Tilbury Memorial Arena Wins Award for Healthier Food Choices

The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit announced today that the Tilbury Memorial Arena is the first facility in Chatham-Kent to receive the Eat Smart!® Award of Excellence. Eat Smart! is a provincial program designed to encourage healthier food choices in recreation centres across Ontario.

To qualify for the Eat Smart! Award of Excellence, the municipal arena had to meet provincial nutrition standards for its snack bar. Eat Smart! recreation centres offer a variety of nutritious food choices including whole grains, a selection of vegetables and fruits and lower fat substitutions to create healthier food choices. The Canadian Cancer Society (Ontario Division), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit are all key supporters of the program.

“Healthy active citizens are an essential part of building a successful community,” said Chatham-Kent Mayor Randy Hope. “That health and activity support everything we do, from strengthening the local economy to promoting sports, recreation and culture. On behalf of Council, I extend congratulations to everyone associated with the Tilbury Memorial Arena.”

“The Eat Smart! Recreation Centre Program has become recognized throughout Ontario,” said Lyndsay Davidson, Public Health Dietitian. “The program provides recreation centres with an exciting opportunity to support and promote healthier food choices for their patrons.”

The Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit also announced a community contest to find a person to represent the program by having their photograph on the Eat Smart! Arena Poster. People can enter the contest by purchasing an Eat Smart! food choice at the Tilbury Memorial Arena snack bar, filling out a ballot there, and dropping it into the ballot box. The winners will be chosen by draw. The “This Could Be You!” Contest will run from Friday November 4 until Friday November 25.