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Coach mentoring in Para sport 

In many ways, coaching athletes with and without disabilities is comparable as their training, dedication, and motivation to succeed are the same. However, there are contextual differences that make coaching in the Para sport setting unique. For example, it is important for coaches to have a strong understanding of specialized equipment, medication, travel considerations, and accessibility constraints to coach effectively (Alexander & Bloom, 2020).  

Often, Para sport coaches must be creative in getting this unique contextual information. Sometimes it is through structured learning opportunities like sport-specific coaching courses or webinars, self-directed learning such as reading books, watching YouTube videos or talking to athletes, or learning from their peers through communities of practice or mentorship (Culver et al., 2020; Duarte et al., 2021).  

Sports coach mentorship has received increasing attention over the last 25 years in pursuit of enhancing coach development (Lefebvre et al., 2020). One of the first studies on coach mentorship in Para sport was by Fairhurst et al. (2017) who interviewed 6 Canadian Paralympic coaches on their mentoring experiences. All coaches reported how mentoring helped them learn Para sport-specific coaching information, and perhaps most importantly, that structured mentorship would benefit coaches who often had a smaller network to connect with and learn from.  

The mentorship program 

In 2020, the Coaches Association of Ontario developed a year-long Para sport coach mentorship program designed to provide mentee coaches with a structured network to enhance their coaching practices. As Para sport coaching researchers, we were interested in understanding mentee experiences in the program, including what they gained from it and how to make it better in the future.

Our coaches 

We had 29 mentee and 15 mentor coaches participate in this program. Mentor coaches were experienced leaders in their respective Para sports, while mentee coaches had less than 5 years of experience coaching in the Para sport context.  

For example, some mentees had never coached in Para sport but were interested in learning in a proactive manner, some were coaching 1 or 2 athletes with disabilities in their programs, some had wanted to start their own Para sport programs, and some were coaching established Para sport teams. Mentor and mentees met for a minimum of 30 minutes per month and collectively completed 3 assignments, 3 webinars, and 3 workshops over the year.  

How we collected and analyzed the data 

We conducted focus groups (Krueger, 2014) at the half-way point of the program and individual interviews (Smith & Sparkes, 2016) at the end to understand the strengths of the program, preferences regarding coach learning, and recommendations for improvement. 

We talked to the mentee coaches in groups halfway through the program and interviewed them individually at the end. This helped us find out what was good about the program, what kind of learning coaches prefer, and how we can make it better. 

We used a method called reflexive thematic analysis to understand more about how mentee coaches learn from their mentors and how it makes them feel more confident in coaching Para sports. Reflexive thematic analysis is a way of studying people’s experiences, views, and perceptions in detail. 

Our results: Experiences of coach mentorship 

All coaches were grateful for the opportunity to take part in the mentorship program. Mentee coaches appreciated having a supportive, knowledgeable, and genuine mentor to guide them in a context where they had little to no experience.  

Mentorship provided the mentee coaches an opportunity to get tailored coach development specific to their needs, goals, and coaching situations: 

“I think I would have had a lot of problems if I wanted to start [a Para sport program prior to mentorship]. I wouldn’t have known where to start. But going through this whole program, it’s really helped me to understand ‘this is what I need to do’ and get the resources needed. I’ve learned a lot, it’s been so good!” (Janet, Interview). 

One of the main reasons for joining a Para sport-specific coach mentorship program was to learn about disability-specific information from a more experienced Para sport coach. Coaches valued learning about classification and appropriate terminology: 

“I learned more about classification. I figured if you broke your neck at the shoulder blades, from their downward you will be paralyzed but that’s not [necessarily] true. You could be paralyzed but still have function down your arms so it was a learning curve for me because [my mentor] jumps up and down on his chair like there’s no problem.” (Mackenzie, Interview) 

“I always thought that it’s so important for everyone to be treated equal, no matter if they have a disability or not. Now my word is ‘inclusive’… He also advised me [of] certain terms we should not be using, so we have to be more careful in the choice of word.” (Erin, Interview) 

Along with the learning opportunities offered through the program, like disability-specific webinars, mentee coaches felt their Para sport-specific coaching ability and confidence improved based on their mentoring experiences.  

At the end of the program, we asked our mentees to provide advice for incoming mentee coaches based on their experiences. Mentees suggested that coaches ask questions, be adaptable, and trust their mentors: 

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’re there to learn as a coach, to improve your coaching, to educate yourself. Mentors are there to help you, to assist you, so you can further your coaching.” (Erin, Interview) 

“I think just be open minded with everything and feel the excitement and passion that your mentor has.” (Yvonne, Interview) 

Conclusion 

Our study was the first that we know of to explore mentee coaches’ experiences in a one-year structured Para sport coach mentorship program. We saw that coaches valued the opportunity to learn from someone more experienced and knowledgeable who could guide them along their coaching journey.  

In a setting characterized by a small community of coaches and limited opportunities for connection, it is essential to continue providing opportunities for Para sport coaches to network in pursuit of high-quality coach learning for all.  

To access the full published academic paper, click here 

As leaders of amateur sport in Canada, national sport organizations (NSOs) are tasked with addressing gender equity and increased engagement of women and girls. NSO leaders may focus their efforts through new policies, initiatives or programs, but their ability to successfully develop and implement these new ideas is dependent on their organization’s capacity to do so. With the Canadian government focused on achieving gender equity in sport by 2035 (Government of Canada, 2021), now more than ever, sport leaders need to identify and evaluate the capacity of their organizations to engage women and girls in sport.

This article introduces organizational capacity, provides a framework for NSOs to evaluate their capacity, and concludes with recommendations to achieve gender equity goals.

Organizational capacity

Capacity is an organization’s ability to draw on and utilize any and all available resources to meet its goals (Hall et al., 2003; Misener & Doherty, 2009; Patil & Doherty, 2023). An organization has multiple capacities:

Together, these 5 dimensions, which are interconnected and impact each other in different ways, can be used to describe an organization’s ability to achieve its goals. For example, human resources capacity may be impacted by an organization’s ability to draw on sufficient funds to hire, train and retain staff. Human resources capacity may also influence an organization’s ability to build and maintain relationships that are fundamental to its relationship or network capacity.

Additionally, factors from the external environment may impact any or all of the capacity dimensions. These include environmental constraints and facilitators, access to resources such as volunteers or technology, and historical activities, norms, and behaviours in an organization.

Critical elements of organizational capacity for gender equity

It is important to identify elements within the capacity dimensions that are critical for gender equity. We completed interviews with 15 NSO staff and board members involved in the development or implementation of gender equity initiatives in 3 NSOs from January to March 2018.

Based on these interviews, we identified the critical elements for gender equity within the capacity dimensions of organizational capacity, summarized in Table 1. Some elements were common across NSOs, while others were specific to 1 or 2 NSOs. Similarly, some elements were strengths and helped NSOs, while others were limitations and challenged the organizations in their efforts for gender equity.

Table 1: Critical Capacity Elements for Gender Equity

Capacity Dimension

Critical Elements

Human Resources

  • Knowledgeable and experienced staff
  • Committed staff and leaders
  • Sufficient staff and volunteers

Finances

  • Dedicated line item for initiative
  • Sponsorships
  • Sufficient funding

Infrastructure and Process

  • Collaborative culture
  • Governing board
  • Communication
  • Operations
  • Technology, Database
  • Quality facilities

Planning and Development

  • Inclusion of the initiative in the strategic plan
  • Use of KPIs
  • Long-term planning

Relationships and Network

  • Advice, non-financial resources
  • Mechanism for delivery

Human resources: Knowledgeable, experienced, and committed staff and leaders were strengths and helped the NSOs develop and implement their initiatives. NSOs were challenged by insufficient staff and volunteers dedicated to the initiatives. This limited their ability to support PSOs in understanding the importance of the initiatives and develop educational material related to the initiatives.

Financial: A dedicated line item in the budget was a strength as it helped earmark funds specifically for the initiatives and related programming. (In)Sufficient and irregular funding was a weakness as it restricted the NSOs in hiring adequate staff, developing resources and marketing campaigns, and supporting PTSOs with the initiatives. One NSO implemented a pay-by-user system, where program participants paid a fee to receive training and education, and these monies supported the operational costs of the program.

Infrastructure and process: A culture of collaboration was a strength because it allowed NSO staff to work on the initiatives and related programming with a team-based approach. Communication was another important element, but a challenge. NSOs were challenged financially in conveying the intent and relevance of the initiatives, building awareness, and educating stakeholders involved in implementation. Having a governing board was a strength because it facilitated the use of diverse skills and experiences of board members to ratify policies in support of the initiatives. Operations and technology were strengths in streamlining processes such as sponsorships and maintaining a database of relevant resources. Finally, quality facilities were crucial to deliver programming related to the initiatives.

Planning and development: Inclusion of the gender equity initiative in the NSO’s strategic plan was a strength. This allowed the NSOs to share their vision of providing opportunities to women and girls in sport. Long-term planning was a challenge, and this was attributed to the NSOs giving priority in terms of staff and resources to short term goals like planning international events.

Relationships and network: Advice and non-financial resources sourced from other sport organizations and multi-sport organizations (MSOs) were a strength and provided the NSOs with a pathway and educational materials and tools in support of their gender equity initiatives. The need to reshape or tailor these materials to their respective organizations was a challenge. Relationships with other NSOs engaged in similar initiatives were a bonus and helped with cost-sharing program-related expenses and evaluating their programs. Relationships with PSOs were critical to implement initiatives across different levels of the sport, but this was a challenge if the PSOs lacked the capacity for delivery.

Environmental factors that may impact organizational capacity for gender equity

Table 2 shows several environmental factors that we identified through our interviews with NSO staff and board members. Some factors impacted 1 or more capacity dimensions. Some factors were common across NSOs, while others were specific to 1 or 2 NSOs.

Table 2: External Factors

Factor

Element Identified

Environmental Constraints and Facilitators

  • Canadian Sport System (different priorities; social pressures for gender equity)
  • Geographic expanse of Canada
  • Political climate (gender equity)
  • Climate change

Access to Resources

  • Avenues to procure additional funding
  • Access to volunteers

Historical Factors

  • Equity is valued
  • Sustained dominance of men in sport

Environmental constraints and facilitators: Different aspects of the Canadian sport system facilitated and constrained NSO pursuit of gender equity. We identified pressure and expectations among sport organizations to pursue gender equity as a positive and driving force for the organizations to address gender equity and specifically include the initiative in their strategic plan. This was compromised by the challenges of working with other levels on the delivery of national sport initiatives owing to different priorities at the national, provincial, and community levels of sport.

