Moose Jaw is primed to have a healthier future, with a new initiative aimed at the youth in our community, and many Moose Jaw dignitaries came together yesterday in support of the new program.
The Healthy Kids Initiative was announced Wednesday. A free 12-week program designed to improve both the physical and mental well being of kids in Moose Jaw and surrounding areas.
Youth in grades 6 to 12 are welcome to join, with dietitians, doctors, and therapists all coming together to focus on their health. 5 times a week they will meet with an exercise therapist to go over that week's plan. With the help of 
Moose Jaw mayor Frasier Tolmie said that he asked himself questions, specifically about the role he plays.
"What kind of kids do we want living in our community? What kind of community produces that kind of kid? What kind of leadership produces that kind of community? and what kind of people provide that leadership? I think today those questions are being addressed through this program. This is a very important program to our community because we want to live, not only spiritually healthy, and emotionally healthy, but physically healthy."
Chief of Police Rick Bourassa spoke on the police services support, saying that there's a lot of research that supports this.
"When we have a community in which social and economic well being is enhanced, when we're in a community in which mental and well being is enhanced, when we're in a community in which physical well being is enhanced, we are in a community in which safety is enhanced. They are all connected. Community safety and well being are one integrated piece. So we support and applaud any initiative that works to enhance community well being. And the police services are with this initiative 100%."
The initiative is aimed at seeing 1000 kids in Moose Jaw, 1000 kids in Saskatoon and a 1000 kids in Regina all join. They are encouraged to bring a friend or family member who will participate as well, which will help to motivate both people involved.
"The overall goal isn't weight or weight loss or anything like that. The overall goal is to improve the health of kids and to improve the quality of life of kids. So that's the measures that we're looking at," said Dr.Mark Lemstra, CEO Alliance Health Medical Clinic Moose Jaw. "We're using a validated tool to measure quality of life. A validated tool to measure depression. We've already had good results. We did a 3-month trial before we started. January February March. In the first group, 57% of the kids were depressed, and at the end of the program only 18% of the kids were depressed."
"I work very closely with youth and adolescents. I see them come through, year after year. And I think some are driven, some are not. I think an initiative like this, where kids can learn on their own with the help of professionals and guidance. Maybe not being forced into something, or feeling pressured into something is something that they've taken and molded within themselves, I think this is huge. And it can only benefit those children."
"There's no indirect catch," added Lemstra. "We're not selling t-shirts, we're not selling gym shoes. We're not selling dietary nutritional supplements. It's just a free program offered at your local YMCA. You don't have to put a penny into the program, or do something or give blood. There's no weird catch to it."
A common theme with each speaker was that Moose Jaw as a community is unique. And this was strongly echoed by Diana Deakin-Thomas, CEO of YMCA of Moose Jaw. Thomas said "I have only been here a short while, but this is a great community. The thing that's the coolest thing about this community is how well everyone works together. I'm learning this very quickly, and I'm really impressed. I've worked in lots of provinces, and lots of cities across the country, and this is a little bit unique in terms of how well everyone works together. The school boards, the health, everybody is working together, and everyone is concerned about children. And we should be."
"Just to reiterate," said Lemstra, "a few points that we never think of. Health care costs about $6.6 billion a year. I don't know if you've ever thought about how much you pay in taxes in total, which equates to $2.8 billion a year. Yet $6.6 billion goes towards health care. So health care is taking about 250% of your taxes. You'd never run a business that way, so I don't understand how you can run a province that way. The way we have our money set up is that all the money goes towards tertiary intervention."
The initiative is up and running and Moose Jaw, and to get involved, either contact Alliance Wellness and Rehabilitation at 306-693-6222 or call your local YMCA.
"Most people think that Medicare started with Tommy Douglas, but that's not true. It started with Matt Anderson. Matt Anderson started it in one small community in Saskatchewan, Strasbourg. Then he spread it to a second community, third community, forth community. 72% of Saskatchewan was covered with universal health care plans before Tommy Douglas made it a provincial initiative," Lemstra concluded with. "So same way with the Healthy Kids Initiative, it started in a community, expanded to a third and fourth and fifth and sixth and seventh, we'll get 72% of Saskatchewan covered at a regional level, and then make it a national initiative. And Saskatchewan again leads the way and all of sudden it becomes a federal initiative. So if we just follow along with our roots, we should be able to make Healthy Kids Initiative work."
Sun, May 19, 9:00 AM
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