
The BCRPA created and implemented the Active Communities Initiative to raise physical activity levels in British Columbia by 20%. Funded through ActNow BC, the initiative mobilized and collaborated with communities, local governments, Aboriginal and partner organizations to promote healthy lifestyles choices, increase accessibility to physical activities and build supportive community environments.
Although we are unable to offer the full Active Communities Initiative now that funding is no longer available, the BCRPA continues to offer components such as HIGH FIVE®. We are also continuing to offer resources and opportunities to our BCRPA members and registered Active Communities.
Throughout the Active Communities initiative, there have been significant achievements. Highlights include:
- 226 registered Active Communities throughout BC (as of August 31, 2009).
- Over $935,000 in grants awarded to communities throughout the province to support physical activity programming, the building of trails and walkways, and active events.
- Support for 237,391 people across the province to get active on Move for Health Day.
- The creation of numerous resources for communities to use to promote physical activity and plan community events, including event evaluation tools.
We are grateful to ActNow BC that we were able to help communities across BC raise their physical activity levels awareness and improve the quality of life for all British Columbians.

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Through the Active Communities Initiative, the BCRPA produced the Active Communities Marketing Toolkit. This toolkit is a comprehensive guide to creating, executing, and evaluating marketing and promotions programs. |
The M.A.P. (Marketing Action Plan) toolkit was created through the BCRPA's Community-Based Awareness Initiative, a program of the Physical Activity Strategy. The toolkit helps communities promote awareness of the benefits of and opportunities for physical activity at the local level. It includes a full range of ready to use and adaptable tools and templates that promote physical activity.
The BCRPA offers several tools that communities can use to reflect upon progress, highlight needs, and inform next steps:
Active Transportation
The BCRPA recognizes the importance of the built environment and active transportation in helping communities be more active. Active Transportation includes promoting walkability in your community and enhancing the design of your community so there are accessible greenways, bikeways and blueways to allow citizens to move easily, actively and car-free in your community.
New Report - Physical Activity and Transportation Benefits of Walkable Approaches to Community Design
A study from the BCRPA calls for municipal governments to make walking and cycling the top priority in their transportation plans, rather than cars. The study, entitled "Physical Activity and Transportation Benefits of Walkable Approaches to Community Design in British Columbia", found that designing neighbourhoods where it's easier to walk and bike can actually influence people to do those activities more often, benefitting their health and enhancing the community.
Focusing on Metro Vancouver, the study found that adults are 2.5 times more likely to walk when they live in well-connected neighbourhoods with features that are pedestrian-friendly.
It also found that adults who live in walkable neighbourhoods drive 58% less on average than those who don't.
The study also calls for communities to increase the level of public transit service. It notes that people in areas well-served by transit generally do more walking. The study is the first of its kind in BC.
This report was released at the ' Shifting Gears' lecture on June 8: Walking Around the World: Innovation and inspiration for Designing, Engineering and Planning our Cities.
Built Environment and Active Transportation Initiative (BEAT)
The BCRPA led the Built Environment and Active Transportation (BEAT) Initiative - an initiative of the BC Healthy Living Alliance's Physical Activity Strategy. Check out the BEAT website for information on past infrastructure and planning grants, summits and for more information on building a more active environment in communities
Additional Resources
Check out walkability and bikeability expert Michael Haynes' active transportation blog for research, stats and ideas from across Canada.
- Active transportation grants are available to organizations through Transport Canada's Moving on Sustainable Transportation program. Click here for more information.
- HASTE (Hub for Action of School Transportation Emissions) has developed resources on planning walking school buses and bicycle trains.
- Cycling Infrastructure Partnership Program (CIPP) grants are available where the Government of BC will partner with local governments in the construction of new transportation cycling infrastructure. Submission deadline is September 30, 2014. Click here for more information.
The BCRPA recognizes the important role that work environments play in the physical activity levels of British Columbians. Healthy workplaces benefit organizations and individuals alike and result in improved productivity, fewer insurance and worker compensation claims, reduced absenteeism, and improved staff attitudes towards the organization.
[Source: Active Communities Active Workplace Workbook]
Some of our Active Communities are workplaces while other communities have developed strong and successful workplace wellness programs.
The BCRPA uses a comprehensive approach to a healthy workplace that addresses:
- Voluntary health practices
- The physical environment and
- The social environment and personal resources
Tools and Resources
The BCRPA has developed an Active Workplace Workbook, to assist registered Active Communities and workplaces in the public, private and not-for-profit sector with developing a workplace wellness program.
- The workbook covers:
- Benefits of an active workplace - facts & figures
- Comprehensive healthy workplace planning
- Getting started - an 8-step formula
- Recommended practices
Walk BC is a joint initiative between the Heart & Stroke Foundation of BC & Yukon and the BCRPA. Walk BC encourages individual and group walking to increase overall health in communities through a range of programs that promote walking including Workplace Walking. For more information on developing a workplace walking or physical activity program, please check out:
Healthy Workplace Month
Healthy Workplace Month (October) encourages workplaces and communities to create and implement healthy workplace strategies.
For more information about Healthy Workplace Month, please contact the BC Recreation and Parks Association at education@bcrpa.bc.ca
Healthy Workplace Month encourages workplaces and communities to create and implement healthy workplace strategies.
The BCRPA recognizes the important role that work environments play in the physical activity levels of British Columbians. Healthy workplaces benefit organizations and individuals alike and result in improved productivity, fewer insurance and worker compensation claims, reduced absenteeism, and improved staff attitudes towards the organization.
The following are resources you can use throughout Healthy Workplace Month and beyond.
Get your employees moving!
Walk BC encourages individual and group walking to increase overall health in communities through a range of programs that promote walking including Workplace Walking.
Support Active Transportation in your workplace.
Support your employees’ health by promoting active transportation. Click here for more information about the Built Environment and Active Transportation initiative (BEAT)
Create awareness about the benefits of physical activity.
Communications tools to help you promote Healthy Workplace Month and healthy living within your workplace or community
Promote healthy eating and healthy food choices in your workplace.
The Stay Active, Eat Healthy initiative provides tools and resources for the sale of healthy food and beverages in public buildings.
The BCRPA has developed an Active Workplace Workbook, to assist registered Active Communities and workplaces in the public, private and not-for-profit sector with developing a workplace wellness program.
The workbook covers:
- Benefits of an active workplace - facts & figures
- Comprehensive healthy workplace planning
- Getting started - an 8-step formula
- Recommended practices