We also found the political climate in Canada (i.e., the opinions and priorities of the current government, and particularly its focus, or not, on gender equity) to be a constraining force. This is because the uncertainty about whether a focus on gender equity and related funding would be continued was a concern for NSOs and their financial capacity to maintain programming.

In addition, the size of the country limited one NSO’s ability to effectively communicate the importance of the new policy in person across the provinces through face-to-face meetings. Climate change was a constraint for another NSO, where uncertainties in the weather and climate challenged their ability to make long-term plans for hosting events to support the increased engagement of women.

Access to resources: Capacity for gender equity initiatives was influenced by the availability of avenues to get additional funding for such initiatives. Specifically, the limited availability of discretionary funds from sponsors and donors and competition with other NSOs for these resources limited the NSOs’ capacity to plan for and implement their gender equity initiatives.

We also found that access to volunteers challenged NSOs in their capacity to plan for and draw on sufficient volunteers to implement their gender equity initiatives.

Historical factors: An underlying commitment to, and accountability for equity was a fundamental organizational value across the NSOs, influencing the dedication of funding to their gender equity initiatives and its prominence in their strategic plan. This was held back by the larger number of men in coaching and administrative positions. This imbalance in key decision-making positions in NSOs was identified as a factor in the slow development and movement towards planning for gender equity.

Recommendations for NSO leaders and sport administrators to advance gender equity:

  1. Use the process detailed in this article to audit the capacity of their organizations. This may help NSO leaders identify organizational assets, so they may approach investing in women and girls from a position of strength. It may also help them identify areas that need to be built up, so they can engage in capacity building to address those limitations (Millar & Doherty, 2016).
  2. The capacity of NSOs can vary based on different aspects of the organization. What works for 1 organization may not work for another. NSO leaders must be cognizant of this when developing and implementing initiatives.
  3. Capacity is multi-dimensional, and so, it is not just people or finances that make a difference to achieving gender equity. NSO leaders must consider all 5 capacity dimensions, as well as external factors and their potential impact on gender equity outcomes.
  4. The value of skilled, knowledgeable, and committed staff and leaders is crucial to advancing gender equity. It is imperative to support implementation of programs and policies related to gender equity with staff and volunteers who are dedicated to the initiatives.
  5. A dedicated line item in the budget and employing creative ideas (for example, a pay-by-user system) can ensure sustained financial commitment towards gender equity initiatives.
  6. A collaborative culture, communication, and education around the importance of gender equity initiatives, standardized processes, technology, and facilities can all make a difference in successfully delivering gender equity initiatives.
  7. NSO leaders must develop a long-term plan and strategic focus on the initiatives to ensure their success and viability. Also, NSO leaders must identify specific goals and objectives for the initiatives and objectives and use performance indicators to track their progress.
  8. Relationships with other sport organizations, particularly for planning, cost-sharing, and evaluating effectiveness can help support the successful implementation of gender equity initiatives. Relationships with MSOs can be beneficial to access educational materials and toolkits.
  9. NSO leaders must consider the role of external factors such as the Canadian sport system, the political climate in Canada, and sustained dominance of men in leadership roles, and their potential impact on any of the capacity dimensions.

Recommendations for Sport Canada and Multi-Sport Organizations

  1. Expectations from NSOs to meet directives from Sport Canada and multi-sport organizations that promote gender equity should be tempered with the understanding that implementing gender equity initiatives in support of engaging women and girls in sport is a complex endeavour.
  2. A ‘one-size fits all’ approach does not work for NSOs (Clutterbuck & Doherty, 2019). NSO capacity can vary based on the size of the organization, number of staff and volunteers available, finances, and other factors. This should be considered when directing NSOs to address gender equity.
  3. A formal initiative may be put in place that helps NSOs build relationships with other NSOs for sharing programming resources.
  4. Extra funding should be made available specific to gender equity to help NSOs develop educational and other supporting material and give initiatives and programming their due priority.

Addressing gender equity in sport is important. Canadian NSOs must find meaningful ways to engage women and girls through programs, policies, and initiatives that help improve access and opportunities. Their ability to do so is reliant on their capacity.

Using the framework presented in this article, NSO leaders can evaluate the capacity of their organizations and approach the development and implementation of gender equity programming from a position of strength. Finally, they can engage in capacity building to ensure limitations are addressed, so initiatives can be successful and viable in the long run.

Parents as promoters of positive youth sport experiences 

One of the key social agents within the youth sport environment is the parent. They are commonly called upon to facilitate critical components of youth sport participation, such as providing material (registration and travel fees, equipment purchases, volunteerism) and emotional support like encouragement and feedback for athletes (Dorsch et al., 2021; Harwood & Knight, 2015). Parents’ social interactions within the sport environment and supportive behaviours have been shown to influence the quality of young athletes’ sport experiences and the developmental outcomes derived from sport participation (Tamminen et al., 2017). Although the existing literature does provide good information regarding parents’ role in facilitating quality athlete experiences related to performance, participation, and personal development, questions remain around why parents still frequently engage in negative behaviours during sporting events. 

Parents as promoters of negative youth sport experiences 

While it can be assumed that sport parents aim to foster positive outcomes for their children, instances, where their behaviours lead to negative interactions with coaches, program administrators, referees, or fellow parents are also common. For example, in various youth sport settings, it is common to notice scenes of parents passionately expressing their opinions, often through the demonstration of disruptive behaviours and heated exchanges with coaches and referees. Media portrayals frequently show these parents as erratic or out of control, overshadowing the essence of the valuable lessons youth sport aims to impart. Interventions from sport organizations to address these negative behaviours have included the development of codes of conduct and parental training courses, but their success has been somewhat limited (e.g., Dorsch et al., 2019; Christofferson & Strand, 2016; Reynolds, 2021). 

Beneath the surface of animated sideline debates lies a narrative yet to be explored, one that delves into the complexities of parental involvement. This calls for a deeper exploration beyond the surface, delving into the complexities and underlying values, thoughts, and concerns that influence parents’ behaviours. This exploration necessitates a nuanced narrative acknowledging the different challenges, roles, and objectives influencing parents’ actions and reactions.  

What is often missed is the absence of channels outside the public eye for parents to talk about their perspectives on their personal experiences and their children’s involvement without being judged. Understanding parents’ motivations and unique capabilities is essential, transcending the overcoming of the simple display of positive or negative behaviours during competitive events. To truly understand the dynamics of parental involvement in youth sport, it is essential to recognize the multifaceted nature of this group’s roles and provide platforms for a more nuanced and genuine expression of their experiences and concerns. 

Parents as consumers of the youth sport experience 

Although young athletes represent the users of youth sports programs, parents are intricately involved in the decision-making process related to their children’s enrollment and registration in programs.  Sport administrators must grasp the elements that shape parents’ views on the quality of youth sport program design, their utilization of youth sport services, and the effects these programs have on their children.  

Evidence exists to suggest that parents’ decision to enroll their children in sport can be influenced by several variables, such as the perceived potential benefits of sport, and that these decision-making processes can be linked with parents’ perceptions of satisfaction with and commitment to sport programs (Green & Chalip, 1998). For sports administrators to design and deliver high-quality sport programs, it would be beneficial to establish mechanisms where parents’ perceptions and experiences of their child’s sports programs are compiled and used in the program’s planning and decision-making process. 

The main shortcomings of previous parent research and interventions targeted towards improving parent behaviour in youth sport are that parents are often seen as “problems” instead of resources. Researchers have overlooked the determinants of parental behaviours, including parents’ motivation, capabilities, and opportunities to contribute. Instead, previous work has mostly focused on simply reducing or altering parents’ negative behaviours. It is crucial to acknowledge that, for the most part, negative behaviours from parents in youth sport are the product of a conflict between parents’ perception of what “youth sport should be” and what “youth sport is.” For example, parents invest significant resources as consumers of their children’s sport involvement, yet often lack the avenues to provide feedback on how they feel about their experience (Murata & Côté, 2022).  

Parents serve as spectators, fostering strong connections with fellow parents; and yet these relationships are rarely valued by sport organizations (Strydom et al., 2023). In other cases, parents act as volunteer coaches requiring specialized knowledge of the sport without appropriate training and coaching guidelines (KurtzFavero et al., 2023). Finally, parents frequently engage in their children’s sports endeavours as supportive friends, a role that is seldom recognized and understood (Hunter Smith & Côté, 2023). The complexity and occasional contradictions of these roles may clash with the emotional connection of every parent to want the best for their children while investing in intangible activities (sport) that they have little input in. Essentially, sport organizations need to understand the uniqueness and demanding nature of parents’ roles to better appreciate this groups’ involvement and potential contributions to the youth sport system. 

The role of sport organizations 

Sports organizations could benefit from establishing mechanisms to gain deeper insights into the values, emotions, and thoughts influencing parental behaviours in specific sport settings. This involves bringing in a communication system that helps open dialogues without imposing lengthy tasks to be completed by parents or requiring extra training for parents. Below are 7 practical activities that can (a) help foster better relationships with parents, (b) provide parents with a better understanding of an organization’s objectives, and (c) ultimately minimize parents’ negative behaviours.

