Rideau Canal Ice Technology

Ice skating on the Rideau Canal is an iconic winter activity.. Entering its 50th year, the Skateway is the world’s largest naturally frozen skating rink covering 165,621 square metres over 7.8kms. Learn about the process for creating the ideal skating surface in this blog by the National Capital Commission.

Ski-Racing and Mental Health

A two-decade study of 200,000 long-distance skiers found they were 50% less likely to develop depression than the general population, highlighting the long-lasting positive impact of physical activity on mental health.

Walk to Tuk 2020

SIRC and the Aboriginal Sport Circle have teamed up to walk to Tuk . . . virtually! Walk to Tuk is an annual community walking challenge the distance of Big River, from Fort Providence to Tuktoyaktuk, in the Northwest Territories – a total of 1,658 kilometers. This initiative aims to help community members, schools, and…

Covered Courts Program

What’s one of the most significant barriers to tennis participation in Canada? Winter! Read the SIRCuit to learn how Tennis Canada is supporting municipalities to develop covered courts and increase access to the game.

Gratitude

Gratitude is not only good for health but may also boost performance. Researchers found that giving thanks was associated with improvements in mood, overall well-being, and an enhanced ability to adapt to the physical stress of training.

Lifespan Analyses of Social Influence on the Sport Commitment and Participation of Masters Athletes

Project Summary This research aimed to identify the nature of various social influences determining increased commitment to continue sport involvement among middle-aged and older sport participants. Research was conducted among samples from international-, national-, and regional-level masters sport (> 35 yrs old) events, as well as from Senior Games (55+ yrs) events. First, results showed…

Relative Age, Recreation Sport Participation and Youth Development

Project Summary In both youth sport and education, children and adolescents are grouped into cohorts by using annual age grouping policies, whereby a child must be a certain age by a specified selection date (e.g., December 315). Relative age describes the fact that children born early in their cohort/selection year (e.g., January) will be relatively…

Older Adult Fall Prevention

As winter starts to creep in across much of Canada, everyone’s risk of falls increases. However, the risk is greater for older adults. At home or outside, falls are the cause of 85% of older adults’ injury-related hospitalizations. Fortunately, research indicates that exercise programs focused on balance and strength training can help prevent falls. The…

Cold Weather Hydration

As the temperature drops, many Canadians will head outside to ski, skate, slide and snowshoe. Winter athletes must pay close attention to fueling and hydration. Visit Alberta Alpine for tips on staying hydrated during cold weather activities.

Umpire Viewing Distance

Safe or out? Because the speed of sound is slower than the speed of light, baseball fans in the stands can mistakenly think a player is safe because they hear the sound of the ball hitting the mitt of the first baseman after the batter crosses the base (similar to the delay between lighting and…