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Health Council of Canada press release ...

Health Council of Canada Releases Inaugural Health Outcomes Report on March 5th in London, Ontario

TORONTO, March 4 - The Health Council of Canada will release a report on health outcomes on March 5 entitled Why Health Care Renewal Matters: Lessons from Diabetes. The report will be released in London, Ontario and the event will be webcast live at www.healthcouncilcanada.ca.

The report examines the way chronic health conditions - specifically diabetes - are diagnosed, managed and treated in this country and explores changes in lifestyle and care that can have profound, practical and positive effects on the health and quality of life of Canadians with chronic health conditions. One in three Canadian adults has a chronic health condition and one in 20 has diabetes.

Through a synthesis of data and research evidence from Canada and abroad, the report sheds light on why renewal matters in very human terms.

The report, the first in a series on health outcomes, will be released at the London InterCommunity Health Centre. Dr. Ian Bowmer, Vice Chair of the Health Council of Canada and Dr. Stanley Vollant, Councillor, Health Council of Canada will present the report. Michelle Hurtubise, Executive Director of the London InterCommunity Health Centre and one of the centre's clients will also be on hand to comment.

WHAT: Health Council of Canada releases inaugural health outcomes report, Why Healthcare Renewal Matters: Lessons from Diabetes

WHO: Dr. Ian Bowmer, Vice Chair, Health Council of Canada
Dr. Stanley Vollant, Councillor, Health Council of Canada
Michelle Hurtubise, Executive Director, London InterCommunity Health Centre

WHERE: London InterCommunity Health Centre
659 Dundas Street East
London ON

The report release will also be simultaneously webcast on the Council's site, www.healthcouncilcanada.ca. For media to participate, dial 1-800 732 0232 or 416 644 3420 at least 10 minutes prior to 10:00 a.m. ET.

WHEN: Monday, March 5, 2007 (all times EST)
10:00 am Speakers highlight key findings of report
10:45 am Floor opens for questions
11:00 am Opportunity for one-on-one media interviews

On the day of the release, copies of the report will be made available at the event and can also be downloaded at www.healthcouncilcanada.ca at 10 a.m.

The Health Council of Canada, created by the 2003 First Ministers' Accord on Health Care Renewal following the recommendations of the Romanow and Kirby reports, is mandated to monitor and report on the progress of health care renewal in Canada. The 26 Councillors were appointed by the participating provinces, territories, and the Government of Canada and have expertise and broad experience in community care, Aboriginal health, nursing, health education and administration, finance, medicine and pharmacy.

For further information: on the Health Council of Canada, contact: Paul Cantin, Media Relations, W: (416) 480-7085, C: (416) 526-1593, pcantin@healthcouncilcanada.ca;. Nazia Khan, Media Relations, W: (416) 360-6183 ext. 229, Nazia@tsa.ca

National Post article ...

Charest calls on Harper to honour Kelowna aboriginal accord

Elizabeth Thompson, CanWest News Service; Montreal Gazette - Sunday, March 04, 2007

PIKOGAN, Que. - Quebec Premier Jean Charest called Saturday on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honour the Kelowna accord, saying the money the federal government had pledged would make a big difference in the lives of Quebec's First Nations.

"I thought the Kelowna meeting was significant and that we should pursue what was done in Kelowna," Charest told reporters. "I would like them to honour it."

Saturday's comment marks one of the few times Charest has openly criticized a decision taken by Harper, a man who has become a political ally for his government over the past year.

The Kelowna Accord was hammered out between aboriginal leaders and Canada's first ministers in November 2005 in the dying days of Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin's government. The deal called for $5 billion to be spent over five years to improve education, housing, skills training, economic development and health care for Canada's aboriginals.

However, Harper's government has refused to recognize the agreement, dismissing it as little more than a press release. Harper says the Liberal government announced something it had never provided for financially, however, the Liberals maintain that the money promised had been earmarked for Canada's first nations before they were defeated.

Charest, who participated in the meeting that led to the accord, said Ottawa should work to accomplish what the agreement set out to do - even if it decides to do it differently.

"I would like to see them pursue Kelowna... If they choose not to do it exactly the same way, (then) to do essentially what we all committed to doing in Kelowna."

One area where the Kelowna agreement would be changing the lives of Quebec's aboriginals, if it were being implemented, is in housing, Charest said.

Charest's comments came shortly before he visited the Algonquin Indian reserve of Pikogan near Alma, Que., home to the Abitibiwinni First Nation.

Band Councillor Bruno Kistabish agrees the Conservatives should honour the agreement, saying there are a lot of areas in which the federal government could be doing a lot more to help his reserve.

Pikogan, like many first nations communities, has been going through a baby boom - 50 per cent of the community's population is under the age of 18. In some cases, two families have to share a house. The northern community has around 140 homes but desperately needs 75-80 more to house its rapidly growing population.

"We build six houses and there is no more space. The situation is getting urgent."

The community also needs more money for education and for health care, said Kistabish.

"A lot of people have diabetes. It is a scourge in native communities."

Ghislain Picard, Chief of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, said he boycotted the Kelowna talks because what was proposed was not enough to meet the needs of Canada's first nations.

Refusing to honour what little there was is even worse, he said.

The handful of announcements made by Indian Affairs Minister Jim Prentice when he attended last fall's socio-economic summit pale in comparison to what was called for in the Kelowna deal, he said.