ParticipACTION: A Legacy In Motion (1971-1999) A Dissertation Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctorate of Philosophy in the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Victoria Lamb Drover © Copyright Victoria Lamb Drover, April, 2016. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying or publication or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of History University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 5A2 i Abstract Between 1971 and 1999, ParticipACTION, Canada’s Health Promotion agency, reached into Canadian homes, schools, and places of work to “educate, motivate, and mobilize” the public about the perceived need to become physically fit. This dissertation discusses how the agency employed a variety of professional marketing approaches to create compelling prescriptive literature concerning physical fitness to advance a nation-building agenda based in the state directive of individual accountability for the Canadian body. As a result of ParticipACTION's sustained and pervasive influence, Canadians not only remember this prolific brand, but its underlying messaging has become a part of how Canadians view physical fitness and citizenship. ParticipACTION was a project of healthism fostered in an environment of ambient fear. The threat of the Cold War, the constructed menace of the Obesity Crisis, and the fear of Quebec Separatism were all used to bolster the message at this semi-public agency over its thirty years of national social marketing. How individual Canadians experienced ParticipACTION varied significantly based on their body type, socio-economic status, gender, language, ethnicity, and region. Through the use of Historical GIS mapping, oral interviews, and archival records, this dissertation offers a history from creation to closure of this national agency and its place in Canada’s social history. ii Acknowledgements This completed dissertation is the cumulative result of years of effort and love on the part of so many that I hold dear. First, I must thank Dr. Valerie Korinek for suggesting that I give the ParticipACTION Archives a look in those early days when I was considering a dissertation topic. One could not ask for a more supportive, patient, and caring advisor. Chapter drafts, article submissions, grant proposals, and reference letters – you met every request with tireless enthusiasm and respect. I threw you many curve balls along the way and, to your credit, you caught every one. To my parents, Bob and Joyce Lamb, you were the trailblazers who mark the first generation of my family to join the ranks of the professional class. You instilled in us that education is a valuable tool for social service. You never questioned my decision to undertake a PhD. even though it was an unfamiliar path for us all. Your unwavering love and confidence in my abilities kept me going during the darkest periods of this seemingly herculean journey. One could not ask for better people to call Mom and Dad. To Cheryl Avery, Patrick Hayes, Neil Richards, Tim Hutchinson, and the whole gang at the University of Saskatchewan Archives and Special Collections, thank you for being my supportive research family over the past eight years. Between my MA and my PhD, the archives has become my second home on campus. Thank you for welcoming me into your collection. To the Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan, one could not be blessed with more fertile soil to grow a fledgling career. Dr. Korinek, Dr. Jim Handy, Dr. Bill Waiser, Dr. Jim Miller, Dr. John Porter, Dr. Lesley Biggs, and Dr. Martha Smith-Norris ensured that I always had the funding to continue my research and, in so doing, allowed me to develop my skills as a university course instructor and research assistant. Dr. Erika Dyck and Dr. Katie Labelle offered examples of how to be a skilful young female academic while maintaining a life outside of the ivory tower. Dr. Geoff Cunfer happily dragged me through a year-long Historical GIS course, was always available to help with program glitches, and offered up lab space, equipment, or Mike whenever I needed him. To all within the Department, thank you for exemplifying a collegiate community of supportive academics in a difficult time for our profession and for our institution. To Dr. Don Bailey and Donna Bailey, you welcomed me into your home, you lent me your personal files, and connected me with the ParticipACTION world. This study could not have been accomplished without you. To the many individuals both known and anonymous who were interviewed for this study, thank you for trusting me with your words and your history. I did my damndest to protect the integrity of both in every word I wrote. And lastly to my husband, Doug Drover. Behind almost every successful academic is a long-suffering and extremely tired spouse. You kept a roof over my head during this long caper; you proofread every page, acted as a sounding board for every theory, and never questioned whether this was all worth it. Much like the three children we’ve had along the way, this is our accomplishment. Thank you. iii Dedication To Dr. Bill Godfrey, a teacher, scholar, historian, and friend like no other. I did it, Dr. Godfrey. Thank you for believing in me. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS PERMISSION TO USE…………………………………………………………. i ABSTRACT……………………………………………………............................ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………iii DEDICATION……………………………………………………………………iv TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………....v 1. Introduction…………………………………………………………………...1 2. The Origin Story, The Cold War and State Funding of Fitness……………….48 3. PARTICIPACTION Saskatoon: A Case Study in convergent memories……..75 4. Regional Variation in Social Memory………………………………………...113 5. Civic Advocacy, Binary Logic, and Creating the New Enemy……………….135 6. ParticipACTION’s Funding Model, Corporate Ethics, and Social Memory….159 7. ParticipACTION: A Federal Trojan Horse in Quebec………………………..195 8. Conclusion……………………………………………………………………218 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………..227 APPENDIX 1…………………………………………………………………….241 v ParticipACTION: A Legacy in Motion Victoria Lamb Drover An Introduction Our mandate at ParticipACTION is to promote increased physical activity and improved fitness among Canadians. Our practical objective is to move people to take positive personal action. Everything we do works on two levels: the personal and the national. Implicit in our mandate and in our practical aims is the idea, not just of getting individuals fit, but of building a fit nation.1 For nearly thirty years, ParticipACTION was a constant in Canada’s popular culture, with a brand that was well established and widely understood by Canadians. Between 1971 and 1999, ParticipACTION (Sport Participation Canada), a health promotion agency funded by the Canadian federal government and private sponsors, created promotional advertising that reached into Canadian schools, workplaces, and homes through television, print, radio, and billboard campaigns.2 This not-for-profit agency’s stated objective was to increase public awareness of the need for daily physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices. In addition to regionally developed local initiatives, ParticipACTION also launched a series of national advertising campaigns that saturated the Canadian media market with its physical fitness message. A 1992 study showed that 89% of Canadians could identify ParticipACTION by name or by its iconic pinwheel logo.3 To put the magnitude of this proportion in perspective, current social marketing experts aim for a brand recognition rate of 70% during a running campaign, and a rating above this amount is perceived as unattainable.4 According to the three national awareness and impact surveys conducted for ParticipACTION over its nearly three decades of operation, ParticipACTION 1 “A Fit Nation”, PARTICIPACTION’s 10 Anniversary Report, 1971–1981 A Decade of Action (Toronto: ParticipACTION, 1981), 6. ParticipACTION Collection, University of Saskatchewan Archives, MG 291-2004. 2 Health Promotion as a health philosophy takes place where people “live, love, work, and play.” Michel O’Neill et al. Health Promotion in Canada, 2nd Edition, (Canadian Scholars Press Inc. 2007), 153. 3 Gallup National Omnibus, Awareness and Perception of PARTICIPACTION by CANADIANS”, June 1992 : 25. University of Saskatchewan Archives, ParticipACTION Archives MG 291 2004-41(9). 4 Caville N, Bauman A. “Changing social norms to promote health-enhancing physical activity: Do mass media campaigns have a role?”, Journal of Sports Science