  1. Create tools that allow parents to offer regular feedback: Implement consistent feedback mechanisms, such as surveys or evaluations, to gather input from parents about their experiences and concerns. Use this feedback to make adjustments and improvements as needed. 
  2. Introduce and facilitate online forums: Create online forums, social media groups, or virtual communities where parents can connect and share their experiences, challenges, and successes. These platforms can foster peer support and provide a space for parents to learn from one another. 
  3. Form parent-to-parent mentorship programs: Establish mentorship programs where experienced and knowledgeable parents mentor newer parents. This peer-to-peer support system can be valuable for sharing insights, concerns, and best practices. 
  4. Establish parent-coach partnerships: Put in place a formal structure to facilitate communication and collaboration between parents and coaches. As part of this structure, coaches can host regular meetings or check-ins to discuss team goals, expectations, and how parents can contribute positively to the sport experience. 
  5. Develop video resources that model positive parenting behaviours: Develop and share video resources that highlight positive parenting behaviours and demonstrate effective communication strategies. Videos can be a powerful and engaging way to convey information and engage parents. 
  6. Provide positive reinforcement and recognition: Recognize and celebrate parents who exhibit positive behaviours and sportsmanship. Publicly acknowledging and rewarding desirable behaviours can motivate other parents to follow suit. 
  7. Suggest evidence-based resources for parents: Various materials can be provided to parents to gain valuable insights into the intricacies of youth sport, offering evidence-based information, practical tips, and effective strategies for navigating their roles and supporting their children’s athletic journeys. Whether exploring reputable websites, insightful blogs, or comprehensive articles curated by researchers, delving into parenting guides rooted in youth sports research, or benefiting from collaborative programs fostered by partnerships between researchers and practitioners, these diverse resources aim to empower parents with the knowledge and tools necessary to enhance their engagement. 

In conclusion, the evolution of youth sport requires a holistic approach that not only understands and empowers parents but also establishes continuous and meaningful communication channels. By recognizing parents as invaluable contributors and understanding the intricate dynamics of their roles, sports organizations can create an environment where every parent feels that they are an integral part of their child’s sports journey. This shift from a problem-focused narrative to one of collaboration and understanding is essential for the holistic development of all members involved within the youth sport system. 

From a U of A varsity ski club to the Canadian Birkebeiner and the Olympics, women have always been part of the landscape of winter sport.

When Lyndsay Conrad dove into her archival research on early 20th-century ski history in Alberta, she found women were missing in the standard narratives, yet leap out in old University of Alberta yearbooks from the 1930s.  

“We were finding that you need to dig a little bit deeper to find evidence about women,” says Conrad, a first-year graduate student in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation. 

Now, Conrad and her colleagues on the Ski Like a Girl research team at the U of A are working to ensure the history of women and girls in Nordic skiing is remembered and heard. 

“Women were skiers; they were also leaders and builders of the ski clubs, ski industry and tourism,” says PearlAnn Reichwein, professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation and research team lead.

“We are bringing women and girls to the forefront of these projects,” says Reichwein. “In that way, we’re working to reshape the history of skiing and Western Canada.” 

Lyndsay Conrad magnifying rare ski images at the archives of the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies in Banff. Photo credit: PearlAnn Reichwein.

In a recent paper, Reichwein analyzes the Canadian Birkebeiner’s origins, dating back to a frigid winter day for the first loppet in 1985. Women made up half of the grassroots organizing committee, and women and girls participated in the loppet. 

The full 55 km course represents the tale of legendary Norwegian Birkebeiners transporting the infant Prince Haakon Haakonson. Outdoor educator Glenda Hanna, formerly with the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the U of A, was the first person to carry her own baby while skiing the event. 

Reichwein argues that the Canadian Birkebeiner was crucial in negotiating terrain for the winter sport and conservation stewardship, creating broader impacts for sustainable heritage tourism within the area now included in the Beaver Hills Biosphere east of Edmonton. 

“It began with a ski instructor’s love and passion for getting everybody involved in cross-country skiing,” she says. 

“Ski instructors from the Riverside cross-country ski school, friends, families and many others volunteered their time to make the Canadian Birkebeiner idea come to life.” 

The loppet — a mass participation cross-country ski event with food and celebration — was a vessel that carried the founding organizers’ sport-for-all philosophy, according to Reichwein. Its 40th anniversary is next year. 

With a focus on Nordic skiing, the Ski Like a Girl research team hopes to fill a gap in the history of Canadian skiing and inspire equity, inclusion and diversity in sport and active living. 

Ski Like a Girl research team historians Lyndsay Conrad, Dr. PearlAnn Reichwein, and Charlotte Mitchell at Lake Louise, October 2023

An unequal jump 

Ski jumping is at the centre of PhD student Charlotte Mitchell’s research and 12-year athletic career with the Altius Nordic Ski Club in Calgary. 

Through her research, Mitchell discovered the rich history of women’s ski jumping dating back to the late 1800s, when the sport was a popular spectator event that included women despite barriers to competition. 

“Women were encouraged not to ski jump,” says Mitchell. “Their bodies were used against them, to not allow women to compete or train in sport in general, and in ski jumping.” 

Despite those limits, women’s ski jumping grew as a sport over more than a century of advocacy, including efforts by Mitchell as a teenager who joined a lawsuit against the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee by elite women ski jumpers in protest of a men’s-only Olympic event. 

Using autoethnographic research methods including creative nonfiction writing, photography and videography, Mitchell shares her plaintiff and ski jumping history to connect with broader exclusion experiences in sport for women and girls in Nordic skiing. 

“Canada is under the assumption that things are more equal here,” says Mitchell. “Having the Olympic Winter Games held here with no women’s event in ski jumping was really a shock.” 

Mitchell hopes her work will inspire sport communities to push policy boundaries and prioritize coming together to generate change in sport and society. 

“This fight is definitely not over.” 

Sport for all 

Photo evidence found in the University of Alberta archives and original Evergreen and Goldyearbooks from the U of A Library helped Conrad’s research efforts to share the history of the university’s Varsity Ski Club. 

“Nordic skiing in the 1930s was a very lively scene for outdoor winter recreation, and it took place in the river valley,” says Conrad. “Clubs built their own cabins and ski jumps and had competitions as well as recreational Sunday tours starting right from campus.” 

A key tenet of the club was the “sport for all” ethic, which emphasized getting as many students out skiing as possible, Conrad explains. 

Archival work led Conrad to point out that the Varsity Ski Club also served as an incubator for early female leaders on campus, helping women gain skills and leadership experience. 

Alumni include Peggy O’Meara, a former ski club secretary treasurer who became the first female physician in the Canadian Armed Forces, and Marjorie Bowker, the first female family court judge in Alberta. 

“They were leaders in sport at the university and then became leaders in their field,” says Conrad. 

“I thought that was pretty amazing.” 

In the snow-covered landscapes of Canada, where winter sports reign supreme, a quiet change is trying to take root; one that seeks to empower Indigenous youth through the world of snowboarding. Spearheaded by Canada Snowboard’s Indigenous Program, this initiative aims not only to introduce more Indigenous athletes to the sport but also foster a sense of community, cultural pride, and opportunity for growth. 

“My goal is to have more Indigenous athletes, more Indigenous representation, especially within Canada because at Canada Snowboard we strive to be the world’s leading snowboard nation,” says Canada Snowboard Sport Program Coordinator Quinn Thomas, a driving force behind the program’s revitalization efforts.   

The Indigenous program’s journey began in 2015 with the establishment of the First Nation Snowboard Team, which later evolved into the Indigenous Life Sport Academy (ILSA). Since then, the program has undergone a revamp, driven by a passionate commitment to increase Indigenous representation within the snowboarding community. As Canada Snowboard strives to be a global leader in snowboarding, it recognizes that achieving this goal requires embracing and celebrating the diversity of Indigenous cultures. 

At the heart of the Indigenous Program’s mission is the belief in Indigenous leadership guiding Indigenous youth. 

 
Participants in the “Liam & Friends” event (Alexa Pepper/COC)

“We want to have Indigenous leaders leading Indigenous youth. We want to honour and preserve their way of doing things. That coupled with information from Canada Snowboard on how to deliver content, how to build athletes, how to get more people snowboarding,” says Thomas. “Essentially developing Indigenous coaches so that they can also develop Indigenous athletes.” 

Thomas, who is Métis on his paternal side, believes this collaborative approach emphasizes mutual respect and partnership, allowing Indigenous communities to shape the program according to their unique needs and values. 

The program’s structure mirrors Canada Snowboard’s general coaching program, with a focus on building community coaching. Thomas developed a community coach program that’s currently in the trial stages through the Coaching Association of Canada’s (CAC) locker, and its aim is to show that snowboarding “isn’t just for competition, it’s recreational too.” Its goal is to make it easier for people in rural communities to have access to resources and coaching knowledge, and to continue to develop without having to travel. 

The community coach program is part of Thomas’ 5-year roadmap. The ultimate goal? From community coach workshops to Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI) instructor courses, the program aims to equip Indigenous coaches with the skills and knowledge to instruct and mentor youth in their communities.  

By starting with instruction and community coaching, the program aims to create a solid foundation for aspiring athletes to explore the sport at their own pace, whether for recreation or competition. Essentially breaking down barriers and fostering inclusivity in winter sports.  

Collaboration with organizations such as the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta has been instrumental in furthering these initiatives. By forging partnerships with entities like the Edmonton Ski Club, efforts have been made to increase access to snowboarding, allowing more families to experience the joy of the sport. While still in its early stages, the partnership with the Indigenous Sport Council of Alberta shows a promising beginning.  

However, the journey is not without its challenges. Thomas says accessibility remains a significant barrier, particularly in regions where access to snowboarding facilities is limited or cost prohibitive.  

“Like anything past the lesson stage of things, it gets more difficult to go to a ski hill,” notes Thomas. “And I think the industry really pushes people towards the resorts, but all you really need to go snowboard is a hill and the will to walk up and down and do a couple of turns.” 

Native Youth Outdoors snowboard clinic, 2023 (Emily Sullivan via Liam Gill Instagram)

To address this, Thomas is exploring innovative solutions such as the creation of hike parks in urban centers and gear libraries to provide affordable access to equipment. Thomas is also looking at building strong partnerships with provincial and territorial Aboriginal sport bodies and snowboard associations as another key strategy for expanding the program’s reach. By collaborating with existing organizations and community leaders, the program can leverage local expertise and resources to support Indigenous participation in snowboarding. 

“We want to keep letting them know that the sport is here, and we want you to come and snowboard,” Thomas says. “And with this coaching program, we want to give the communities the tools to run it on their own.” 

Also instrumental in bringing snowboarding to Indigenous communities is the only Indigenous male athlete on Canada’s national snowboard team, Liam Gill.  

“He [Liam] does a lot for the community, but he does it on his own,” notes Thomas. “He and his family are amazing.” 

Gill, a 20-year-old halfpipe athlete, is a member of the Dene First nation Liidlii Kue in the Northwest Territories. After competing in the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing, he drew the attention and support of Indigenous communities across the nation.  

