It’s official – Richmond is Canada’s Most Active Community!

The City of Richmond has been named Canada’s Most Active Community in the national 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge, topping the list of hundreds of other communities across the country.

“This is a tremendous honour that recognizes Richmond’s commitment to being a vibrant, active community,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “The City is proud to support physical activity and well-being, and provide a variety of safe, fun and inclusive opportunities for all ages to keep people connected and promote healthy lifestyles. On behalf of the many organizations and individuals that support physical activity and well-being in Richmond, we are honoured to be named Canada’s Most Active Community.”

This is the first time Richmond has earned the title of Canada’s Most Active Community. It was previously named BC’s Most Active Community in 2022 and 2024 by ParticipACTION, the national organization promoting healthy living and physical fitness.

The ParticipACTION Community Challenge is a nationwide physical activity initiative encouraging Canadians to get active, and is held every June. The award recognizes Richmond’s activity levels and the creative ways the City and community partners motivate residents of all ages to get physically active.

Throughout this past June, over 413,000 participants were registered in more than 1,010 activities ranging from individual sessions to team sports. Almost 60 Richmond organizations registered for the Community Challenge, a 75 per cent increase from last year. 

The City’s partner Community Associations and Societies joined the Challenge along with a variety of local non-profit organizations and grassroots groups, to provide accessible, equitable opportunities for physical activity and sport.

Among those participating with the City in the 2025 ParticipACTION Community Challenge were Richmond School District No. 38, Vancouver Coastal Health, Richmond Olympic Oval, Terra Nova Nature School, Richmond Women’s Resource Centre Association, Richmond Chamber of Commerce, Pacific Wave Artistic Swim Club, and the Forever Young Club.

Numerous free and low-cost events, programs and activities encouraged participation, with local partners using neighbourhood-based outreach to invite residents to take part in Challenge events fostering neighbourhood connections.

Along with a citywide Kick-off celebration on National Health and Fitness Day, other Community Challenge events included Swim to Survive for newcomers, a Get Active BINGO Challenge, Walk Richmond guided walks, Go by Bike Week celebration stations, and “try-it” fitness sessions. Weekly martial arts classes in Cantonese and Mandarin, and pickleball programs supported newcomers, settlers, and others to foster connections, wellness and belonging.

As a certified Global Active City under the international Active Well-being Initiative, Richmond has been a committed participant in the annual ParticipACTION Community Challenge since the award’s inception in 2019.

Along with the prestigious title, the City also receives $100,000 to support physical activity and sport initiatives for Richmond residents. The City recognizes that health and fitness is important, as being active is not only an excellent way to achieve individual physical and mental wellbeing but it also builds stronger, healthier and more vibrant communities. 

The ParticipACTION Community Challenge is presented by Novo Nordisk with funding by the Government of Canada and Novo Nordisk.

To learn more about Richmond’s involvement in the challenge, visit richmond.ca/participaction or the Community Challenge website at participaction.com