14 May 2010
St-Félicien, Québec
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that the Government of Canada will support the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie. The Prime Minister was accompanied by Denis Lebel, Minister of State (Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec), and Pierre Lavoie, Founding Chairman of the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie.
“Our Government is extremely proud to support the Grand défi Pierre Lavoie,” said the Prime Minister. “Pierre Lavoie’s initiatives encourage our youth and Canadians of all ages to become more active and to eat better. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Mr. Lavoie on his dedication to youth and wish the Grand Défi Pierre Lavoie a long and fruitful existence.”
The Grand défi, which was founded in 2008 by Pierre Lavoie, is a creative health promotion program featuring physical and educational activities taking place throughout the province of Quebec. Its main objective is to motivate children between the ages of 6 and 12 to stay healthy by eating the right foods and getting plenty of exercise.
This year’s Grand défi Pierre Lavoie consists of three main activities:
- Two “caravans” (mobile exercise and education facilities) visiting registered schools in the Province of Quebec to teach young people exercise and basic concepts about healthy eating.
- Hundreds of elementary schools in the Province of Quebec competing to be the most physically active using a system of 15-minute exercise units. This year a number of schools in British Columbia and France are also participating.
- 150 teams cycling one thousand kilometres in two days from La Baie to Montreal.
The Government of Canada is the single largest contributor to sport in Canada and supports participation and excellence from the playground to the podium across the country.