Following the 2022 Games, Gill has been ‘paying it forward’ by helping Indigenous youth try snowboarding. First on his own in the N.W.T, then near Banff at the Sunshine Ski Resort. In May 2023 with the help of a legacy grant from the Canadian Olympic Committee, Gill was able to bring kids to a private ‘Liam and Friends’ event. Along with having fun, Gill’s goal was to help make snowboarding accessible to Indigenous youth, regardless of financial barriers.  

“By travelling to the Northwest Territories, Liam brought snowboarding up there and he’s shown the community some of the things we’ve been talking about,” Thomas explains. “Like how you can find a hill and do a few turns… they showed you could use a snowmobile with a bucket on the back to tow people up the hill, or hike or walk up and then you can just slide around. That’s the magic of snowboarding.” 

Thomas knows firsthand the impact of seeing someone with a similar background achieving success. Reflecting on a time when he was at an event called the Gathering and was approached by a young athlete after giving the land acknowledgement.  

“They thought it was awesome to see someone like me, who is also like them, leading something. It was probably one of the most inspiring things for me and it’s what also helps me to drive this program and keeping figuring it out how we make it even better.” 

Not an easy feat but Canada Snowboard is solid on their commitment. And as this roadmap unfolds over the next 5 years, its impact is poised to extend far beyond the slopes, leaving an indelible mark of empowerment and accessibility within Indigenous communities across Canada. 

U SPORTS 2020 Swimming Championships at Saanich Commonwealth Place, Victoria, BC, February 2020 (Photo: U SPORTS)

Looking back over the last 50 years of women’s sport in Canada, it’s amazing how we have progressed to bring equity, stability, and opportunity, not necessarily in all aspects of sport, but certainly in many.

For example, 50 years ago women’s soccer in Canada was almost non-existent although there were signs of a growing interest among children and youth (Hall, 2004). Scattered girls’ teams began to appear in the late 1960s, which had the immediate effect of attracting mothers, who developed an interest in the game by becoming team managers and league administrators. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, opportunities for girls to play soccer continued to proliferate in Canada.

Jumping ahead to the summer of 2023, Canada competed in the FIFA Women’s World Cup for the eighth time. That followed on the heels of the Canadian Women’s National Team winning the gold medal in soccer at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2022, Canada Soccer reported that of 575,768 youth players in the country, 38% were female, and today, soccer is still the fastest growing sport among Canadian youth (Canada Soccer, 2022).

The phenomenal growth in girls’ and women’s soccer in Canada is just one example of how significantly women’s sport has changed over the past 5 decades.

It is not possible to cover all aspects of women’s sport between 1973 and 2023 in this short article. Instead, I examine themes that are significant and still require our attention and diligence, namely, feminism, leadership, professional sport, and finally safe and inclusive sport. Others might have chosen different topics.

Feminism and women’s sport

What has been the role of feminism, broadly defined as the belief in full social, economic, and political equality for women, in creating change in Canadian women’s sport over the past 50 years? Although second-wave feminism emerged in Canada in the 1960s, it did not have a significant impact on sport until the 1970s when it became clear that unless women acted, they would be routinely sidelined.

Founding members of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS), 1981 (Photo: CAAWS, now called Canadian Women & Sport)

Also, from a feminist perspective, the world of sport was often dismissed as male, competitive, and not crucial to the widespread effort of improving the status of women in Canada. This changed in 1981 with the formation of the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS), which provided a feminist and safe place, where controversial and difficult topics, such as homophobia in women’s sport, could be addressed. Also important was the establishment of the federal government’s Women’s Program in Fitness and Amateur Sport. For more about this history, see Demers, Greaves, Kirby, & Lay, 2014.

The question now, more than 50 years after second-wave feminism entered the Canadian consciousness, is whether it remains a guiding factor in bringing about change within the sport system?  

CAAWS, for example, was rebranded in 2020 as Canadian Women & Sport, and most frequently uses the phrase “gender equity” in its policy and promotional material. Over the past few years, there have been several parliamentary and governmental studies with subsequent reports concerning Canadian women and girls in sport. These include the Government of Canada’s Actively engaged: A policy on sport for women and girls (2009) and the Women and Girls in Sport Report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage (2017).  

The most comprehensive report, released in 2018, was the result of the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Sport Committee (FPTSC) Work Group on Women and Girls in Sport. It lays out a series of outcomes and accountability measures that, if followed, should ultimately result in “all women and girls being equally and equitably represented, recognized, and served across all facets of Canadian sport” (FPTSC Work Group on Women and Girls in Sport, 2018, p. 12).  

These studies and reports provide a wealth of useful information, especially about how to bring about change in sport for girls and women. However, it is not clear who is making certain that recommendations are tracked and ultimately followed.  

Women in sport leadership  

Beyond participation, women have made strides in leadership roles within the Canadian sports sector, and the impact of female leaders has played an essential role in advancing gender equality in sports governance. 

Beginning at the top, since 1961 there have been 34 federal ministers responsible for sport and physical activity, 10 of whom have been women, and half of these were appointed in the last 16 years.   

Looking at the latest statistics for leadership in federally funded sport organizations in Canada is encouraging. A 2022 snapshot of National Sport Organizations (NSOs), national Multisport Service Organizations (MSOs), and Canadian Sport Institutes (CSIs), representing 90 organizations in total, showed that women comprised 41% of board membership, 38% of board chairs, and 47% of the CEOs. The highest percentage of women CEOs was among the MSOs (62%) and the lowest (29%) was in the CSIs (Canadian Women & Sport, 2022).  

Similar statistics from the early 1980s showed that women comprised approximately one-third of the volunteer sport sector and only 26% of the professional sector (executive directors, technical directors, program coordinators, and national coaches). There were more women involved in the MSOs at the professional level (47%), but they represented only 18% of the volunteer sector (Hall & Richardson, 1982, p. 63). Therefore, over the past 40 years there has been considerable improvement, yet there is still some way to go to achieve gender equity. 

Two women competing in a wrestling match (Photo: U SPORTS)

As for women coaches, especially at the national level, the situation is not as promising. For example, of the 131 Canadian coaches at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, approximately 18% were female, which was down from 20% at the Rio Summer Olympics 4 years earlier. On the other hand, 47% of the Paralympic coaches in Tokyo were women. Forty years ago, 60% of women playing on a Canadian university team were coached by a man (Hall & Richardson, 1982, p. 62). Still today, most university coaches are men except for assistant coaching positions on women’s sport teams, held mostly by women (Finn, 2022).  

More interventions are needed, like the Alberta Women in Sport Leadership Impact Program, by creating equitable coaching and leadership opportunities (Culver, Kraft, Din, & Cayer, 2019). While women continue to make outstanding contributions to Canada’s sport sector but remain significantly under-represented in coaching, there are organizations like the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) that are working towards helping more women coach at all levels of sport through mentorship programs. 

Professional women’s sport 

When looking at the landscape 50 years ago, the opportunity for sport to provide women athletes with continuous paid employment and to pursue it as a career was next to nil. Golf, tennis, and figure skating were seasonal at best along with limited, semi-professional opportunities in sports like marathon swimming, roller derby, and car racing. There was also little potential for successful women athletes to earn money through endorsements and commercial ventures. As late as 1998, a parliamentary study of sport in Canada, which had a significant section on professional sport, made no mention of women (House of Commons, 1998). In other words, women’s professional sport was seen as unimportant.  

While it is still not possible today for most Canadian women professional athletes, except in tennis, golf, and possibly figure skating, to make a living exclusively through their sport, there are encouraging signs that this will change. Especially in team sports like ice-hockey and soccer.  

Even though a recent study argued that the current market for professional women’s sport in Canada is constrained by the lack of access to sustained professional sport properties like leagues, associations, or teams; this is slowly changing (Canadian Women & Sport, 2023). For example, a new North American women’s professional ice-hockey league is slated to begin in January 2024, and there are hopes of a Canadian women’s pro-soccer league by 2025. Canadian Tire has also announced a new multi-million-dollar Women’s Sport Initiative, earmarking a minimum of 50% of their sponsorship dollars towards women’s sport by 2026.  

More high-profile events showcasing professional women athletes have also helped. For example, on May 23, 2023, the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx of the Women’s National Basketball Association played the first-ever WNBA exhibition game held in Canada at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. It attracted a sell-out crowd and enthusiastic chatter about the expansion of the WNBA to Toronto.  

A week prior, also in Toronto, the espnW Summit, hosted by Canadian Tire, brought together global “industry leaders, influencers, and disrupters” for an immersive 1-day session to push boundaries, spark action, and effect change. Attended almost entirely by women, it was a day full of engaging discussion and reflection into the advancements and opportunities for women in sport, leadership, and business (espnW Summit Canada, 2023). There was also considerable focus on the potential for women’s professional team sport in Canada. 

Although these investments are encouraging and needed, media coverage in its various forms is also essential to the continued development and growth of women’s professional sport in Canada. While it has improved over the past 50 years with the help of women’s hockey and soccer, there is still a major imbalance between the reporting of men’s and women’s sports.  

Safe and inclusive sport 

Beginning in the early 1980s, the attitude towards sexual abuse in Canadian social institutions was changing from silence to scrutiny, reconciliation, and punishment, which encouraged researchers to study the problem in sport, and journalists to profile known cases and incidents, especially in women’s sport (see, for example, Kirby, Greaves, & Hankivsky, 2000, and Robinson, 2002).  

Two women competing in wheelchair basketball (Photo: Wheelchair Basketball Canada)

By 1996, all NSOs receiving federal funding were required to develop a harassment policy, address complaints, and report annually to Sport Canada as a condition of funding. However, after 20 years, it was clear this self-monitoring policy was not working. In 2022, this prompted a new wave of athlete activism, resulting in the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner responsible for administering the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport. 

Only time will tell if these new mechanisms are enough to stop the abuse. At its core, and as one researcher put it: “The safe sport movement is about optimizing the sport experience for all – athletes, coaches, sport administrators, officials, support staff, and others in the sport environment” (Kerr, 2021). 

Not only must sport be safe, it must also be inclusive. 

