Aurora parents, youth want 'real food first' in town recreation facilities

Aurora's Spencer Savage encourages town to 'put people before profit,' offer healthy choices at snack bars

Yorkregion.com
March 8, 2018
By Teresa Latchford

A group of Aurora parents and youth are demanding that "real food" come first.

Spencer Savage spends 10 to 15 hours a week in Aurora's recreation facilities participating in sports, he said at a recent council committee meeting. He and his mother, Kasie Savage, pack healthy snacks or stop at the grocery store on the way because of the lack of nutritious options offered at the facility's vending machines and concession stands.

"Do you care about me? Do you care about kids in Aurora?" he asked council members. "I know we don't vote yet, but one day we will be the homeowners of Aurora but for now we are kids and deserve every opportunity to grow up healthy."

Aurora recreation centre users are receiving mixed messages, according to the local youth. The town has made an effort to encourage everyone to be active by providing programing at the local facilities but there is nothing nutritious to nourish the body with at the same place that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

"Would you work out for an hour then go out and eat a Big Mac?" he added. "Us kids are asking you to take a leadership role and do the right thing. Choose people over profits."

The leg work for this push began with five Aurora mothers last summer when the group met with Mayor Geoff Dawe and town staff, Kasie said.

The group launched a petition which quickly gained 700 signatures in support of bringing real food to the town's recreation centres. Conducting their own research, the group also created a business plan recommending the town require 55 per cent real food or more in snack bars and vending machines, the removal of half of the current "junk food" offerings, the implementation of a robust communication and marketing plan and a roll out goal of fall 2018.

The contract with the town's current vendor expires in April and while town staff have been working with York Region Public Health experts to pen an appropriate renewal contract to be made public for vendors to submit proposals, the Aurora mothers think it could be better.

"Why do we have to test doing the right thing? We should be leaders," Kasie said. "We want to be the town other towns Google."

Aurora mother Tracy Smith acknowledged the Power Boost Menu pilot project that was rolled out in the summer to test the appetite of users for health food options. She pointed out it was flawed due to rolling it out in the summer when the rec centres aren't in full use, healthy options weren't visible, menus were too small and the lack of options.