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By Bob FergusonWhen it comes to Canadian creativity John Munro, Canada’s federal minister of health and welfare goes to the head of the class. His forte is creating Canadas.In recent years the Munro doctrines have established SportCanada, Recreation Canada, Hockey Canada and even Sport Participation Canada, the latest of his creations. The net result is Canadians at large are having considerable difficulty relating to the Canada to which thev belong.To alleviate these doubts I have launched a new project which, for brevity's sake. I’ll call “Definition Canada.” It’s aim is simple — def.ne what all these other Canadas mean.Lou Lefaive, chief of the Fitness and Amateur Sports directorate serves as the informative source for data pertaining to these CanadasThe soft-spoken government employee began his explanation by taking a step in reverse to reveal that the Fitness and Amateur Sports Directorate has now been changed to two organisms — Sport Canada and Recreation Canada.Sport Canada is that port ion of the directorate directly concerned with the competitive aspects of sport and the pursuit of excellence. Track and field, skiing and swimming were cited as examples.Recreation Canada deals more with mass participation in any form of physical activity purely for personal pleasure. Jogging, fishing, curling and golf were examples offered.“Don’t misunderstand,’’ he cautioned. “There's considerable overlap in the two segments. In fact, almost every physical activity has its competitive element which may be more appropriately defined as sport rather than recreation under these terms of reference but our hope is to reach some means of differentiating IxHs of luck fellas.Hockey Canada is a government organized body whose -objective is to promote hockey as a sport with special emphasis on Canada's international image. It also has a developmentalrole to play.“Tliere’s no attempt nor desire,” Lefaive explains, “by Hockey Canada to involve itself in the regulatory or structural aspects of hockey now handled so capably by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. It’s Hockey Canada’s aim to ascertain Canada’s role in the international picture and develop players to meet that role.”That one still has me confused.Former prime minister Lester B Pearson, chairman of the board of the newly formed corporation operating under the Sport Participation Canada banner offered the following explanation of that organization. ’“Sport Participation Canada is concerned with the millions2f Canadians who are not interested, or believe they are not tilled enough, to enter organized sports.What too of the further millions who once engaged in sports but who no longer do? This comprises a majority of our population and little has been done to interest them in continuous athletic exercise and enjoyment.“The result is that our fitness activity level is extremely low-. The company’s task is to motivate all Canadians to participate in a more active physical life for both their own good and for a healthier national growth.”Federal funds launched the project but as a company outside government jurisdiction its main function will be to harness the resources of the private section to help achieve its goal.Where does the Administrative Centre for Sports and Recreation fit into the scene?It houses the vehicles which make all these Canadas necessary. Without nationally constituted amateur sports ’organizations alt endeavoring to do their own thing mi anorganized basis there’d still be only one Canada operating a few decades behind the rest of the world in this area of development.I don't know if all these Canadas will produce a bigger and better unified Canada but no one can fault the people involved in operating the incubator for not trying to nurture a healthy baby. Who knows, maybe there’s a latent Olympic medalist lounging about the living room lantern dreaming about how it might have been instead of proving to himself how it can or cannot be.Tennis anyone?
Newspaper Details
Dauphin Herald
Dauphin, Manitoba, CA
Wed, Jan 12, 1972
Page 9
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 03 Dec 2018
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