Parliamentary Secretary Adam van Koeverden announces new funding to remove barriers and improve inclusivity in Canadian sport

Government of Canada will provide support to groups that champion accessibility and inclusivity in sport.

TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to creating a more inclusive sport environment for all Canadians. Sport plays an important role in building stronger, healthier communities across the country. Sport should include space for all to participate and excel, regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, and ability.

Community Sport for All initiative

Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, announced $4.7 million in additional funding for 11 national organizations, in addition to previously announced recipients. This new funding, from the Community Sport for All initiative, will help organizations support community-led projects that aim to remove barriers and increase participation in sport for underrepresented groups, especially Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, low income, newcomers, and those living with disabilities.

Special Olympics Canada

The Parliamentary Secretary also announced an additional $1.8 million in funding for Special Olympics Canada, as proposed in Budget 2022. This brings the annual support for this organization to $6.6 million on an ongoing basis. This support will help the organization offer more training, education, and competition resources for Canadians with intellectual disabilities.

The Parliamentary Secretary made the announcements on behalf of the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

Quotes

"Today's announcement reinforces our commitment to building stronger and healthier communities. Sport plays an important role in building self-esteem and leadership skills, which allow people to grow and thrive physically, emotionally and socially. It should be accessible to everyone and become the basis for our children, who all deserve the opportunity to participate in sport and physical activity."

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec

"Sport is a catalyst to a healthy and happy lifestyle. Opportunities that lead to healthy bodies and minds should be available for everyone. We are committed to supporting initiatives that will help us realize our goal of a more inclusive Canadian sport system that benefits everyone."

—Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport

Quick Facts

Budget 2021 proposed as much as $80 million over two years to be distributed across the country via the Community Sport for All initiative. The investment will support accessible local organized sport and remove barriers to participation in sport programming.

The national organizations receiving funding today from the Community Sport for All Initiative include Canadian Blind Hockey ($200,000), the Canadian Volleyball Association ($243,136), Commonwealth Sport Canada ($190,000), Judo Canada ($282,352), Physical Health and Education Canada ($2,190,000), Special Olympics Canada ($467,000), Squash Canada ($312,000), Women's Para Hockey of Canada ($60,000), Cross Country Ski de fond Canada ($284,317), the Kenyan Canadian Association ($140,000) and Right to Play ($374,000). Community groups are invited to contact the organizations to learn how to submit their proposals to receive funding.

Another seven national recipients were announced earlier this year: Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities ($6,858,000), KidSport Canada ($4,430,000), Rowing Canada ($885,000), Canadian Women & Sport ($2,000,000), ParticipACTION ($4,667,000), Field Hockey Canada ($76,000) and Canadian Parks and Recreation Association ($8,000,000).

Special Olympics Canada is a national non–profit organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Canadians with intellectual disabilities through sport. The organization has nearly 25,000 members and 13,000 volunteers throughout its 12 provincial and territorial chapters (with the exception of Nunavut). It offers multiple programs and sport opportunities across Canada and manages the Special Olympics National Team Program that represents our country on the world stage.

Related Products

Backgrounder: Detailed list of 2022-2023 recipients of funding through the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Minister St-Onge announces the first two national recipients of the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Minister St-Onge announces Rowing Canada Aviron as another national recipient of the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Minister St-Onge announces Canadian Women & Sport as a national recipient of the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Parliamentary Secretary Adam van Koeverden announces ParticipACTION as a national recipient of the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Parliamentary Secretary Adam van Koeverden announces Field Hockey Canada as a national recipient of the Community Sport for All Initiative 
Minister St-Onge announces Canadian Parks and Recreation Association as a national recipient of the Community Sport for All Initiative

Associated Links

Community Sport for All Initiative – Sport Support Program 
Budget 2022 – $16 million over three years, starting in 2022–23, to support actions to create a safer sport system 
Budget 2021 – A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience

Backgrounder: Detailed list of 2022-2023 recipients of funding through the Community Sport for All Initiative 

The Community Sport for All Initiative seeks to rebuild and increase sport participation rates, particularly among Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, low-income and newcomer populations as well as people living with disabilities.

