Source: French to English Tester Published on: 2026-05-05
Source: The Conversation – in French– By Florent Lefèvre, Postdoctoral Fellow in Sports History, University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM)
For a long time left to the initiative of the family and communities, sport and leisure in Quebec underwent a progressive structuring. Starting from the 20theIn the century, their management changed under the influence of religious, then state actors. This evolution contributed to making physical education a central field in the training of individuals.
Quebecers have always shown a strong interest in sports and recreational activities, whether practiced individually or in groups. Since the 19th centuryeOver the century, some enthusiasts undertook to organize these activities, but unevenly depending on the environments and periods.
It is, however, in the 1960s that the world of sport and leisure experiences a true first revolution. The Quiet Revolution then raises a fundamental question: who should organize sport and leisure in Quebec? The family, the Church, the State, or sports associations?
In less than a decade, the Church is gradually withdrawing from the design, planning, and organization of sports, leisure, and more broadly, education. This withdrawal paves the way for new actors: schools, sports institutions, private organizations, universities, municipalities.and the government. Sport, leisure, and in particular physical education have gradually taken a central place in the life and development of individuals. However, this recognition did not come without difficulties.
Historical foundations
Despite the social importance of sports and physical activities, the history of physical education in Quebec remains relatively understudied in the humanities and social sciences. However, some researchers have laid important groundwork. Notably, historian Donald Guay and sociologist Roger Boileau havetraced the evolution of the sportand physical education from the 19the and the XXeTo century.
Guay highlights several currents that have shaped the concepts of the body and physical education over time: agriculturism, militarism, hygienism, humanism, and scientism. For his part, Boileau notably emphasizes the central role that the Church has long played in the organization of sport in Quebec.
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The emergence of an educational physical and bodily culture
Between the 1930s and 1950s, physical education in Quebec was mainly based on two models. In rural areas, agriculturism prevailed, which valued useful effort and physical labor. In urban areas, it was rather theschool militarismwhich is imposed, emphasizing discipline, posture, and physical preparation. In both cases, the main goal is to train robust bodies that are useful to society, rather than to promote the overall development of the individual.
At that time, several organizations also played an important role in promoting sports, recreation, and physical culture. This was notably the case for the “patros” — the ancestors of community centers — and the OTJ (Åuvres de Terrains de Jeux), two structures largely connected to religious circles.
However, a third trend emerges: that of a more pedagogical physical education. This approach is promoted by educators who advocate a more comprehensive vision of physical training. Physical education is no longer just training the body, but is a component of the integral education of the person — physical, intellectual, and moral.
To realize this vision, the 1930s thus saw the emergence of the first private physical education schools in Quebec, whose objective was to train specialized personnel capable of teaching according to atrue educational approachlike Cécile Grenier’s institute in 1938 or Yvan Coutu’s institute in the late 1940s.
These institutions rely both on the expertise of educators trained in the normal schools of Quebec or in Europe. Their creation reflects a clear determination: to professionalize the field and give it legitimacy. Between 1930 and 1950, however, this movement remained driven by a handful of committed educators. These key figures embody the transition between the old militaristic model and a more modern physical education centered on the student. Their action, still marginal, nonetheless lays the foundations of the discipline.
Some institutions also play a driving role in this transformation. This is particularly the case with the Palestre nationale — the oldest French-Canadian sports institution — and, from 1951, the Centre Immaculée-Conception directed by Father Marcel de la Sablonnière.
But physical education teachers cannot bear this responsibility alone. Parents, coaches, and sports clubs also have a role to play. The challenge is therefore to develop a true “sports mentality” among French Canadians.
Quiet Revolution and redefinition of the role of the State
During the Quiet Revolution, leisure time takes on a new meaning. It is no longer only associated with religious or moral values: it acquires a human and social dimension. Gradually, leisure is perceived as a right for citizens.
The Parent Commissioninitiates a major reformof the school system with the creation, in 1964, of the Ministry of Education, thus opening an institutional space for physical education. In the wake, the Bélisle report and thecreation of the High Commission for Youth, in Leisure and Sports in 1968 confirm the increasing intervention of the State. The religious leadership of the Church then gradually gives way to public and technocratic governance.
At the same time, professional associations in physical education are beginning to organize. Groups of graduates seek to improve training, disseminate scientific knowledge, and gain recognition for their profession. The Association of Graduates in Physical Education and Recreation, founded in Montreal in 1960, is among the first organizations of its kind. In the Quebec region, physical educators also gather within a French-speaking chapter of the Canadian Association of Hygiene, Physical Education, and Recreation.
These organizations emphasize in particular an important distinction: sport is not educational in itself. It becomes so when it is supervised by a pedagogical approach.
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How universities responded to the call for professionalization
In the 1960s, the training of physical educators in Quebec experienced aturning point period. While the discipline seeks to be recognized as a pillar of education and individual development, universities are organizing themselves to meet this growing demand.
Several institutions play a pioneering role, notably McGill,Sir George Williams(today Concordia),Laval,MontrealandSherbrooke, which established physical education programs from the 1940s to the 1960s. These institutions helped train future leaders in the field and structure an emerging professional expertise.
McGill is home to the oldest physical education program in Canada. Furthermore, the University of Ottawa, although located outside Quebec, has a significant influence by training many French-speaking specialists since the late 1940s. Starting in 1969, the University of Quebec network expanded this training offer, notably in Montreal and Trois-Rivières.
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Understanding the stakes of an educational project
Today, as Western societies face new challenges related to sedentary lifestyles, public health, and the role of sport in educational policies, the debates surroundingphysical education in Quebecremain marked by tensions inherited from its history. Rereading this historical trajectory therefore allows for a better understanding of current issues and sheds light on the choices shaping the future of physical education in Quebec.
We would like to thank Jean-Claude Drapeau and Roger Boileau for proofreading and comments on the text.
Tegwen Gadais received funding from the Quebec Ministry of Education. He is the co-holder of the UNESCO Chair on Sport for Development, Peace, and the Environment.
Florent Lefèvre does not work for, advise, own shares in, or receive funds from any organization that could benefit from this article, and has declared no other affiliations than his research organization.
–ref. Here is how physical education in Quebec became an essential subject in school –https://theconversation.com/here-is-how-physical-education-in-quebec-became-an-essential-subject-in-school-276712