Evidence of meeting #16 for Health in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was obesity.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Cora Craig  President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Mark Tremblay  Chairman of the Board, Active Healthy Kids Canada
Ian Janssen  Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, and Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University

5:20 p.m.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute

Cora Craig

And I'll also provide my slides and a written input.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Thank you.

5:20 p.m.

Assistant Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, and Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Queen's University

Dr. Ian Janssen

My one recommendation is that we need significant contributions from all levels of government and multiple sectors over an extended period of time. It's a complex issue. It needs lots of effort to solve this complex problem.

5:20 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Thank you very much.

Madam Demers.

5:20 p.m.

Bloc

Nicole Demers Bloc Laval, QC

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I'd like to know whether you are aware of the action plan developed by the Government of Quebec in cooperation with the Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon. The plan is aimed at developing different ways of combating obesity among young people. I believe they have already started making changes in the schools in terms of the kind of food products that are available.

What do you think? Do you think it would be worthwhile implementing a similar plan of action elsewhere?

5:25 p.m.

Chairman of the Board, Active Healthy Kids Canada

Dr. Mark Tremblay

I am familiar with it, and it's a type of proactive nature that you'd really like to see. There's a foundation, a very wealthy foundation, that stepped forward, like Saskatoon District Health did, and said we're not waiting for the other sectors to come on board and bicker about who should be looking after this and we're not trying to run away from the table. We're coming to the table. And they came with big bucks, and in addition to that they've committed $5 million a year over the next five years, I think, for physical activity promotion and communication strategy.

So they're showing tremendous leadership. I don't know the exact relationship with the government there and whether we're seeing equal leadership through Kino-Québec or some other elements of the government, but I think it's tremendous. I think they're on the right track.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Thank you very much.

On behalf of the committee, thank you very much for coming in and sharing with the committee your knowledge and expertise in this area.

We'd like to reserve the opportunity to ask any further questions if the committee needs further information from you.

Now I'll turn the committee's attention to our two motions. We have the one that is a notice of motion. Actually Mr. Fletcher has a bit of a housekeeping one.

Mr. Fletcher, do you want to speak to it?

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB

Yes. This is a housekeeping one. It's pretty self-explanatory.

Do I have to read it out, Mr. Chair?

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

No, just speak to it.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Fletcher Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia, MB

It's really a typo. The fetal alcohol syndrome report was tabled in this session rather than the previous session, so the date to give the health committee 120 calendar days needs to be changed in the report that was tabled last week.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

So everyone is clear on it? It gives the department 120 days from the time of tabling, which I think was the intent.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

The other one is the budget. This motion is actually for the budget, that's $82,000, to be able to bring forward and complete the eight sessions on the childhood obesity study.

We have a motion. We need a mover to move this budget.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Dave Batters Conservative Palliser, SK

I so move.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Does everyone understand it? It's for $82,000.

(Motion agreed to) [See Minutes of Proceedings]

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Rob Merrifield

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.