Provincial and territorial sport ministers are calling on the federal government to set up a fund that would help pay for sport infrastructure.

The announcement of the proposal was made Thursday afternoon following a meeting of the ministers with federal Health Minister Tony Clement.

'It's been our number one issue for the past few years,' Glenn Hart, the Minister of Community Services for the territory, said after noting such a fund would help address the obesity problem across the country.

Hart noted Whitehorse is not in such a situation where sport infrastructure is in need of upgrades. However, in an interview following the press conference, he pointed out some of the smaller communities throughout the territory could benefit from such a fund.

Across the country, a $15-billion gap in sport infrastructure has been identified by the territories and provinces, which they're looking for over the next 10 years.

'That's the number that's been bandied about,' Clement said, noting the federal government has a fund for all infrastructure.

The federal government has had some success in moving toward dealing with the obesity issue.

Its measures include the $500-tax credit for kids who are in activities, the recently-announced relaunch of the Participation program, which will be aimed at various age groups and includes involvement from the private sector, and the new edition of the Canada Food Guide.

Jim Watson, Ontario's Health Promotion minister, noted while the tax credit is appreciated, many of arenas and pools in his province and in the country are dilapidated and don't act as an incentive to encourage fitness.

In Ontario, every time there is new infrastructure and improvements though, there are more people showing up at the recreation site with the improvements.

'We have a real crisis in Canada,' Watson said. The provincial/territorial ministers have asked Clement to champion the sport infrastructure cost, he added.

It's not a huge surprise why, he noted, pointing to technology like video games. Even those who don't sit in front of a screen watching TV or playing video games have become accustomed to using items that are right there, like BlackBerrys.

A number of the provinces have launched programs aimed at encouraging people to eat healthy food and be more active, it was noted by the various ministers.

Watson pointed to a fruit and vegetables program launched in northern Ontario schools.

'The kids are loving it,' Watson said. He pointed out one child who's since asked his mother to buy broccoli and another who's 'addicted' to cauliflower.

In Nova Scotia, Barry Barnet, the Minister of Health Promotion, said a phased-in program has seen junk food that was available at the school replaced with healthier options. Rather than selling chocolate bars to raise money for the schools, children now sell oranges, he said.

The meeting of the sports ministers came just before today's start of the Canada Winter Games.

In addition to the discussions around sport infrastructure, the ministers also agreed to a rotations cycle for the Games into 2035 that will see every province and territory host the national sporting event.

This year marks the first time the games have been held North of 60. The Northwest Territories will be the next territory to host the Games in 2023, with the Yukon getting another turn in 2027.

Nunavut will finally host the national event in 2035.