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<3 SW-Tribune ADVERTISING 905-640-2612 Classified: 1-800-743-3353 Fax: 905â€"640-8778 York Rtgion Media Group community newspapers ‘ The Sun-Tnbune, published every Thursday and Samoay, is a Mission of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a whollyowned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. Metroland ls comprlsed of 100 community publications acms Condo. The York Region Newspapet Gmup also includes The Liberal, sewing Richmond Hill and Thomhill, Vaughan CltlzenJhe Era-Bannet (Newmamet/Aumta). Markham Economist Cludfled Manager Bonnie Rondeau The Sun-Tribune welcomes your let» ten. All Iubmisslons must be less than 400 word: md must include a daytime telephone number. name and address The Sun-Tribune reserves the t to publish or not pub“: and to edit for clar- ity and space. Whetstone mun-Tribune 6290mm mam-.0" HMO? Sun, GeOrgjna Advocateflofi Region Business Times, North of the City. yorkregionmm and Yam Regan Printing. rmadarianerrmgcom Carrie MacFarlane M gm mbanvlllefi’yrmgcom brondeauéyrmgrom ’ Manager Carolyn Norman cnormanébyrmgxom Ammsmc Retail Manager Mike Banuille dameQynngcom jmawnOyrmgcom DISTRIBUTION Circulation Dawna Andrews DISTRIBUTION 905-640-2612 M2612 us 905-640-8778 Pnonucnon jmnoncymgxom MEDIA Ichenislng LETTERS POLICY EnrmluAL Editor lim Mason Sherry Day sdavarmgcom EDITORIAL time approaches, 1 find myself once again thinking how nice it would be if the government helped with some of the financial burden of working out. I love to exercise and, as tax Exercise keeps you young, relieves stress and, more importantly, fights off health problems. Whether you choose to head to the gym or bend yourself into a pretzel at a yoga studio. don’t be fooled: exercise can be expensive. Sure, you don't have to spend a lot of money to stay fit. There are all kinds of ways to exercise without breaking the bank. But who are we kidding? If you lack motivation, it's tough to get into an exercise routine with- out signing up at the gym or for a fit- ness class at the community centre. I love exercise. I run, cycle and swim in a group. One of the joys I get is pushing my body through athletic endea- vours, so I'm not just an average person trying to get in shape. It wodld Be fiice to have some money back to help me achieve my fitness goqls. lf peBple ‘are on the fence about exercise, perhaps a financial incen- Half of town’s parks should be leash-free Re: No leash, no problem: Will Stoujfi/ille also lap up a dog park? March 6. Half the parks in Whitchurch-Stouffville should be leash-free or have set times when they are leash-free so people who don’t like dogs can avoid the park during those times. Splash parks should not be leash-free. In England, cars pull into the car parks and parents, kids and dogs jump out for their walks, they don’t have to be corralled in small leash-free areas. They can roam all around the parks. They all get the exercise they need. 7 Dogs on a leash do not get enough exercise â€" they need to run. Many people today have pets for companionship and exercise, especially our elder- LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ly residents. Dog owners are taxpay- ers and even have to pay for a dog license, therefore‘they deserve 50 per cent of the parks. I am not a dog owner, but often walk with friends and family who have dogs. TUNE O’DONNELL STOUFFVILLE You can read letters to the editor, columns and stories and view Videos on our website, Whitchurch-Stoufluille. Go to yorkregiorwom b What do you think of these issues or others? E-mail letters to the editor to jmas‘on@yrmg.com HAVE voun SAY, wuncHuncH- STOUFFVILLE r1 . @Fi’i'fi'ibun tive would give them a push. It only stands to reason sedentary people might change their ways._ In 2007, the Conservative govern- ment created the children’s fitness tax credit, covering eligible fees up to $500 per child under the age of 16 enrolled in physical activity pro- grams. v This is a great initiative. Without a doubt, children need to get more exercise. But more importantly, this ini- tiative makes recreation programs more affordable for families who don’t have extra money lying around. PUBLISHER Ian Proudfoot But what about adults? Nova Scotia and Alberta have introduced fitness credit programs. Both offer up to a $500 tax credit for adults registered in supervised recreational activities. A report released earlier this year called Rising Tide: The Impact of Dementia on Canadian Society, preâ€" dicted by 2038, dementia will cost $153 billion a year, up from $15 billion. The report recommends healthâ€" ier lifestyles, which includes physi- cal and mental exercise, to delay any signs of dementia. It's clear exercise is as necessary for children as it is for adults, parâ€" ticularly in adults aged over 40. It made me think. How much did I spend on physi- cal fitness in 2009? I got out my pencil and paper and calculated my costs. not including equipment, tallied almost $1,500. including fees associated with run- ning races and triathlons. fhe bulk ofthe costs were joining a masters swim club, which would qualify under a tax credit. I One group serious about getting every province across the country to offer an adult fitness tax credit :Ii'ibune Burro: m Cum Debora Kelly is the Fitness Industry of Canada Council. The tax credit has been some- thing executive director Brian Gil- bank has worked on since 2007. The council commissioned a study by the Centre for Spacial Eco- nomics last November to show the health care savings if a tax credit for adults was introduced. If the Ontario government par- ticipates, savings could reach $240 million. If only the federal govern- ment participates, the savings could reach $960 million. Finally, if the federal and provin- cial governments get on board, sav- ings could reach $1.2 bullion“- For the most part, Mr. Gilbank has found governments receptive. once he debunks the myths this is a tax credit for the rich or people who are already fit. ' “It's going really well. People are looking for ways to offset the incom- ing HST costs," Mr. Gilbanl: said: "So how about it. Premier Dalton McGuinty? W11] we be“ seeing adult fitness tax credits in 2010? Robert Lazurlco 803mm CamIimGrechisaVbrkReglonMediaGmup Ammumc, Durnmu’rlon Nicole Fletcher Ora-mom Barry Black