Across Canada Canadians will come together on September 18th, 2010 and participate in Sports Day in Canada, a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across Canada.

"Our government encourages Canadians to live a healthy, active lifestyle," said the Hon. Gary Goodyear, Member of Parliament for Cambridge and North Dumfries. "Being active in sport, whether at a recreational or a competitive level, builds strong individuals and strong communities. We can all agree that Sports Day in Canada is an excellent way to increase sport participation in Cambridge and North Dumfries and across our nation."

Sports Day in Canada is presented by ParticipACTION, CBC Sports and True Sport and is guided by a committee of national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes and enthusiasts across the country.  It's an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport to build community, fortify our national spirit and facilitate healthy, active living.

Sport has the power to reduce crime, foster character and citizenship, introduce newcomers to their communities, stimulate the local economy, provide adult mentorship for young people, teach kids important life lessons and strengthen community connectedness.  Unfortunately, sport participation is on the decline in our country. Over half of Canadian adults are considered inactive, and only 12% of our children and youth are active enough to meet Canada's physical activity guidelines.

“The Government of Canada wants all Canadians to embrace the power of sport and live a healthy, active lifestyle because we recognize that making healthy choices, including regular physical activity and balanced eating habits, is an important part of everyone’s life” said Minister Goodyear. “This is why we support policies and programs that help improve the health of Canadians through regular physical activity, sport participation, and healthy eating.”

The Government of Canada is taking a leadership role in encouraging Canadians to live active, healthy lives by supporting important programs like ParticipACTION, JumpStart, and le Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie, and providing the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit to Canadian families.