NEWS RELEASE

Ref: 850-106/013

2006 Western Premiers' Conference
Gimli, Manitoba - May 29-31, 2006

SPORT/ACTIVE LIVING

Gimli – May 30, 2006 -- Western Premiers agreed that the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games offer an unparalleled opportunity to enhance and enrich Canada culturally, socially and economically and to celebrate the success of Canadian athletes. They agreed the 2007 Winter Games in Whitehorse, as the last major winter games in Canada before 2010, are an important contributor to the lead-up to the 2010 games. Further, they agreed to cooperate to ensure that all Canadians benefit from the Olympics and from the 2007 Canada Winter Games, the 2007 Western Summer Games and the 2008 North American Indigenous Games. This will ensure that Canadians are able to realize the maximum economic, cultural, health and sport development benefits from these Games.

The Games, in addition to providing opportunities for sport development, economic and community development, are unique occasions to increase the profile of provincial/territorial healthy living strategies.

Western Premiers recognize the importance of active living as a step to better health for Western Canadians. They agree that British Columbia will lead the development of a proposal for a Western strategy for active living. It will contain recommendations and build upon best practices from across western jurisdictions. The strategy will be prepared by February 2007 in advance of the Canada Winter Games.

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Contact Information:

Jonathan Hildebrand
Director of Cabinet Communications
Province of Manitoba
204-945-1494

Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat (CICS)

webmaster@scics.gc.ca