Stephen Harper Announces an Adult Fitness Tax Credit

EDMONTON, ALBERTA--(Marketwire - April 4, 2011) - On April 3, 2011 Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced that a re-elected Conservative Government will introduce a new $500 Fitness Tax Credit for adults once the budget is balanced. In addition, Mr. Harper announced that he will double the existing Children's Fitness Tax Credit from $500 to $1,000 dollars during the next Conservative mandate.

Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC's) primary mission and objective since our inception in 2005 has been to implement a federal Adult Fitness Tax Credit for Canadians. Following the implementation of the Children's Fitness Tax Credit in 2007, FIC began our Adult Fitness Tax Credit Campaign with the launch of a website called: www.adultfitnesstaxcredit.ca. Along with the website, FIC commissioned Pollara Inc. and the Centre for Spatial Economics to conduct a poll and an economic report. 

In March 2007, Pollara Inc. released their poll results which indicated that more than three out of every five Canadians supported extending the existing fitness tax credit to adults. In conjunction with the poll, the results of the economic report released in December 2007 showed that the federal government could save $2.5 billion in net health care costs over the next 21 years – a number which could climb to $5.4 billion if all Canadian provinces implement the credit. As well nearly one million more Canadians could become active and healthy as a result of the tax credit; thereby reducing the likelihood of employees missing work due to illnesses caused by physical inactivity.

According to the Government of Canada, more than one and a half million Canadians currently take advantage of the existing Children's Fitness Tax Credit. The existing tax credit has also become one of the most popular initiatives to be introduced by the Conservative Government of Canada. Since FIC represents over 5,000 facilities with over 4 million members nationwide, we are thrilled with this announcement and encourage all political parties to support this initiative. The implementation of an Adult Fitness Tax Credit would be a bold step forward for the future health and well-being of Canadians.

FIC would also like to thank our partners and coalition supporters including the Canadian Heart & Stroke Foundation, The Canadian Diabetes Association, ParticipAction, The Obesity Network and the many more organizations which are listed on our website: www.adultfitnesstaxcredit.ca.

Sincerely,

David Hardy, President, Fitness Industry Council of Canada

Brian Gilbank, Executive Director, Fitness Industry Council of Canada