According to the latest census data, over half of Canada’s population (50.9%) identify as women. One in four Canadians identify as BIPOC (Black peoples, Indigenous peoples, and peoples of colour) and 1.7 million of these identify as Indigenous. Further, depending on different data sources, between 3% and 13% of Canadians identify as LGBTQ2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, or Two-Spirit).  

The Canadian population of today, as compared to 50 years ago, includes more diverse individuals with intersectional identities. The reality is that low income and racialized persons, ethnic and religious minorities, newcomers, sexual minorities, and youth experiencing disabilities demonstrate the lowest levels of involvement and/or enjoyment in sport. This is particularly true for adolescent girls (Pegoraro & Moore, 2022; Hagger & Giles, 2022). Diversity, equity, and inclusion in Canadian sport means that all individuals should be treated with dignity and respect, and everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources.  

Conclusion 

By 2035, the Government of Canada is committed to achieving gender equality in Canadian sport at every level. In my opinion, this is unlikely to happen without a collaborative effort among governments and organizations devoted to bettering women’s sport. For example, Canadian Women & Sport partners with sport organizations, governments, and leaders to build better sport through gender equity. Their vision is to create an equitable and inclusive Canadian sport and physical activity system that empowers girls and women – as active participants and leaders – within and through sport. It remains to be seen whether, in little more than a decade, gender equality will have been accomplished in Canadian sport.

‘Girls’ Pole Push Competition at the Dene Games Competitions’, Arctic Winter Games 2010, Grande Prairie Alberta, March 2010 (Photo: Michael Heine)

Imagine what sport in Canada might look like had Indigenous peoples and their cultures not been colonized? Imagine how Canadians might understand who they are and their relationship to each other if Indigenous sports and games were part of their daily lives? Imagine what values and beliefs Indigenous sports and games might teach Canadians today? Sadly, these questions that invert history are hypotheticals because colonialism, and the settler colonialism that followed, caused serious harm to Indigenous cultures.

Korpreno Tom or Sealing Tom using a harpoon (Photo: Benjamin W. Leeson)

The 19th and 20th century were incredibly hard for the First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. During that time, they had to make the difficult transition from their land-based lifestyles to living on reserves and settlements, which were poorly resourced. They struggled through disease and starvation. Many of them watched their children being sent far away to residential schools, where they were provided with an impoverished education. Or, through the Sixties Scoop, their children were taken from their homes and placed with white families, never to be seen again. Nearly every Indigenous person wrestled with their loss of language, culture, and identity, in addition to poverty and poor mental and physical health, resulting in a phenomenon called “intergenerational trauma” (also referred to as transgenerational trauma or historical trauma) that Indigenous peoples are working through today.

The state used Euro-Canadian sports to both hasten the process of Indigenous assimilation and to make it complete. Government and church leaders, along with the white middle-class reformers who led the development of Canada’s fledgling sport system, widely believed their version of sports would help civilize the masses and produce a hard-working, patriotic citizenry. They believed their sports were especially productive for socializing Indigenous peoples into Canadian culture because, in their racist imagination, Indigenous peoples were biologically ‘naturally’ good athletes who would willingly take up the new sport forms and, in doing so, readily abandon their traditions, as if Indigenous physical practices were hobbies and not the deep connective tissue that sustained their ways of life and their connections to land. The government even formalized this dogma when, in 1884, it enacted the Potlatch Law through Section 141 of the Indian Act, a federal statute that (still) governs all matters concerning Indian status, bands, and reserves in Canada.

Potlaches, a gift-giving feast that was traditionally used to mark a variety of important milestones and occasions in West Coast tribes and customs, and as a way of celebrating life, were banned first; even though they were a vital part of west coast Indigenous cultures. Other ceremonial practices, like the sun dances that were central to Indigenous cultures on the prairies, were soon added to the list. To fill the void, the government encouraged Indigenous peoples to play Euro-Canadian sports instead. This is when “Indian Sports Days” emerged on reserves; they were usually held in conjunction with national holidays and treaty-day celebrations to reinforce the connection between sports and patriotism. In other words, from a statist point of view, making Indigenous peoples participate in Euro-Canadian sports was important for cultural repression and replacement.

Indigenous peoples did engage in sports and many, especially boys and men (who had more opportunities to play and compete), succeeded in spite of the hard obstacles in their way. The long list of names that comprise the Tom Longboat Awards, established in 1951, is an obvious reminder of their constant presence and achievements in Canadian sport. At the same time, the Awards’ history also demonstrates how much things have changed for Indigenous peoples in sport. The federal government through Indian Affairs created the Awards to stimulate assimilation by rewarding athletes who excelled at Euro-Canadian sports. But by the early 1970s, as Indigenous peoples began to exert their self-determination more broadly, they wanted greater control of the Awards to promote their own messages about integration.

Open air exercises at Mission Indian School under direction of Provincial Recreational instructors, Dec. 1945 (Photo: Jack Long)

The nomination letter for Doug Skead, from the Wauzhushk Onigum Nation (formerly Rat Portage Band near Kenora, Ontario), who would be named the 1971 national Award recipient, is a case in point. His nominator, Peter Kelly, writing on behalf of Grand Council Treaty No. 3, the political organization representing Treaty 3 interests in northwestern Ontario and eastern Manitoba, described Skead as a role model for his people, not because he had acculturated as the state hoped, but because he represented “the Indian person who will always remain undefeated,” thus using a common sports reference to make a strong statement about what “undefeated” meant to them. Kelly explained that Skead had come “through the demoralizing era of residential schools, the tough life of a trapper, guide and wood cutter, and the destructive experiences of alcohol, to become the manager of his band’s corporation and captain of the hockey team he co-founded 20 years before.” When asked by a reporter what advice he would give to youth, Skead, 41 years old, said “hold on to their culture and speak their native language” (cited in Forsyth, 2020).

Indigenous sport has grown tremendously since the 1970s. There are now more Indigenous-only events and more recognition and support for Indigenous sports and Indigenous participation in sports than ever before. The North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) signifies this growth. First held in 1990 in Edmonton, Alberta, the NAIG functioned for many years on a shoe-string budget and struggled with administrative capacity. That it survived those early years was due mostly to Indigenous leaders who were intent on providing their youth with an opportunity to experience competition in a culturally affirming environment. More than 30 years later, the NAIG is now the largest multi-sport gathering for Indigenous youth on the continent as well as an institutionalized part of the Canadian sport system supported by all 3 levels of government and major corporations. As with any system, there are still important challenges to address, which means sport and government leaders need to remain alert to the broader factors that shape Indigenous sport in Canada.

What follows are 2 key advancements, along with their continuing challenges, that have occurred over the past 50 years:

1) Strengthening the Indigenous sport system

In Canada, there exists an Indigenous sport system that is separate from, but connected to, the mainstream sport system. The term “mainstream” refers to the traditional Euro-Canadian or prevailing system of sport in Canada, made up of national, provincial and territorial, and community sport organizations. The relationship between the two can be visualized as a ‘double helix.’ Just as the physical structure of DNA is made of 2 independent strands that are supported by cross-links forming a ladder-like shape, Canadian sport is comprised of an Indigenous sport system and a mainstream sport system that connect at relevant points, creating possibilities for each system to benefit from each other, resulting in a stronger ladder. Even though the Indigenous sport system has been in place for more than a half century, there remains a general lack of knowledge about it, which makes it harder for Indigenous sport leaders to secure the resources they need to serve their peoples and communities, as well as support mainstream partners in their efforts to better serve Indigenous needs and interests.

The Indigenous sport system, as a separate system with governing bodies, rules, and events, emerged in the early 1970s, when Fitness and Amateur Sport, the precursor to Sport Canada, was looking to increase the participation rates of ‘disadvantaged’ Canadians in organized sports and identified Indigenous people as a group needing specific attention. The result was the Native Sport and Recreation Program, which was created to increase sport and recreation opportunities for Indigenous people on and off reserves. From 1972 to 1981, the program flourished as Indigenous organizers throughout the country coordinated local, regional, and national activities in a wide range of events that addressed pressing community issues stemming from colonialism, like the alarming suicide rates, substance abuse, high drop-out rates of students, and violence among families. Even though the program flourished, it was terminated in March 1981 when the federal government shifted its priorities from mass participation to elite sport development.

With the new focus on competitive outcomes, reviewers of the Native Sport and Recreation Program concluded that the range of pursuits fostered by Indigenous organizers like ‘cultural’ activities versus organized sports was outside the scope of initiatives the funding was meant to support and that the programs developed by Indigenous organizers would not produce the high-performance results desired by the federal government. During that time, however, Indigenous sport organizations were established in each province and territory with the mandate to develop activities within their regions. Those organizations are the forerunners to the Provincial and Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs) that today comprise the membership of the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC), the national voice for Indigenous sport in Canada.

Today, the power imbalance, and the unequal access to resources, knowledge, and capacity, between the Indigenous sport system and the mainstream sport system has been partially addressed in that there is more consistent support for PTASBs and the ASC than before. Strengthening the Indigenous sport system will require governments and other funders to adjust the way they support Indigenous sport by providing multi-year agreements to stop the annual cycle of uncertainty, as well as foster collaboration across government jurisdictions, like sport, education, and health, so that more Indigenous peoples can use sport to address the critical issues they face.

2) Revitalizing traditional Indigenous sports

Tom Longboat (1887-1949), a Canadian runner, standing beside trophies on April 22, 1907. Longboat was one of the best marathon runners in the world during the decade before WWI. (Photo: Charles A. Aylett, Libraries and Archives Canada, C-014090.)

Prior to European settlement, Indigenous peoples had their own sports and games. Their activities, rooted in their land-based lifestyles, spirituality, and views of the universe, were perfectly geared for life on the land. How many Indigenous sports and games there were prior to European settlement is hard to say. Each Indigenous nation, community, and family would have had their own practices, some of which would have been shared across groups and regions, as they travelled from one place to the next meeting, greeting, negotiating, and engaging in competition, as well as ceremony, with other Indigenous peoples.

