Thank you very much. I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you today, and I also appreciate the recognition that our brand has with the committee.
Since 1971, ParticipACTION has been working toward a Canada in which physical activity is a vital part of everyday life. As Canada's leading physical activity organization, we deliver innovative engagement initiatives and thought leadership activities to help Canadians be more physically active and less sedentary no matter where they live, work or play.
ParticipACTION is part of what is often referred to as the SPAR sector, which stands for sport, physical activity and recreation. This includes organizations at the national, provincial, territorial and municipal levels working together to promote participation in physical activity and sport.
There are over 33,000 SPAR organizations in Canada, of which 71% are community organizations like the local YMCA or hockey association or curling club that are such an essential part of our collective social fabric, delivering programs and helping build strong communities.
The pandemic has left its mark on virtually every aspect of our lives, and the thousands of organizations I speak of are no exception. From the 2020 Olympic Games to the local soccer league, there have been widespread cancellations and suspensions of programs and events, affecting not only revenues but the ability of Canadians to participate.
The results from a recent national survey of SPAR organizations indicate a dire need for support. Some 99% of these organizations have been affected by COVID, and 21% may not recover without additional support, resulting in fewer opportunities for community programming. Programs that once may have had thousands of eager Canadians waiting to join are now running at an average capacity of 45%, and almost a quarter of the organizations in our sector are not currently delivering any programming at all.
The relief measures provided have been pivotal to the continued survival of so many of us in the sector, and we thank the government for its support. However, 65% of local community clubs and associations have not been able to access emergency funding.
As important as it is to consider the impact of COVID on organizations, we must not forget its overwhelming effect on individual Canadians. Physical activity levels have endured significant and sustained decline since the pandemic was declared, an unintended consequence of abiding by public health guidelines, resulting in the closure or suspension of facilities and programs across the country.
This past April, in the midst of the pandemic surge, fewer than 3% of Canadian children were meeting recommendations for physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep—a stark contrast to the already low 15% doing so before the health crisis.
Canadian adults are not faring any better. Since March, many of the daily rituals that were the foundation for much of our incidental movement, like commuting, grabbing a coffee or walking to a meeting, have been reduced or eliminated, resulting in incidental physical activity, which is the majority of activity we get each day, remaining alarmingly low. Not surprisingly, more than 60% of Canadians report spending more time using the Internet and watching TV during the pandemic, significantly increasing our unhealthy sedentary behaviours.
The pandemic and its resulting restrictions on social and economic life have also had a widely reported impact on mental health, with over half of Canadians reporting worsening mental health as a result of COVID. There is well-documented evidence linking the benefits of physical activity to mental health, such as decreased anxiety and depression, improved resiliency and lower stress. Unfortunately, however, most Canadians are not engaging in physical activity and sport participation as a coping strategy.
The pandemic is also deepening pre-existing inequities. Significantly fewer individuals belonging to visible minority groups are physically active compared to those identifying as Caucasian. Further, only 6% of girls versus 13% of boys are meeting physical activity guidelines.
Considering that research overwhelmingly supports the positive association between physical activity and various facets of health, including mental health, it's essential for the Government of Canada to recognize the powerful role that physical activity and sport participation can play in our collective efforts to help Canadians recover from the impacts of COVID. We therefore recommend two key initiatives.
The first is the delivery of a national public education campaign to motivate and support Canadians to get outdoors and be active while still abiding by public health guidelines. Different jurisdictions are finding it challenging to navigate public health requirements of distancing while promoting the importance of staying active. There is a need for consistent and clear messaging on how physical activity can be done safely and on its mental health benefits.
The second recommendation is to declare June 2021 Canada Moves month, in which sport, physical activity and recreation organizations at the community level will be encouraged and resourced to provide free programming as part of ParticipACTION's existing Community Better Challenge, an annual initiative to find and recognize the most active communities in Canada.
The spring of 2021 will be time to bring the country together, connect with one another and celebrate our communities while charting a path forward beyond COVID-19.
It is also ParticipACTION's 50th anniversary, an ideal opportunity to help celebrate an iconic Canadian brand by helping us do what we do best, encouraging Canadians to get healthy and get active.
Canada Moves would allow families and vulnerable groups to experience sport and physical activity programs without having affordability as a barrier to participation. It would help stimulate re-engagement in local sport and physical activity programs by enabling community organizations to retain members and continue to deliver essential programming. Essentially, we would provide 2,500 community organizations with grants to offer free programming for the entire month.
COVID-19 is more than a generational health and economic crisis. Our government should be commended for its efforts in mitigating the spread of the virus while protecting the livelihood of everyday Canadians, but we need to work just as hard to address the enormous social impact this pandemic has had on our communities. Now more than ever, physical activity and sport participation need to be promoted and prioritized to help Canadians stay healthy in mind, body and community spirit.
Thank you.