Grade 5 Action Pass returns to Durham Region

Whitby, Ontario – Durham Region Health Department, in partnership with local municipal recreation centres and the Oshawa Mary Street YMCA, is once again offering the Grade 5 Action Pass for the 2024-2025 school year.

The Grade 5 Action Pass gives students the opportunity to enjoy free public swimming, skating and drop-in programs at participating recreation centres across Durham Region. The pass is valid from September 2024 to August 2025 and provides unlimited use for students during this period.

“We’re excited to partner again with area municipalities and the Mary Street YMCA to promote the Grade 5 Action Pass as a way for Grade 5 students across Durham Region to get active in their community,” said public health nurse Allison Jealouse. “It’s a great opportunity for Grade 5 students to build physical activity into each day, laying the groundwork for a lifetime of healthy, active living.”

Grade 5 students will receive information about the Grade 5 Action Pass from their school at the beginning of the school year or they can visit durham.ca/PhysicalActivity to download an information card for the Grade 5 Action Pass. To obtain the Grade 5 Action Pass, students will need to bring a parent or guardian, along with proof of age, address, and the information card, to their home participating municipal recreation centre.

According to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for Children and Youth, children and youth need to accumulate at least one—and up to several—hours of moderate physical activity, such as swimming and skating, each day. However, according to the ParticipACTION 2024 children and youth report card, only 39 per cent of children and youth in Canada met the recommendation of 60 minutes of heart-pumping daily physical activity as recommended in the guidelines.

The Grade 5 Action Pass is supported by the Township of Scugog, City of Pickering, Town of Ajax, Town of Whitby, City of Oshawa, Municipality of Clarington, Township of Uxbridge, Township of Brock, and the Oshawa Mary Street YMCA.

For more information and to learn how to get your Grade 5 Action Pass visit durham.ca/PhysicalActivity or call Durham Health Connection Line at 905-668-2020 or 1-800-841-2729.

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For more information, please contact the Health Department.