Present-day language statistics provide one indication of how diverse Indigenous physical cultural practices might have been. Using 2021 survey data, Statistics Canada reported that over 70 Indigenous languages are still spoken in Canada, though that number is decreasing at a worrisome rate, with 4.5% fewer Indigenous people reporting they could carry on a conversation in an Indigenous language and 7.1% fewer Indigenous people reporting an Indigenous language as the first language they learned at home (down from 2016 data). Those statistics are even more distressing in light of UNESCO’s 2010 assessment that all Indigenous languages in Canada are endangered, which prompted the federal government to create the Indigenous Languages Act in 2019 to preserve, promote, and revitalize them. The number of languages still in use today is important because it indicates how many different Indigenous nations are still present and their determination to each keep their language alive. Each nation would have also engaged in their own collection of sports and games, which means Indigenous physical culture prior to colonization, much like Indigenous languages, would have been extremely rich and varied.

Though colonialism has extinguished much of Indigenous physical culture, some of that culture is still seen today. The Haudenosaunee (Mohawk) game of lacrosse is one example. While most non-Haudenosaunee people will know of the competitive version, the game that Montrealer William George Beers appropriated from the Haudenosaunee in the latter half of the 1800s (and then banned from league play), few people may know that traditional forms of lacrosse are still practiced for ceremonial reasons at the community level. Lacrosse was never just about sport to the Haudenosaunee.

The games of the Inuit and Dene peoples in the far north are another example. They were worried about their youth losing their sense of identity, which was rooted in the land. Since they no longer relied on the land to sustain them, they transformed their sports and games into modern competitive formats to remind their youth about who they are and to instill pride in their culture. The Inuit and Dene Games, which are now part of the Arctic Winter Games, are an institutionalized part of the Canadian sport system.

Traditional Indigenous sports and games are still a vital part of Indigenous cultural transmission, though they too are endangered, perhaps even more so than Indigenous languages. But unlike Indigenous languages, there are no statistics that track how many Indigenous people engage in their sports and games today, where they learned how to play them (was it in the home, at school, or a community gathering?), how often they play or compete, or why they do so. The lack of information benefits settler colonialism, which is the ongoing removal of Indigenous peoples from their lands by erasing their cultures and identities. While Indigenous peoples throughout Canada are working hard to keep their cultures alive, there remains a significant amount of work to do where their traditional sports and games are concerned.

Introduction 

Sport for Development and Peace (SDP) refers to the organization and mobilization of sport to meet non-sport goals of international development, such as health promotion, gender empowerment, education, and peace building and conflict resolution. The overall field or sector of SDP has grown significantly in the past 50 years, shaped in particular by the investment and involvement of global stakeholders like the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, and various national governments. Canada’s involvement in the field of SDP in the past 50 years has evolved similarly, albeit through various iterations depending on the time and context.   

Origins and context – 1980s and 90s 

While the last 50 years are significant, SDP has a history that begins well before the late 20th century. As Bruce Kidd, former Olympian, academic and author notes, “SDP is a renewed expression of the ambition of ‘sport for good’ that dates back to the 19th century” and differs from traditional sports development by positioning sport in the service of the social good rather than increasing participation or producing champion athletes (Kidd, 2013, p.72).  

Some of the impetus for renewing SDP in Canada in the past 50 years came from the various crises that confronted Canadian sport, particularly in the 1980s. First amongst these was the doping scandal that led to the Dubin Inquiry. The inquiry was a series of nationally televised public hearings held to examine the circumstances leading to Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson’s ban from the 1988 Olympics for testing positive for steroid use. When he published his report in 1990, Justice Dubin called for a renewed commitment to sport in the service of Canadian culture and the health of Canadians, and also called for reinvigorating notions of sport for good in Canada.  

Similar pressures for sport for development emanated from the successful campaign to isolate white South Africa in international sport, as a way to pressure the repressive South African government to abolish the entire system of apartheid. In 1990, at a major conference in Stockholm, the South African anti-apartheid leader Sam Ramsamy called for First-World countries to assist with sports development in post-apartheid South Africa as ‘reparations’ from the years of investment in white South Africa. The Zimbabwean Olympic leader Tomas Sithole asked for the same support for the ‘front-line’ states, which had also been damaged by apartheid. The following year, Commonwealth prime ministers endorsed the call at their meeting in Harare, in what became known as the Harare Declaration. Canada’s delegation to Harare included Minster of Foreign Affairs (and former Prime Minister) Joe Clark, as well as Foreign Affairs Sports Officer Anne Hillmer, and saw the establishment of the Commonwealth Committee on Cooperation through Sport, to be chaired by Canadian politician and jurist Roy McMurtry. 

Around this same time, Canadian athletes began to call for athlete-led sport for development as part of a broad program of reforms. At the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, the Canadian Athletes Association (later AthletesCAN) unveiled the Victoria Declaration, calling on the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHG) to empower and enable athletes’ contributions to “education, social development and intercultural understanding.” AthletesCAN also called for an ‘athlete centered system,’ characterized by athlete rights, stronger athlete representation in sport governance and policies to prevent sexual and other forms of abuse in sport. 

After lobbying the Commonwealth to embrace sport in the service of the social good, the Canadian government began to explore further the possibility of funding international SDP projects. Consultant Judy Kent was tasked with developing a framework for Canada’s involvement in SDP and her scan of the international field formed the basis for early Canadian policy in SDP. In 1992, McMurtry and Hillmer arranged a meeting of Canadian sport leaders to develop a policy model. The question of where within the Canadian government such a program would live proved to be less than straight forward; the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) was supportive but had no expertise in sport, and Sport Canada had difficulty securing funds for programs outside its sport development mandate. 

Eventually, the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada (in turn Commonwealth Games Canada or CGC, and now Commonwealth Sport Canada) accepted the task of implementing an initiative called the Commonwealth Sport Development Program (CSDP), on the condition of federal funding. The initial goals of the CSDP were to support sport capacity and public sport systems in countries and communities where this was lacking, as well as to enhance sport participation for marginalized groups, particularly youth at risk, girls and young women and persons with a disability. The original CSDP had regional offices in Barbados, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka and networked with other donor countries such as Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the UK. The CSDP paved the way for the establishment of Commonwealth Games Canada International Development through Sport (CGC IDS). It included an internship program, the Canadian Sport Leadership Corps, and arranged Canadian university physical education graduates to serve as volunteer interns in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean. In Africa, a major focus was the battle against the devastation of HIV and AIDS. In partnership with African organizations such as Kicking AIDS Out and the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA), CGC IDS reshaped the delivery of sport and physical activity to conduct preventive education and anti-stigmatization. 

CGC continued to operate international programs, with support from CIDA and Sport Canada, into the mid-2000s and Sport Canada dedicated an entire unit to international SDP. This unit eventually participated in the United Nations Sport for Development and Peace – International Working Group (SDP-IWG), a landmark stakeholder collective that advanced international SDP policy and advocacy.  

While significant SDP activity was taking place in Canada via government involvement and public policy, notable non-governmental stakeholders were also emerging. Building on the groundwork and momentum laid out by the Canadian Athletes Association and the Victoria Declaration, Olympic Athletes Together Honorably (OATH) was a group of Olympians calling for reform in response to the 1998 bribery scandal of International Olympic Committee (IOC) delegates by the organizers of the Salt Lake City Olympic bid. OATH was led by Canadian athletes, including swimmer Mark Tewksbury, rower Heather Clarke and speed walker Ann Peel, the latter of whom had been instrumental in organizing the Victoria Declaration. OATH launched officially in Lausanne, home of the IOC, and sought to hold the organization to ethical account. 

A key actor to emerge from OATH was Johann Olav Koss, the champion Norwegian speed skater, who was inspired by OATH to translate athletes’ voices on social issues into practical actions on the ground. Koss had already been involved with international Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) like Save the Children. He had donated his financial bonuses for winning Olympic medals at the 1994 Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer to the relief efforts in war-torn regions, particularly Sarajevo, home of the 1984 Winter Olympics, and Afghanistan.  

Young girl holding basketballKoss’ efforts led to the creation of a new humanitarian initiative, Olympic Aid, which was supported by the Lillehammer Olympic Organizing Committee. Olympic Aid initially supported fundraising for the Red Cross and similar efforts, then eventually moved to building schools and supporting educational programs around the world. Projects such as these were instrumental in re-affirming sport in the service of the social good.  

In the late 1990s, Koss relocated Olympic Aid to Canada, and hired Peel as the organization’s first Executive Director in 2000. Under Peel, Olympic Aid began to pursue Koss’ vision, expanding Olympic Aid’s activity beyond fundraising and into programming. Specifically, Olympic Aid developed sport-based interventions aimed at supporting vulnerable and under-served youth around the world. The organization’s initial foray into programming was through a partnership with the UN’s High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), implemented in countries like Angola and Cote d’Ivoire. However, as the organization grew, the IOC’s increasingly insistence upon tight control sparked tensions. In 2000, by mutual agreement, the organization left the IOC and changed its name to Right to Play. Today Right to Play is still headquartered in Canada, and continues to organize and implement SDP programs around the world, as well as in Canada itself.    

2000s and 2010s 

By the 2000s, Canadian involvement – and public investment – in SDP, had shifted. The reduction in Sport Canada’s funding during the 1990s had left little support for SDP efforts into new countries. And when some funding was restored after 2000, it was primarily to support domestic sport. The promise and momentum created by the CGC IDS proved hard to maintain. Even then-Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps’ efforts to grow the number of interns within the Canadian Sport Leadership Corps was met with resistance by Sport Canada. Some of this resistance was based on skepticism of sport for the social good, particularly given the elitist image ascribed to some athletes and the criticism of over-spending on major sports events. The efforts of CGC IDS, AthletesCAN and Right to Play to challenge such narratives were unsuccessful. The struggle for SDP in Canada was further exacerbated by cuts to official development assistance spending. During this period, many G7 donor countries cut their support below the internationally recognized target of 0.7% of GDP.    

Some Canadian SDP advocates responded by once again looking towards the Commonwealth, specifically the Commonwealth Committee on Coordination through Sport, and its successor the Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sport (CABOS). In 2010, backed by Commonwealth sport ministers, the Commonwealth Secretariat prepared policy documents to ‘mainstream’ SDP across development efforts and work with member governments to support sport in the service of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the UN’s international development agenda between 2000-2015. 