The Stay Active Eat Healthy® program encourages individuals to make healthy choices when purchasing food or beverage products where they live, work, learn and play.
The Stay Active Eat Healthy® program is an evidence-based capacity building initiative developed in BC. Stay Active Eat Healthy® aims to increase the provision of healthy food and beverages while restricting unhealthy options in municipal and community recreation facilities.
The objectives of the program are to:
- support recreational facilities to take a leadership role within the community to promote a healthy, active lifestyle;
- support recreational facilities and to take a leadership role within the community to promote a healthy, active lifestyle by providing healthy choices in vending machines, snack bars, food concessions, programs and events to benefit both workers and the public;
- facilitate collaborative approaches between industry and recreation facility staff to provide and promote a wider range of healthy choices.
The program is designed to provide easy access to a full range of information, tools and resources for municipal recreation facility staff, industry and consumers.
Visit the website to learn more.
The BCRPA, with funding from ActNow BC, developed informative and user-friendly walking program resources to guide communities, worksites and individuals implementing or reviewing current walking programs. The walking program resources are relevant province-wide and offer useful ideas, easy-to-use tools and practical strategies to consider as walking programs are designed, implemented or revised. These resources were part of the Active Communities Initiative.
The key components of the guide include the resources listed below.
For additional resources and walking program ideas visit WalkBC.

Resource for individuals leading the walks.
Distributed to participants of walking programs, for use on walks
Assists individual walkers in choosing a pedometer and using it effectively.