École Desrochers students received some encouragement from Edmonton Eskimos fullback Mathieu Bertrand on how to stay active and healthy on Tuesday (March 2).

The professional football player spoke to the school as part of a pilot project though the Federation du sport francophone de l’Alberta (FSFA). The school was one of three french schools in the province that was chosen for the project, which included a donation of $3,500 to spend on equipment to keep the students active while learning in the classroom and not just in phys ed. Bertrand, who is from Quebec, spoke to the students in french and told them they are lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the country and that with the ski hill, mountains and facilities in town they have all the resources to live a healthy, active lifestyle.

A FSFA representative spoke to the students on healthy eating, which Bertrand emphasized as he spoke of how easy it is to be active in Jasper. After Bertrand spoke, the students were put through a short workout, in which Bertrand joined. He also signed autographs, gave away souvenir footballs and answered questions from the students about healthy living and his CFL career.