CF partners with Team Canada to encourage kids to play sports

As part of the initiative, a huge play area at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre is being opened to the public.

Cadillac Fairview (CF) has partnered with Team Canada to create an initiative that encourages school children to actively participate in sports.

In collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), CF has created the program “CF Play Makers” to provide kids with more moments of physical activity and increase their passion for sports. As part of the initiative, CF plans to build and renovate play spaces in schools across Canada, starting at Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Crescent Town Elementary School and West Glen Junior Public School in Toronto. The goal is to reach other provinces throughout the year, according to the company.

CF also partnered with Damian Warner and Ellie Black, both Team Canada athletes, to promote the initiative. Additionally, it transformed CF Toronto Eaton Centre’s centre court into a massive playing area, which will be open until July 26.

The effort, CF says, is driven by a growing number of studies indicating that Canada’s kids and teens are becoming more sedentary. A recent study from non-profit ParticipAction shows that more than 60% of five- to 17-year-olds don’t meet national physical activity guidelines. And 70% of them exceed the maximum recommended screen time (two hours a day), according to the data.

“Our long-standing partnership with the COC is rooted in a common goal of transforming communities through the power of sport, and this starts with our youngest generation,” CF SVP of brand and marketing Jason Anderson said.

Anderson stated that for the past seven years, CF has worked with the COC to expand and promote Canada’s Olympic movement. CF, one of Canada’s major real estate owners, operators and developers, is currently investing in more iconic structures that reflect communities and bring people together, including spaces for kids, so the partnerships with Team Canada and COC are a natural step, the company said.

For her part, Jacqueline Ryan, chief brand and commercial officer of the COC and CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation, said the partnership lays the groundwork for this year’s Olympic Games.

“Through the Team Canada Impact Agenda we are committed to making sport safe, inclusive and barrier-free so more Canadians can play and stay in sport. That’s why an initiative like CF Playmakers is so impactful. As we get set to cheer on Team Canada this summer in Paris, it’s important to remember that access to play truly is the first step on a young athlete’s Olympic journey.”