Let's create the ParticipACTION 150 Play List

ParticipACTION asks Canadians to submit or vote on their favourite Canadian way to move

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2016 /CNW/ - There was a surge of child-like giddiness for travelers at a 430-foot-long hopscotch installation this morning in the pedestrian tunnel at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. ParticipACTION mapped the tunnel with the schoolyard favourite to kick off voting for the ParticipACTION 150 Play List, the ultimate list of activities that define us as Canadians. Elio Antunes, President and CEO of ParticipACTION, Canadian Olympians and athletes,  Play List partners Manulife and Chevrolet, and Canadian comedian and ParticipACTION 150 Play List ambassador Sara Hennessey, were in attendance to show us how they hopscotch – a physical activity that could make the Play List next year.

"We are creating the ParticipACTION 150 Play List to celebrate 150 years of active living in Canada," says Antunes. "Canada is one big playground, and with its vast landscapes, there are so many ways to be active in this country. As the Play List will be created by Canadians for Canadians, we encourage everyone from coast to coast to coast, to submit or vote on a physical activity they love and think should make the list."

Whether it's a sport such as basketball, a recreational activity like hiking or a physical activity that's part of everyday life – like shoveling snow – Canadians can submit or vote on physical activities that they think make us truly Canadian. The final ParticipACTION 150 Play List will be unveiled in January 2017, and Canadians will be incented to get active and try all of them throughout the year. They will be able to track their efforts online and earn great prizes along the way. The 150 Play List crew will make 100 event stops across Canada, inviting people to get moving and keep the celebration going all year long.

"The Government of Canada is pleased to support the ParticipACTION 150 Play List as a signature project of the 150^th anniversary of Confederation," said The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage. "Now that the voting has opened, Canadians have the opportunity to come together and create a list that represents our diversity, our heritage and values, our environment and our unique place in the world."

ParticipACTION has enlisted the Canadian comedic talent of Sara Hennessey and Alphé Gagné as ParticipACTION 150 Play List ambassadors. The ambassadors will visit communities across Canada and document their journey as they complete all 150 activities, challenging Canadians to do the same. Hennessey was on hand at Billy Bishop today to take her first jump into her new role.

"Does laughing count as a physical activity?" Hennessey jests. "Helping my country complete an activity list that's fully loaded with Canadian spirit is a great way to celebrate our 150^th. I'm thrilled to join ParticipACTION as a 150 Play List Ambassador and I can't wait to see what makes the list in January."

"Being physically active should be fun," adds Antunes.  "And, being strong and physically active is part of who we are as a people – no matter where we live."

Canadians are invited to submit and vote on their favourite way to move at www.participaction.com/150.

About the ParticipACTION 150 Play List
To celebrate Canada's 150th birthday, ParticipACTION is creating the ParticipACTION 150 Play List - the ultimate list of all the physical activities that make us Canadian. Throughout 2017 every Canadian, in all communities, schools and workplaces from coast to coast to coast, will be challenged to complete as many physical activities on the list as possible, track their efforts online and earn rewards along the way. The ParticipACTION 150 Play List is a collaborative effort supported by the Government of Canada, premier corporate partners Manulife, Chevrolet and Shaw, the Government of B.C. and national media partner Corus. To register or find out more, including details on more than 100 local ParticipACTION Play List events throughout 2017, please visit www.participACTION.com/150.

About ParticipACTION
ParticipACTION is a national non-profit organization that helps Canadians sit less and move more. Originally established in 1971, ParticipACTION works with its partners, which include sport, physical activity, recreation organizations, government and corporate sponsors, to make physical activity a vital part of everyday life. ParticipACTION is generously supported by the Government of Canada. For more information, please visit www.ParticipACTION.com

SOURCE ParticipACTION

Image with caption: "(From front to back): Elio Antunes, President and CEO of ParticipACTION, Sara Hennessey, Play List ambassador, Canadian Olympians and athletes, and corporate partners unveil a 430-foot-long hopscotch to kick off voting for the ParticipACTION 150 Play List. Submit or vote on your favourite Canadian way to move at www.participaction.com/150. (CNW Group/ParticipACTION)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20161012_C2098_PHOTO_EN_794163.jpg

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Kaitlin Marrin, Hill + Knowlton Strategies, W: [phone], M: [phone], [email protected]; Katherine Janson, ParticipACTION, W: [phone], M: [phone], [email protected]