Federal government announces $8M in funding to help remove barriers to sport participation

The federal government announced $8 million in funding for the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) on Thursday as part of an initiative to remove barriers and increase sport participation for underrepresented groups across the country.

The funding for 2022-23 comes from the Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI), with the aim of supporting community-led sport projects for equity-deserving groups — including Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, low-income, new immigrants and those with disabilities.

The CSAI supports sport participation at the community level by providing funding to national-level organizations that then redistribute it to community organizations through a proposal process.

"One of our government's top priorities is to help Canadians pursue healthier lifestyles for themselves and their families. However, in 2022, we know there are still major barriers to sport," federal sport minister Pascale St-Onge said Thursday in a statement.

"That kind of funding makes a real difference on the ground, helping everyone from our youth to our seniors have better access to sport and get back to the activities they loved before the pandemic hit us all. Together, we will make sport more inclusive, equitable and accessible to everyone in Canada."

The CPRA will launch a call for proposals from community-based groups looking to receive funding for recreation activities aimed at people who may not have the opportunity to participate in sports. It has offices in each province.

"Community recreation sport programs are essential to physical, mental, intellectual and social well-being," CPRA board president Mike Roma said.

"In alignment with our mandate to provide publicly accessible community sport and recreation opportunities to all Canadians, this new funding will allow CPRA to support community-led projects, which will remove barriers and increase participation rates in recreation for underrepresented and equity-deserving groups across Canada."

The federal government committed up to $80 million over two years in the 2021 federal budget to remove barriers to sport participation.

The previous six national recipients to receive funding from the CSAI are Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities ($6.8 million), KidSport Canada ($4.4 million), Rowing Canada ($885,000), Canadian Women & Sport ($2 million), ParticipACTION ($4.6 million) and Field Hockey Canada ($76,000).