du territoire (Municipal Affairs and Land Occupancy) and the ministère de la Famille
(Families).
The RIT-HLs resulted from the adoption and implementation of a government action plan to promote
healthy lifestyles and prevent weight-related problems knows as the Plan d’action gouvernemental de
promotion des saines habitudes de vie et de prévention des problèmes reliés au poids 2006-2012, Investir
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691, rue Jalbert
Baie-Comeau (Québec) G5C 2A1
Telephone: 418 589-9845
Fax: 418 589-8574
www.cisss-cotenord.gouv.qc.ca
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pour l’avenir (PAG). The mandate of the RIT-HLs is to strive to create and maintain environments that are
favourable to the adoption of healthy lifestyles in order to improve the quality of life of North Shorers. To
accomplish this, the Table provides support in many areas such as: training, networking, the promotion of
policies, the mobilisation of stakeholders and the development of initiatives. The Public health department
is in charge of work coordination.
About Québec en Forme
Québec en Forme is the result of a partnership between the Quebec government and the Fondation Lucie
et André Chagnon. Its goal is to encourage Quebec youth aged between 0 and 17 years to adopt and
maintain an active lifestyle and healthy eating habits, factors that are essential to their full development and
academic success. To accomplish this goal, Québec en Forme supports communities across the province
that choose to mobilise, cooperates with regional stakeholders and supports provincial organisations
devoted to project development in order to implement the conditions that are necessary to help young
people move more and eat better, every day. www.quebecenforme.org
About Forum Jeunesse Côte-Nord
Forum jeunesse Côte-Nord is a non-profit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of young
people under the age of 35 years. It is supported financially by the Secrétariat à la jeunesse as part of the
2009-2014 Action strategy and of its extension.
- 30 Source:
Pascal Paradis
Communication advisor
Centre intégré de santé et de services sociaux de la Côte-Nord
418-589-9845, extension 2268