OTTAWA, June 15, 2022

Removing barriers and increasing sport participation for underrepresented populations is a priority for the Government of Canada.

To support organized sport at the community level, the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and Adam van Koeverden, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport, announced today the first two national-level organizations receiving funding from the Community Sport for All initiative: Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities ($6,858,000) and KidSport Canada ($4,430,000).

Community-based groups will be invited to submit their proposals to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities to receive funding for their community-level projects. Through KidSport Canada’s regular grant program, community sport organizations will receive funding to assist families in need with their children’s registration fees in community sport programs. Funding will be distributed to community-based groups as soon as this summer. Proposed activities will address barriers to participation in sport, particularly among Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQQIA+, low-income and newcomer populations as well as people living with disabilities.

It is important to note that Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and KidSport Canada are the first two national-level funding recipients being announced. More opportunities for community-based groups to apply for funding will come soon as all national-level recipients will be announced this summer. The role of the national-level recipients is to redistribute funding to community-based groups.

As announced in Budget 2021, up to $80 million over two years will be distributed across the country. The investment will help kick-start accessible local organized sports and remove barriers to participation in sport programming.