Alberta: Helping Residents Lead Healthy Lives

Twenty-six Alberta communities are being honored for going the extra mile to promote healthy living to their residents in Communities ChooseWell 2008/2009. In its third year, the provincial recognition program received participation from a record 162 communities.

Communities ChooseWell asks Alberta communities to support and demonstrate how their residents are making the right choices about healthy eating, daily physical activity and encouraging an overall healthier community.

The northern Alberta overall high achiever is the Municipality of Strathcona County. The southern Alberta overall high achiever is the Town of Penhold.

“Communities ChooseWell continues to be a popular way for communities to involve their residents in a wide range of fun and healthy activities,” said Dr. Raj Sherman, Parliamentary Assistant for Health and Wellness. “For the second year in a row we are encouraged to see an increase in the number of communities that took up the challenge to eat healthy, be active and engage in positive social pursuits. It’s very rewarding to see people take their health seriously and make a connection between diet and exercise.”

Communities ChooseWell high achievers were selected by a judging panel of health and wellness volunteers, community organization representatives and health professionals. &nbspEach overall high achieving community will receive assistance from the Alberta Recreation and Parks Association, which manages the program. The communities will receive $1,000 towards a healthy living initiative.

The southern high achievers in Communities ChooseWell were recognized at a celebration held on April 30 in Okotoks and the northern high achievers will be recognized on May 8 in Edmonton.