alt=The ParticipACTION logo|thumb|The ParticipACTION logo

ParticipACTION is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization and an enduring part of Canada’s physical activity history, encouraging people to get healthy by getting active since 1971.<sup>[1]</sup> Through its award-winning public education campaigns, best-in-class thought leadership and innovative engagement initiatives, the organization is working to build a more resilient and accessible culture of movement by removing barriers and creating opportunities for everyone living in Canada to make room to move in their daily lives. With a mission to help people move more where they live, learn, work and play, ParticipACTION envisions a Canada where physical activity is a vital part of everyday life for everyone. They synthesize data from multiple sources, including the best available peer-reviewed research, to assign evidence-informed grades across several indicators;

  • The ParticipACTION Community Challenge, a national physical activity and sport initiative that encourages everyone in Canada to get active in search of the most active communities in the country, awarding them funding to support local sport and physical activity initiatives;
  • The Sneak It In Challenge, a digital physical activity challenge that encourages people to sneak in small bouts of physical activity throughout their day.
  • The Make Room to Move Challenge, a digital physical activity challenge that helps people kickstart the new year with healthy, active habits.

History

ParticipACTION emerged from Sport Participation Canada, a non-profit organization formed on July 12, 1971 in response to a 1969 study commissioned by the National Advisory Council for Fitness and Amateur Sport that found that the future of Canadian health was at risk from poor physical fitness and apathy on the part of Canadians.<sup> </sup>Council Chair Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien recommended that the Government of Canada provide seed money for an independent agency with public and private funding that would work to promote physical fitness.<sup> </sup>Marketing consultant Keith McKerracher was appointed to lead the new organization.

Former Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson chaired the board from 1971 to 1972, while Philippe de Gaspé Beaubien served as president.

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. The spot had its origin in juxtaposed pages of a book by Dr. Roy Shephard,<sup> </sup>The series had been rejected by 40 companies, including advertising agencies and broadcasters such as The Sports Network (TSN) that were not interested in showing an interracial couple.

With that frustration, Johnson approached ParticipACTION, who agreed to fund the series, including the first 65 of over 300 episodes.