Subject: Now is not the time to downplay youth fitness!
Mayor John Rowswell and Councillors for Sault Ste. Marie
I can't believe that the City Council is considering reducing the opportunities for youth to participate in cross country skiing at the Hiawatha facilities. This is especially disturbing when the facility provides introduction to skiing which is aligned with strong community programming. At a time when Canada is focusing on 2010 Olympic successes and when Ontario is finally paying some real attention to "Sport for Life" initiatives with its Action 2010 focus, it boggles the mind that the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie would not be totally up in arms at the thought of losing such a prize facility along with its social benefits.
Hiawatha's quality trails and its close proximity to the community are attributes that many fitness minded communities across Canada would die for. This past year, 2006, marks an all time high for obesity in youth in Canada. This is clearly not the time to be removing resources for facilities that serve to get Canadian youth outdoors in the winter, in fact it is time to be investing in them and renewing their importance through school programs and community based organizations.
In the past decade these facilities have served to put Sault Ste Marie at the forefront of athlete development in cross country skiing. As one who learned to ski on the Hiawatha facilities (50 yrs ago) I know the extensive and rich history that these facilities have offered the youth of the Soo and Algoma District. Canada is now on the heels of our best ever cross country Winter Olympic results in Torino; with the build up of excitement for 2010 the timing is perfect to invest in cross country skiing youth programs.
Cross Country Canada has many longstanding programs and a host of new initiatives that are completely aligned with Sport Canada's Long Term Athlete Development guidelines which focuses on sport for all for life!
I truly hope you will reconsider and chose to invest rather than divestin your community youth opportunities.
Al Maddox
Executive Director
Cross Country Canada
Canmore, Alberta
Office: 403 678 6791
Cell: 403 688 7766