Recipient	Approved Amount	Project description
Canadian Blind Hockey	$200,000	Funding will help Canadian Blind Hockey support outreach and recruitment initiatives for blind hockey in 17 communities across Canada. All Canadian Blind Hockey clubs will receive program guides that will help them to: lead both general and targeted Try Blind Hockey sessions; and, recruit session participants to join regular weekly programming. These initiatives aim to reach the following equity deserving groups across Canada: persons who are blind or partially sighted, including those who are Black, Indigenous, persons of colour, or newcomers.
Canadian Volleyball Association	$243,136	The funding will help Volleyball Canada support approximately 10 to 20 Indigenous communities to deliver quality volleyball programs in areas with historically limited access. Funding will be allocated through an open call to communities. Indigenous liaison partners, along with Volleyball Quebec and a social worker in the Nunavik region, will work with Volleyball Canada to connect with communities who have an interest in delivering the programs. There are three types of programs based on age – 8 to 12, 13 to 18, and adult – and all programs will include newly developed community resource guides, coach and learning facilitator training, and equipment. This initiative aims to reach the following equity-deserving groups and regions: Indigenous communities in Quebec (including Nunavik).
Commonwealth Sport Canada	$190,000	Commonwealth Sport Canada administers and disburses funding to five community organizations throughout Canada to deliver barrier-free, user-informed, quality, safe community sport participation initiatives for newcomers to Canada, under the Sport for Newcomers Canada project. The sport participation opportunities will be adapted to be more inclusive of newcomers with added intersecting barriers to sport participation.
Judo Canada	$282,352	Judo Canada will launch the program Judo for All, aimed at bringing 375 children/youth between the ages of 5-14 to participate in judo programming. This will reach across 15 Judo Clubs in 10 cities across 7 different provinces. This initiative aims to reach the following equity-deserving groups: newcomers, refugees, and low-income/economic immigrants.
PHE Canada	$2,190,000	Physical and Health Education Canada will run a new program called Access to Action. It is a macro-granting, community activation initiative that will advance sport and physical activity opportunities for equity-deserving children and youth, and build bridges between schools and their local sport communities. Programing will include various sporting opportunities. Specific sports offered through the programming will be determined through the application process. This initiative aims to reach the following equity-deserving groups: Indigenous, Black, 2SLGBTQI+, and newcomers, through PHE Canada's existing networks in all provinces and territories, to support children and youth between the ages of 5-17.
Special Olympics Canada	$467,600	Special Olympics Canada provides sport participation opportunities to youth from equity-deserving groups, including those with an intellectual disability. With this support, Special Olympics Canada will target four of its 12 provincial/territorial Chapters that have previously established partnerships or relationships with these groups, to leverage the opportunity and deliver sport initiatives. The project will focus on youth (21 years and under) and aim to enhance program opportunities for equity-deserving groups. This funding will be used to build on a strong infrastructure with established programs and reach a larger audience of equity-deserving individuals.
Squash Canada	$312,000	The funding will help Squash Canada implement their Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Fund program, which provides grants to community organizations and provincial/territorial sport organizations to initiate and/or expand participation-oriented programming for Canadians from underrepresented groups. Funding will also be used to support urban squash centres to lead, launch, and strengthen youth programs that enable and empower students to access and succeed in quality education, squash training, and character development opportunities. The Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility Fund initiative aims to reach a wide variety of equity-deserving groups across Canada. The Urban Squash Centres initiative aims to reach racialized, Black, visible minority, new Canadian, and low-income communities in urban centres across Canada.
Women's Para Hockey of Canada	$60,000	The funding will allow Women's Para Hockey of Canada to open a call for applications from its partners, with the goal to engage girls and women in para hockey in underserved communities. This initiative targets the following equity groups and regions: people with disabilities, including Black, Aboriginal, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, low income and newcomers in several regions such as British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories.
Cross Country Ski de fond Canada (Nordiq)	$284,327	Cross Country Ski de fond Canada will provide opportunities for underrepresented groups to engage in first time and/or tailored cross country ski experiences with reduced barriers to participation. These initiatives aim to reach the following equity deserving groups and regions: Black participants, Indigenous participants, 2SLGBTQI+, and newcomers.
Kenyan Canadian Association	$140,000	The Kenyan Canadian Association will use funding to deliver the project titled Nurturing Long-Distance Running Among Canadians of East African Origin. The project is designed to provide grants to support new and culturally appropriate long-distance running programs and leadership development to East African Canadians, including newcomers to Canada. This project aims to reach the following equity-deserving groups and regions: newcomers to Canada and Canadians of East African origin from Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and Manitoba.
Right To Play	$374,000	Right to Play International will initiate a project called Building Sport Capacity in Partnership with Indigenous Communities. The aim of this program is to engage with a community mentor in 12 Indigenous communities across Canada to provide eight hours of direct sport programing each week to Indigenous children and youth. Right to Play will distribute grants to the community partners listed below to hire a Community Mentor in each community and to provide a programing budget. This initiative aims to reach the following equity-deserving groups and regions:  Alexander First Nation, AB; Fishing Lake Metis Settlement, AB; Driftpile Cree Nation, AB; Osoyoos Indian Band, BC; Tk'emlups te Secwepemc, BC; Williams Lake First Nation, BC; Kitselas First Nation, BC; Kingsclear First Nation, NB; Aamjiwnaang First Nation, ON; Sheguiandah First Nation, ON; White Buffalo Youth Lodge, SK; Champagne & Aishihik First Nations, YK.

SOURCE Canadian Heritage

For more information (media only), please contact: Ariane Joazard-Bélizaire, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 1-819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]