These efforts, along with a significant number of interagency reports, lobbying and working groups within the UN system, resulted in a somewhat mixed bag of SDP activities and policies within Canada by the end of 2010. And in instances where SDP remained in policy, it often lacked support for implementation, with the effect of limiting overall progress. On the one hand, sport for development was included as one of the 5 contexts of the 2012 Canadian Sport Policy. And in 2015, when the UN released the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the successor to the MDGs and the core of its 2030 Development Agenda, sport featured more prominently than ever. Article 37 of the SDGs makes specific reference to the “growing contribution of sport to the realization of development and peace in its promotion of tolerance and respect and the contributions it makes to the empowerment of women and of young people, individuals and communities as well as to health, education and social inclusion objectives” (United Nations, 2015). 

And yet arguably the momentum around SDP in Canada from the 1990s onward also slowed significantly at the end of the 2010s. The Canadian Sport Leaderships Corps was replaced by Sport Leaders Abroad, which put experienced leaders rather than recent university graduates on the ground. That same year, the International Policy and Programs Directorate was moved from Canadian Heritage to Sport Canada, even though international SDP was not a Sport Canada priority, and Sport for Development was included as one of the 5 goals in the Canadian Sport Policy with a stronger focus on domestic objectives. While Sport Canada’s mandate and funding continue to prioritize sport systems and athlete development, Sport Canada continues to support domestic sport for development projects through, for example, bilateral agreements with provinces and territories.   

Currently 

As of this writing, SDP continues in Canada. Right to Play, for example, currently partners with more than 70 Indigenous communities to support access to sport and play programs that are “community-led, (and) culturally relevant” to First Nations, Inuit and Metis, and designed to foster empowerment and life skills (Right to Play, 2023). Such efforts have received significant academic and researcher attention, some of it positive, and others questioning whether such programs unwittingly reinforce structures of settler colonialism (Arellano and Downey, 2019). Some have also called critical attention to the ways that extractive corporations, operating in the Canadian north, have used the notion of SDP as a way to justify unethical and environmentally destructive policies (Millington et al, 2019). 

At the same time, Canadian sport today is again in near crisis, reeling from widespread allegations of sexual assault and other forms of maltreatment, unaccountable governance, and the misappropriation of public funds, and exposed on almost a daily basis by investigative journalists and athletes in a long list of sports. In addition, everyday participation has fallen or at best flatlined in the face of widespread cutbacks to public opportunities, widening inequality, and ‘pay for play’ in private programs. The decline in participation is a heightened worry in the post-COVID world when the resilience offered by healthy physical activity is so vital to community health. In this context, the focus on ‘own the podium’, and the pursuit of medals in international competition as the overarching goal of Canadian sport policy, is a matter of debate for many in the Canadian sports community as well as the general public.  

READ MORE: Taking a person-first approach to high performance sport in Canada 

In a March 2023 SIRCuit article, Chief Executive Officer of OTP, Anne Merklinger, acknowledged that “perception is reality.” But Merklinger also said it’s not correct and a “flawed” idea to think that if an athlete wins a medal, the sport gets funding. Merklinger said OTP makes funding recommendations not looking at past results but rather looking into the future over an 8-year time horizon that takes into consideration many factors and not simply winning. 

“As an organization, I think we need to do a better job in increasing the awareness and understanding of what we do,” she conceded. Merklinger said the stories that have come out in the past year have caused everyone in the sports system to do some soul searching to examine how things can be improved. For more than 3 years, OTP has been focused on improving the culture in high performance sport. Merklinger said the organization has made “culture” a part of its mandate, to help National Sport Organizations (NSOs) achieve excellence through a clear set of values, including the provision of a safe and inclusive environment in the high-performance program. 

What remains to be seen is if this will become a moment of reform, akin to the Dubin period in the early 1990s, when an emphasis upon renewing core principles of sport enabled innovative sport for development programming to emerge as an essential component of a values-based, inclusive approach. Whether, or to what extent, the soon to be released next Canadian Sport Policy includes reference to SDP, either domestically or internationally, will mark another pivotal moment for sport for development and peace in Canada.   

The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) has been a pivotal organization in Canada’s sporting landscape for half a century. Founded with the vision to provide valuable research and knowledge to support the sport community, SIRC along with its partners have played a role in shaping sport in Canada. In this exploration of SIRC’s journey, we’ll look at its history, evolution, and contributions it’s made to sport over the past 50 years. 

During that time, SIRC has played a significant role from its start as a national resource library, to the creation of an internationally recognized database, to its evolution into a global knowledge hub. Throughout, SIRC has been at the forefront of facilitating research, discussions, and policy development in the world of sports. And SIRC’s efforts create inclusive spaces for all to participate in sport, which is the essence of sharing knowledge. 

“SIRC has had a very large impact on the Canadian Sport System. I think it has really transformed how we access information, and how the information and data can be used to support all aspects of sport leadership, governance, and how we make decisions. I think it has set a benchmark for data, information, and knowledge access.” ~ Karen O’Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee

How did SIRC become the respected organization it is today? Let’s look at the last 50 years, starting with how it all began. 

1970s to 1980s: Early growth and evolution to national sport library 

The SIRC’s rich history dates back to its incorporation in 1973, when a group of visionary individuals established it. Among those individuals were Abby Hoffman, former 4-time Olympic track and field athlete and the first woman director general of Sport Canada, and Geoff Gowan, a former sports broadcaster, and sport executive at the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). Their passion for promoting research and disseminating information in the field of sport helped SIRC evolve into a vital resource for the Canadian sports community.  

In its formative years, spanning the 1970s and 1980s, SIRC embarked on a dual journey of early growth and progressing from a collection to a physical library. During this period, SIRC dedicated itself to collecting and disseminating information vital to sports science, coaching and athlete development. The centre swiftly became a go-to resource for coaches, researchers, and sport organizations in search of evidence-based practices and the latest advancements in sports science. 

The SIRC staff with then-CEO Gilles Chiasson (far left) in 1998 (photo: SIRC)

As part of its commitment to become a comprehensive hub, Gilles Chiasson, CEO for SIRC’s first 20 years, guided the transition from a simple collection of key coaching resources within the CAC. Under his leadership, SIRC was established as an independent national sport library at 333 River Rd, Ottawa, where it co-existed with other national sport organizations. This central location made it accessible to the sports community and it thrived as a fundamental resource for coaches, athletes, administrators, sport medicine professionals, and researchers.  

At the time, it also served as only 1 of 3 automated systems for sport documentation globally. SIRC’s data bank was among the top 3 largest in the world with 30,000 pieces. The other 2 major sport documentation centres were housed in Leipzig and Cologne, Germany (Canadian Sport History, 1978).  

“I think SIRC is genuinely a vital part of the system. The ‘simple’ task of collecting information helps democratize that information, instead of information being squirrelled away who knows where. It instead is collected and made available to the system at large. This is an invaluable tool for improvement.” ~ Peter Lawless, sport lawyer, high performance coach, Vice President of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Ombudsperson of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and CEO 2025 Invictus Games

1990s to 2000: Technological advancements and knowledge excellence 

Sport Thesaurus and SportQuest: The 1990s saw SIRC further embrace technology’s potential. SIRC incorporated digital platforms and online resources to make sport information more accessible through its internationally recognized SportThesaurus (over 27,000 standardized terms), and its innovative websites Canadiansport.ca and SportQuest.ca. The organization expanded its reach, engaging with a broader audience, establishing itself as a pioneer in knowledge translation and using technology for sports knowledge dissemination.  

Expansion of SportDiscus: SIRC made significant strides in information accessibility by creating and expanding the SportDiscus, a premier research database in the fields related to sport and sport science. A collaboration with international sport information partners expanded the depth and breadth of resources available through SIRC, allowing researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts to access a vast repository of scholarly articles, journals and research findings related to sports. 

Debra Gassewitz, SIRC CEO, speaking at the International Association for Sport Information annual meeting in Brazil in 2006. (photo: SIRC)

By this time, SIRC had a reputation as the world’s leading educational resource for sport material. As a result, its SportDiscus was the only sport database recognized by UNESCO and was used in 49 different countries as the authoritative reference for sport-related information and research. Additionally, global recognition by the International Association of Sport Information (IASI) encouraged more than 32 member countries to submit their research material references to SIRC for inclusion in the database. This coordinated effort, helped ensure that Canadians benefitted from domestic as well as comprehensive international content in the database. The same benefits applied to sport researchers worldwide. 

Debra Gassewitz, President, and CEO, led this innovative evolution, marking SIRC’s shift toward the sharing of knowledge excellence. From that point on, the institution would evolve into a critical asset for both the Canadian and international sport ecosystem.  

“SIRC set the standard for evidence-based decision making in the Canadian Sport System and indeed internationally.  The ability to access research and enhance knowledge transfer to performance and development has been entrenched for decades.” ~ Lorraine Lafreniere, CEO of the Coaching Association of Canada

2000s to 2010s: Fostering collaboration and partnerships  

In the 2000s, SIRC strengthened its collaborative efforts by establishing partnerships with various national and international sports organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies. For example, partners included the University of Calgary, University of Manchester, International Olympic Committee, l’Institut National du Sport, de l’Expertise et de la Performance (INSEP), Australian Institute of Sport. These collaborations enhanced the centre’s ability to collect, analyze and share information, a dynamic network within the sports community. 

Essentially, SIRC aimed to explore the realms of research and information in an effort to help solve problems.  

“This one athlete was having a medical concern that was impacting their ability to perform at a high level. I reached out to Debra, and she did whatever magic she does behind the curtain and she provided me, and more importantly my athlete’s treating physicians, with a number of extremely relevant scientific or medical articles that dealt with the exact same issue my athlete was dealing with. It was incredibly useful on a number of fronts. First and foremost, it immediately gave the treating physicians a pathway for treatment. Second, and it’s hard to overestimate the importance of this, the information gave my athlete confidence that what was happening could be resolved and resolved successfully so that they could get back to performing at the highest level.” ~ Peter Lawless on how SIRC helped solve a problem

SIRC’s job board inspiration came from similar reflections on what the sector needed and how to fill such gaps. This time it landed on employment in the sport sector. By 2001, SIRC created the job board as a part of its platform that aimed to cater to the unique job market of the sports and recreation industry in Canada. This focused job board was the first of its kind in Canada. Tens of thousands of postings later, the job board is the go-to resource for both employers and jobseekers for any positions within Canadian sport. Job postings have covered coaching, staffing, hosting, board, and volunteer roles, among others. 

