Sport Canada announces funding for Active for Life

On Saturday, the Canadian Minister of State for Sport the Honourable Bal Gosal announced that the Government of Canada is providing funding for Active for Life.

Gosal was flanked by a crowd of active children as he made the announcement at the Banff Centre where the International Physical Literacy Conference was taking place. The Minister and Blake Richards, Member of Parliament for Wild Rose, then joined the kids in some physical literacy warm-up exercises.

The funding, which comes from Sport Canada, is part of ongoing support for not-for-profit endeavours to encourage parents, children, and young people to stay active. “Supporting Active for Life’s efforts to provide Canadian parents with advice and practical sources is critical for more active and healthy Canadians, as well as a vibrant sports system.” said Gosal.

In an interview with Active for Life, Gosal said that he runs 10Ks with his daughter and has a goal of running a half marathon. He added that he plays soccer with a group of MPs and is constantly trying different sports.

“Everywhere I go I ask parents to get their kids involved in any kind of physical activity,” the Minister said. “Don’t be focused on one sport.… If you talk to any high performance athlete, they’ve all tried a lot of sports. Let them [the children] try different sports and let them enjoy it.”