As was expected, North Grenville has been named one of 50 finalists for the 2022 ParticipACTION Community Better Challenge. The announcement came as no surprise, given the strong attention given to the Challenge by the community and municipal Council. North Grenville and the Edmonton community spent much of the contest fighting for first place in terms of logged physical activity hours, so it is no surprise that Edmonton was also named as a finalist.
With logged hours surely tallied by now, many residents may be wondering why this year’s national and provincial champions are yet to be named. The winners will be named next week – hopefully by July 26 or 27 – after deliberations are made. This is because the logged hours are only one piece of the puzzle. Finalist communities must also make a final submission explaining why their community is most deserving of one of the prizes.
Given that North Grenville won the top prize of “Canada’s Most Active Community” last year, it would be an incredible feat to secure the same standing again this year. However, even if our community does not win the national title, there is still a provincial title to be won.
Mayor Nancy Peckford and Council were vocal supporters of North Grenville’s bid for the title this year. Council members joined many community groups in getting active, no doubt helping to increase the logged hours which helped give the community a finalist position.
“I would like to thank everyone in our community who rallied hard to defend North Grenville’s title as Canada’s Most Active Community,” said Mayor Nancy Peckford. “North Grenville ranked first in the Province for the entire month of the Challenge, and ranked either first or second nationally throughout June. We are so thrilled that so many individuals, groups, clubs, senior’s associations, daycares, schools and businesses got on board, and would like to thank everyone for their community spirit and commitment to health and wellness.”
Winning the title of “Canada’s Most Active Community” comes with a $100,000 prize. Last year, the Municipality used the money to install two new play structures, a new rink house, and an upgraded basketball court, each at a different town within the Municipality but outside of Kemptville. If the prize is won again this year, it is unclear what the plans for the money are, but is it likely that the Municipality would seek input from the public, as it did last year.
