ParticipACTION

ParticipACTION is a Canadian government program, launched in the 1970s, to promote healthy living and physical fitness. It shut down due to financial cutbacks in 2001, but was revived on February 19, 2007 with a grant of $5 million from the Federal Government.

ParticipACTION emerged from Sport Participation Canada, a non-profit private company formed on July 12, 1971. Lester B. Pearson chaired the board while Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien served as president. In 1972, the company was nationalized by then-prime minister Pierre Trudeau to battle exorbitant health care costs. The resulting government program was renamed ParticipACTION.

ParticipACTION is well known for its television public service announcements and segments such as Body Break during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. A 1973 commercial, comparing the health of a 30-year-old Canadian to a 60-year-old Swede, started a national discussion on the state of physical education in Canada.