Temperature ? “Delightfully refreshing!” Even in the middle of winter, by 15°C or 20°C, Canadian weather forecasters make a point of encouraging outings, playing down the cold and celebrating winter. “It’s part of the Canadian identity,” says Kristi Allain, associate professor of Canadian sociology and researcher in physical culture and social life at Saint Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Same thing for large spaces. From the marketing of certain major brands to the advertising campaigns of the provinces, Canada relies above all on its natural parks and the activities associated with them to attract tourists: skiing, canoeing, fishing excursions, observation of the northern lights, driving on frozen lakes… With, implicitly, the idea that you have to be in a position of conquest, brave the elements, in short, surpass yourself, just as the valiant pioneers had done before by settling in the territory .
A craze for physical activities… outside
In many other countries, the inhabitants consider nature as a given, and, in Northern Europe, winter as a season to “suffer” thus favoring cocooning over physical exercise. In Canada, the pioneering spirit is matched by a passion for physical activity, preferably outdoors. “This general philosophy also conveys a myth, that of a virgin land, continues Kristi Allain. However, the lands that were later called Canada were already inhabited… by Aboriginal people.” According to the sociologist, if this vision of the country, fairly truncated, is still widely cultivated, it would be, unconsciously, to erase the colonial past, again and again… And if, today, public opinion as well as federal and provincial authorities are taking a fresh look at their relationship with Aboriginal people, “the myth of the pioneer is so powerful – having become the very essence of what it is to be Canadian – that it is struggling to evolve “, she concludes.
Still, the majority of the population lives in the south of the country, near the American border (90% of Canadians live less than 250 kilometers from the United States) and far, often very far, from national parks. Which leads Kristi Allain to ask a question: are these large natural spaces accessible to everyone? The sports that are practiced there – skiing or hiking – are they not reserved for the wealthiest segment of the population, since the equipment is expensive and you need a means of transport to get there? “In New Brunswick, for example, Fundy National Park is more than 150 kilometers from Fredericton and public transport to get there is almost non-existent,” she notes.
The outdoors, synonymous with sport
But, beyond the great outdoors, in the minds of Canadians, the outdoors is also synonymous with sport. And in this register, the unifying element is ice hockey. Although its first appearance dates back to the mid-1800s, when a puck replaced the ball – first in Nova Scotia, then in Montreal – the game quickly developed as it adapted perfectly to climatic conditions of the country, but also because it represented a way of separating, at least culturally, from the United Kingdom (to which Canada is still officially attached).
The rough practice has in fact nothing to do with the very British cricket, played on an always impeccable lawn, or even football… Ice hockey, erected as a national emblem with its famous Team Canada (in particular male…), punctuates the winter season and, not to mention the national and Olympic teams, is practiced everywhere as an amateur, including on improvised mini-skating rinks on the crossroads of small towns, when it freezes hard enough . However, global warming is beginning to limit these possibilities, while newcomers increasingly focus on football.
Raising awareness at school
But if Canadians claim to be outdoor fans and sports enthusiasts, do they really do as much physical activity as they claim? After all, given the distances, many people spend their time behind the wheel of their car, not to mention those who take refuge, in winter, in shopping centers where they can also go thanks to the many underground passages which, in large cities, in Toronto, Montreal or Calgary, connect their building, the subway and their office to places to “shop”.
According to Statistics Canada’s 2018-2019 survey, only one in two adults (aged 18-79) meet the recently established recommendation of at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week – knowing that the youngest are, of course, the most concerned. However, the Canadian Outdoor Council (Outdoor Council of Canada) defends the vision “of a future where all Canadians will have access to outdoor activities and education” and provides training to this end, particularly to teachers.
From school, students are embarked on expeditions in the great outdoors, or simply outdoors, with the aim of fostering their psychological and physical development, as well as their sense of community, and to increase their awareness of the environment. environment, summer and winter! In some provinces, young people can also take programs to help them better understand the connection that First Nations have with nature.
Do they lose these habits with age? In any case, Health Canada urges all citizens to practice physical exercise, including the elderly. “The government is enacting these recommendations for one purpose: to ensure that Canadians age in good health and thus save funds for public services, sighs sociologist Kristi Allain. In addition, these policies encouraging physical activity are contradictory. with what is happening in the municipalities. Thus it is not uncommon to see, for lack of money, sidewalks cluttered with snowdrifts in winter, which can cause falls, especially for the elderly, to whom the we also say to be careful not to fall!”