Thank you very much.
It's a pleasure to be here today. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to the committee.
I have been involved in the Trans Canada Trail since 1992, which is either a tribute to my stupidity or a demonstration of dedication, I'm not sure which.
I can tell you that the comments that Senator Greene Raine made about the Trans Canada Trail are in fact truly evocative of what the trail means. This trail is within 30 minutes of 80% of all Canadians. This trail goes through a thousand different communities. This trail will ultimately link every community in Canada to each other, at a human pace.
We recognize, as Senator Raine said, that this trail goes through historic sites, goes through some of the most beautiful countryside in the world. This trail is accessible to all. This trail is free. This trail is probably the biggest gift that Canadians have made to each other in the last 25 years. This trail represents an opportunity for every individual to be active and to participate.
I think it's interesting that this committee itself previously recognized the significance of the Trans Canada Trail. Let me say back to you some of your own words:
The Committee recommends that the Government of Canada or any agency authorized to undertake the organization of Canada’s 150th anniversary celebrations consider ways to encourage communities and donors to assist with the completion of the Trans Canada Trail.
This trail is a legacy project from Canada 125, so the celebration of the 125th anniversary was to launch something that would be a legacy for all Canadians for all time to come.
In January 2014 the Prime Minister announced the federal funding of the Trans Canada Trail with these words:
The Trans Canada Trail will allow Canadians and international visitors alike to enjoy some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery, while promoting health and fitness through a wide variety of recreational activities. Completing the initiative by 2017 would be an incredible legacy of Canada’s 150th anniversary as the Trail would connect almost 1,000 communities and provide users with a unique perspective on our spectacular natural and cultural heritage.
You heard from your previous speakers about the levels of obesity. Well, I can tell you that those are only the tip of the iceberg. There is much more than that. I happen to be, in one of my other roles in life, the chairman of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, and guess what? We see huge numbers in the demographics, huge numbers of people who are aging, overweight, out of shape, and suffering from heart disease. Consistently, the single best prescription is to get up off your butt and get out and take a hike. That's the truth of it.
By the way, that truth doesn't apply to just those people; it applies to seniors who are suffering from declining mental facilities. There is a clear demonstration between exercise and increased mental acuity. This a good relationship between exercise and reduced diabetes. The truth of the matter is that the most generally prescribed medical remedy is exercise.
The challenge you have—this is the question you asked yourselves just previously—is what do we spend the money on? Where do we put it? How do we get these facilities?
I can tell you that in New Westminster they held a plebiscite asking if they'd prefer to have a recreational trail or a new arena. They said they'd prefer to have a recreational trail, because it's accessible to everybody as opposed to being restricted in terms of its availability within the community.
I tend to be a little passionate about this, and there's a reason for that. I happen to be somebody who bikes, who walks, and who hikes. I've done it all over the world. I was talking with a guide in the Atacama Desert in Chile and he saw my business card for the Trans Canada Trail. He said, “Trans Canada Trail, that's one of the great trails in the world”. I was talking with the Premier of P.E.I., and the Trans Canada Trail is second only to a non-existent person as the second largest tourist attraction in P.E.I. You have Anne of Green Gables and you have the Trans Canada Trail. The premier believes that it is a significant part of their economic posture as well as providing an accessible route throughout the communities.
I congratulate you on passing this legislation, because I'm hoping it's the thin edge of the wedge. I hope it's the beginning of a demonstration of true leadership that will encourage all Canadians to consider their health and their well-being as a part of their daily lives.
In the early days people used to have to run and to hunt to survive. The only thing that has changed is you can drop the hunting, but you still have to get up and run because that's the truth of life. If you're not moving, you're into entropy.
One of the other comments I would make to you is that sitting is considered to be the new smoking. That's exactly the impact it has on your health. If that's the case, I have a prescription for you. Take a hike. Get up and walk. Walk where you go. Don't take that parliamentary bus. Run or walk, quickly or slowly. Just walk. It's good for everybody. It's good for you. You'll go into the House with a clearer head than if you had been sitting on the bus. That's the truth of it.
I can tell you as well that walking has proven to be a great source of comfort to people who are under stress. It's also a great source of comfort to people who are bereaved. They have groups that walk because it reduces tension and increases blood flow. Again, it's just good health.
One of the comments I also hear is that people are so busy. Yes, you are. Yes, we all are, but I can tell you something. You can look around this town; you can look at your public accounts, and you can see the cost of deferred maintenance when you don't look after buildings. Guess what, folks? Remember how they used to say your body is a temple? It's in need of serious work. If you don't maintain it, the deferred maintenance cost is very high, and it's showing up in our medical system right now.
I'll finish with a personal example. I had quadruple bypass surgery in 2008 and yet I was somebody who exercised every day. I was allowed to blame it on my parents, which is what most people do with their faults, but the point was made to me that if I had not been exercising, I would have died. After the surgery they said I recovered very quickly. I asked why that was and they said it was because I exercised. I leave that with you as a personal life lesson that is something you should take into account.
What we offer at the Trans Canada Trail is a chance for you to have a venue, right across Canada, that is historically and culturally significant, and represents the most accessible stage and opportunity for Canadians to celebrate fitness and health not only one day a year, but throughout the year.
Thank you.