TISDALE 鈥� Congratulations Tisdale! You really pulled through to show Saskatchewan what participation really is.
The Crownlife Participaction Challenge was held at various centers throughout Canada Wednesday, May 25 [1988] and in Tisdale, a whopping 90.63 of our population took on the challenge and participated in some form of physical activity for 15 minutes. Translated, that means that 3,261 people took part from a population of 3,598, which included Tisdale residents and the school population.
Provincially, we are number one! Saskatchewan's average is 57.42 percent. In the total competition, Tisdale is number three overall from all the communities registered. Keep in mind that though the Participaction Challenge is concentrated to Canada, communities outside our boundaries were taking part as well.
According to the Participaction Head Office in Toronto, a total of 322 communities took part with 4,014,857 people participating in total. Our national average was calculated to be 46.92. In Saskatchewan 23 communities took part and our province had the highest percentage in the nation.
Beating out Tisdale for first and second place of all communities registered was Kenyo, Yukon (population 36 and 100 percent participaction), and Williams Lake, B.C. (population of 12,000 and percentage of 92.5 percent).
Even the Tisdale Crownlife Challenge committee, which was expecting great strides to be made in Tisdale, felt overwhelmed by the response. Tisdale citizens from the youngest tot to the most senior citizens took the challenge to heart and did their share. For instance, the Mom and Tot walk was a tremendous success with an estimated 140 people taking part, escorted across Main Street to Memorial Park and back by representatives of the RCMP. Another example came from Cedar Villa when their contact person phoned the committee and told them that their eldest resident, who was 91 years old, was not able to walk or jog or garden, so he played the piano for 25 minutes.
That's the spirit!
Each of the scheduled events was a success. These events included a Pancake Breakfast, golfing, bowling, tennis, aerobics, mini-golf, baby crawling, a "pick up your neighbour and walk" to lunch, a mom and tot walk, fitness coffee breaks, judo, gymnastics, baby and toddler fitness activities, ball hockey, ball games, horse shoes, family bike rides, family walk, and a dance. As well, stationary bikes and rowing machines were set up in the mall and downtown. For their part, Tisdale Town Council swept Tisdale sidewalks for 15 minutes and acted as chefs for the Pancake Breakfast.
Andy Renaud, the Crownlife Participaction Challenge chair for Tisdale, told the Recorder that he was very pleased with the results, adding, 鈥淚'd certainly like to thank the committee who did a whale of a job. We couldn't help but succeed. As well, we want to thank the volunteers and we'd especially like to thank all the citizens who participated. These results show that Tisdale has great spirit!鈥�
Mayor Maurice Taylor added, 鈥淲e are very pleased. On behalf of Council, I'd like to thank all the people who participated, particularly to Chair Renaud, Recreation Director, Dwight Olson, the committee and the volunteers.鈥�
Our flag, "Tisdale is the Place to Bee. Go With A Winner!", went to Melfort City Hall Thursday, May 26 and proudly graced their flag pole for three days. Melfort's Mayor Orr was very gracious in accepting Melfort's defeat and in accepting a "Land of Rape and Honey" pin from Mayor Taylor.
He told the Tisdale representatives who went to Melfort for raising of the flag that he could accept defeat, but asked the all-important question: how do you do it?
It was the enthusiasm, planning, dedication and hard work of the committee, a number of volunteers and the do Tisdale residents that gave us the honour of being number one.
