Yukon schools may be one step closer to providing more physical activity for students, as the Yukon government announced a new partnership with Canadian Tire’s Active at School campaign at a press conference yesterday.

Premier Darrell Pasloski, and Ministers Currie Dixon and Doug Graham were all clad in Active at School jerseys and flanked on both sides by student athletes to make the announcement in the gymnasium at F.H. Collins Secondary School.

Events for the high school’s track and field meet were also taking place while the conference was held.

“We’ve got activities going on all around us. This is really what it’s all about,” Pasloski said, as students were competing in high jump and standing long jump events in the background.

The Active at School initiative is geared to increase the amount of students getting one hour of quality physical activity each day.

It will provide $125,000 over the next three years to be spread among Yukon’s 24 schools and 5,100 students.

The program works with governments and school partners by offering access to its network, resources and marketing efforts to get kids exercising through organized sports, gym classes or activities woven into the regular curriculum.

Canadian Tire Corp. launched the program in 2013, in the wake of discovering that more than 85 per cent of parents think that kids should be more physically active.

Since its launch, the company has made partnerships with P.E.I., New Brunswick and Ontario in addition to more than 80 wellness and health organizations across Canada.

“This territory is taking steps to improve the health and wellness of its kids,” said Landon French, vice-president for community relations at Canadian Tire. French noted that Yukon is the first territory to partner with Active at School.

“Schools are crucial settings for promoting physical activity among our youth. And research shows that activity truly has a positive affect on academic performance,” Pasloski said.

“The Canadian Tire Active at School challenge will help us in providing the resources necessary to make this happen.”