Professor Doug Lafreniere of the Loyalist College Fitness and Health Promotion, and Recreation and Leisure Services programs has been appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ontario Kinesiology Association. This is the professional organization that will form the new College of Kinesiology for Ontario under Bill C171 of the Kinesiology Act that now regulates the profession. The new Act was passed in June of 2007 and provides for the development of a College of Kinesiology which will make the practice of Kinesiology a regulated health profession in Ontario under the Ministry of Health.
Professor Lafreniere was chosen for this role because of his background and experience with the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology in developing the new Certified Personal Trainer designation, and for his work on various other national boards, including the Canadian Coalition for Active Living. “Through this role I hope to be able to develop a Kinesiology Assistant designation that our graduates from Fitness and Health Promotion can fill under the Kinesiology Act,” said Professor Lafreniere. “They have the expertise from the competencies they achieve within the program of study. All we need is to have these recognized officially by the College of Kinesiology. I feel strongly that this is the way that our program is meant to evolve.”
“Through his involvement with this provincial Association, Professor Lafreniere will be able to align Loyalist’s program delivery to augment what the provincial body is doing,” said Karen Brooks Cathcart, Dean, School of Health and Human Studies. “In June he is meeting with other Ontario colleges that offer fitness and health promotion programs to discuss how they would like to proceed with this initiative and he will bring this information back to Loyalist for discussion. This role is similar to the one he held with the new Certified Personal Training designation that Loyalist developed, then brought to the provincial and national bodies for incorporation in their certification programs.”
For more information regarding the Recreation and Leisure Services or Fitness and Health Promotion programs at Loyalist College contact Professor Doug Lafreniere at (613) 969-1913, ext. 2479.
Media Contact: Marilyn Warren, Communications, Loyalist College, (613) 969-1913 ext. 2332; e-mail: mwarren@loyalistc.on.ca or Professor Doug Lafreniere, ext. 2479