As part of the celebration, they officially launched Canada’s new Guide to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity which contains information on healthy eating, regular physical activity and healthy body weight.

Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen said the guide combines information from Canada’s Food Guide and Canada’s Physical Activity Guide. “Healthy eating and physical activity go together. The new brochure includes guidelines on what we should eat and how much activity we require on a daily basis to stay healthy. It will be helpful to schools and groups in planning healthy living programs, and to all Islanders who want to adopt healthy lifestyles,” said the minister.

Gulf Shore Consolidated School is one of five lead schools participating in a provincial initiative to promote healthy living in communities before, during and after school.

Education Minister Mildred Dover advised that the Gulf Shore celebration was a very appropriate event to launch the new guide. “Through its leadership, the Gulf Shore school community is showing us how rewarding it can be when communities come together to create conditions for healthy living. We have much to learn from their success,” she said.

As a lead active healthy school community, Gulf Shore participated in research conducted by Dr. Jennifer Taylor on how communities engage in healthy living activities.

As a pilot school in the development of the new Eastern School District school nutrition policy, Gulf Shore helped to develop new guidelines that promote healthy food choices and limit the availability of unhealthy foods in Island schools. At Gulf Shore Consolidated, cafeteria items such as hot dogs were replaced with baked potatoes. The school also increased the time allocated for students to eat lunch in response to requests from parents and students.

The Gulf Shore school community organized many activities to increase physical activity such as an adult walking club, a cyclist group and golf field trips. They purchased cross country ski equipment, renovated a ski room and built an outdoor volleyball court for the use of the school and the community. They also participated in GAPS (Get Active Play Sports in School), a program that promotes sport and leadership on the playground during and after school.

Gulf Shore hopes to build on these initiatives next year and to share their successes with others who wish to make healthy living the norm in their school communities. Other pilot active healthy school communities include the Somerset Elementary school community, Kinkora; Georgetown Elementary school community, Georgetown; Alberton Elementary school community, Alberton; and École Évangeline school community, Abram’s Village.