Size matters. POW Canada releases Canada’s first-ever outdoor recreation economy report
Protect Our Winters Canada recently shared the first-of-its-kind economic report measuring the size of the outdoor recreation economy in Canada… and it’s big.
From coast to coast, the mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, parks and green spaces are a core part of our shared Canadian identity. They're also a foundation for an outdoor recreation economy that contributes to healthier people, thriving communities, and prosperity for hundreds of thousands of Canadians. If that sounds like hyperbole, consider that by collecting established data on the economic activity generated by 23 outdoor recreation activities in Canada, POW has estimated the country’s outdoor recreation economy at over $101 billion annually.
Perhaps even better, outdoor recreation continues to be a vibrant and growing sector of Canada’s economy, comprising thousands of small to large Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs, providing nearly 1,100,000 jobs ranging across product design, manufacturing, retail, sustainability, finance, tourism and hospitality. Meanwhile, outdoor recreation is helping many small, rural, and Indigenous communities transition away from resource-based industries to a healthier and more sustainable economic model.
The outdoor industry's massive contributions to the economy are only part of the story, as study after study documents the improved physical and mental health associated with outdoor recreation, including youth development, reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression, and increased quality of life associated with aging. In fact, healthy, active lifestyles associated with outdoor recreation are estimated to reduce public health care costs in Canada by $3.9 to $23 billion annually.
To learn more about this ground-breaking study, and about how you can help support POW’s fight for policy solutions to climate change, please visit https://www.protectourwinters.ca/economicreport or contact David Erb, dave@protectourwinters.ca
