It's perceived as an issue, but the research is clear—rom a physical activity perspective, anyway—that there isn't an increase in safety issues in communities. Certainly, because of media and the way it is now, we're just more aware of issues when they do happen; therefore, I think it's more of a perceived safety issue.
I would also say that we have to work with municipal leaders, because sometimes they implement policies that work against getting kids more active in their communities, like banning street hockey or banning tobogganing. There are many different local bylaws that prevent kids from being physically active.
When you talk about baseball fields being empty, we need to ensure that there are strong partnerships between the municipality and the education system, because they both have facilities. Many times schools can't access municipal facilities when they're empty during the day, and vice versa: Municipalities can't access school facilities when they're empty in the evenings.
We need to do a better job of creating a whole-of-community approach to ensuring that physical activity and sport are available to all.