2020s and beyond: Continuing to move forward 

Today, SIRC stands as the essential hub for sport knowledge in Canada. It embodies a commitment to sport and excels at seeing the bigger picture, balancing rigour with reality.  As the first stop for all things sports-related in Canada, SIRC continues to serve both sport organizations and individuals dedicated to the development of sport throughout this nation.  

With a mandate to offer knowledge, evaluation, connections, and outreach, SIRC’s goals aren’t just a mission statement. Instead, they’re a lived reality, where SIRC actively shares knowledge and creates welcoming spaces for everyone involved in the world of sports.  

For 17 years, SIRC has hosted the Sport Canada Research Initiative (SCRI) Conference. At SCRI, people who work, play and volunteer at all levels of sport (from community clubs to national sport organizations) gather together with sport researchers and policymakers to share knowledge and make new connections. The conference format is specifically designed to foster collaboration and engagement. 

SIRC’s expertise lies not just in gathering knowledge but in mobilizing its extensive network of partners to disseminate credible information to a large and precisely targeted audience, maximizing the impact of their content. Through the Canadian Sport Daily newsletter, SIRC provides knowledge, the latest research, news, and job postings. The newsletter reaches Canada’s sport and physical activity sector from coast to coast to coast, including national, provincial, territorial and community level organizations. In the daily newsletter, Knowledge Nuggets are provided for a source of insight, leveraging the latest in research findings, promising practices, and practical resources.

SIRCuit and sport magazines through the years (photo: SIRC)

For a deeper dive into relevant and timely topics that help advance the Canadian sport and physical activity sector, there’s the SIRCuit. Distributed quarterly, the SIRCuit is Canada’s leading sport-related e-publication, delivering evidence-based insights and learnings from a variety of credible sources.  

SIRC’s work is anchored by 3 pillars. The first pillar is knowledge excellence. The second, growing the network and expanding connections within the sport community. And the third is a commitment to forward-thinking approaches to advance the landscape of sports in Canada. SIRC is much more than an information storehouse, it’s a force propelling the Canadian sporting ecosystem toward greater connectivity and knowledge. 

“SIRC occupies a much-needed position within the sport sector, that of a coordinator and disseminator of information.” ~ Milena Parent, professor in Human Kinetics, University of Ottawa

Key initiatives 

SIRC hasn’t only been a repository of respected knowledge but also a catalyst for change in the sports community. Here are several of SIRC’s initiatives that highlight its commitment to sport: 

Kim Gurtler, SIRC’s VP of Operations, speaking about concussions in sport at a Sport North event (photo: SIRC)

Concussion awareness: SIRC played and continues to play a pivotal role in raising awareness about concussions in sports. As high-profile cases like those of Eric Lindros and Sidney Crosby brought this issue to the forefront, SIRC worked alongside stakeholders, including the federal, provincial and territorial governments, to facilitate conversations and develop educational materials. Concussion Awareness Week in Canada was born out of these efforts, which contributes to increased awareness and safety measures in sports. During awareness week in September 2023, SIRC reached 5 million people in the sport community.  

“SIRC’s ability to facilitate nation-wide discussion on important issues that are part of the fabric of the Canadian Sport System is critical. The Canadian Sport Policy and Safe Sport are two primary examples. The organization’s ability to communicate relevant, timely and evidence-based decision making is a hallmark of leadership.” ~ Lorraine Lafreniere

Safe Sport: Recognizing the importance of safe sport environments, SIRC collaborated with the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) to develop the initial Universal Code of Conduct addressing maltreatment in sports (UCCMS v 5.1). This initiative aimed to create safer spaces for participants, athletes, coaches, and officials. SIRC’s role in facilitating these conversations laid the foundation for the creation of the independent safe sport body, Abuse Free Sport. That body is within the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, which involves all national sports organizations, including SIRC. The work continues as SIRC actively promotes safe sport, best practices, guidelines, and practical tools to further the necessary dialogue to ensure everyone can participate in sport, safely. 

Women in sport: SIRC has been dedicated to promoting gender equity in sports, aligning with the Government of Canada’s 2035 target. Since the inception of SIRC, it has actively engaged in initiatives such as participating in World Conferences on Women in Sport (2002), conducting gender-based literature reviews, and launching educational campaigns. In 2022, with government support, SIRC introduced a bilingual public awareness campaign: “Mom’s Got Game, Vas-y Maman!” That campaign aimed to encourage and support women to stay active after having children. Additionally, SIRC initiated the Experts in the House webinar series, featuring leading experts in sports who focus on vital topics like Girls and Women in Sport. Those webinars have addressed issues such as coaching, career paths, sport participation and mental health. These efforts underscore SIRC’s ongoing commitment to advancing women’s participation and representation in Canadian sports. 

Policy development: Engaging Canadians 

SIRC’s involvement in policy development has also been key to shaping the future of Canadian sports. In 2010, the organization conducted extensive consultations across the country, engaging Canadians from various backgrounds to understand their vision for sports. This resulted in the creation of the Sport Policy in 2012. 

“Debra has set the standard of engagement and listening with purpose that has provided space for Canadians from coast to coast to coast to be heard on the critical issues of the day.” ~ Lorraine Lafreniere

Little more than 10 years later, SIRC once again led extensive consultations. This time for the development of the third Canadian Sport Policy, engaging stakeholders across Canada to ensure that the future of sports aligns with this nation’s aspirations and needs. 

Conclusion 

As SIRC celebrates its 50th anniversary, its remarkable journey stands as a testament to the visionaries, leaders, and dedicated teams that have shaped it into the institution it is today. And as its next phase of growth begins, SIRC will continue to inspire confidence through knowledge excellence, ensuring that Canadians can participate in sports safely, inclusively, and with the support of a knowledgeable community. 

“I’m profoundly grateful for the incredible colleagues within SIRC, the sports community and throughout the country, who have and continue to inspire and collaborate with us. In this ever-changing environment, it’s so important to never stop learning, to actively listen, and to continuously evolve alongside those who share our dedication to advancing positive experiences in the world of sports.” ~ Debra Gassewitz, CEO of SIRC 

Canada has long been a leader in sport and recreation for persons with disability, and it is astounding to consider the contributions made in the last century. This is found in every aspect of disability sport including those for persons with intellectual impairment, mobility disabilities, and deafness. But for the purposes of this article, the focus will be on the earliest programs that focused on mobility disabilities and primarily those with spinal cord injuries (SCI).

The history of adapted physical activity in Canada goes back to 1918 when “Reclaiming the Maimed” was published by Tait McKenzie and James Naismith (Legg, 2000). Years later, and parallel to many nations, sport for persons with SCI began in earnest following World War II. This was due to a large influx of persons with spinal injuries as a result of the war, and changes to medical practice that meant those living with SCI had greatly extended lifespans.

Around the same time, increasing recognition of the importance of sport and recreation for a higher quality of life and its ability to act as a catalyst for other social objectives contributed to the development of new programs being offered in rehabilitation hospitals and wheelchair sport clubs being founded.

The first recorded example of a rehabilitation sport program in Canada was in the late 1940s at the Deer Lodge Rehabilitation Hospital in Winnipeg. Events here included archery, milk-bottle pitching, basketball-throwing, ring-tossing, croquet, and golf-putting (Steadward, personal communication). Other clubs across the country then slowly evolved and these were primarily focused on wheelchair basketball. In the UK, at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, a physiatrist, and head of a rehabilitation for veterans with spinal cord injuries, hosted a wheelchair sport event on the same day as the opening ceremonies of the 1948 Olympic Games in London. The local newspaper noted that he hoped one day these Games could evolve into something that paralleled the Olympic Games.

The start of international games

The first international wheelchair sport games were then held back at the Stoke Mandeville hospital in 1952 with one team from the Netherlands. These games would evolve into what would become known as the Paralympic Games. The first of these were held in 1960 in Rome and for a second time in 1964 in Tokyo (Legg & Steadward, 2011; Darcy & Legg, 2016).

Canada did not compete in either, but it was in Tokyo that Canadian orthopaedic surgeon, Robert Jackson, had a chance to meet with Guttmann. Jackson expressed his concern to Guttmann that Canada had focused too much on occupational rehabilitation, while ignoring the benefits of other modalities such as sport and recreation. Jackson promised Gutmann that he would bring a Canadian team to the 1968 Paralympic Games.

But it nearly didn’t happen. Jackson forgot about his promise until 1967 when, as a personal project to commemorate Canada’s Centennial birthday, he and his wife Marilyn invited a few patients from a local hospital to race at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium. After a few months, a formal club was created under the title “Coasters Athletic Club” and Jackson then took the team to 1968 Paralympic Games (Legg, 2000).

During this time, other international wheelchair sport events emerged.

Did you know: It was, in part, due to Reimer’s success that motivated Allan Simpson, a person with polio since the age of 14, to go a little bigger. Simpson, who was living in Winnipeg, and leader of an unofficial ‘Monday Night Club’, asked the organizing committee for the 1967 Winnipeg Pan-American (Pan Am) Games to include a Wheelchair Pan-American Games section. When his request was denied, he decided to organize a separate wheelchair event, which was the first Pan-Am Wheelchair Games in 1967. Simpson also organized the Manitoba and Canadian Wheelchair Sport Associations, spent 30 years working on behalf of Canadians with disabilities, and was one of Canada’s most successful lobbyists. These games evolved into what are now the Parapan American Games, first held in Mexico City in 1999 (Legg, 2000).

First Pan-American Wheelchair Games (1967)

In trying to arrange for the first wheelchair games in 1967, Simpson communicated with counterparts in the United States, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago noting that “the point to this gathering was not necessarily for the love of sport, but instead to build social acceptance and undo the myth that persons with a disability were a burden to society” (Legg, 2000).

The Canadian government agreed to help pay for the Games, but they required a national organization to hold the funds. The Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association (CWSA) did not officially exist at that point, and so, the Canadian Paraplegic Association Board of Directors and others agreed to act as a temporary national association.

CWBL Women’s Nationals with Ontario facing off against BC in 2021. (Photo: Wheelchair Basketball Canada)

A month later in September of 1967, a meeting was held with wheelchair sport leaders from across Canada and a motion presented “that a national wheelchair sports association in Canada be formally established” (Legg, 2000). It was here that CWSA was officially founded with Jackson, the orthopedic surgeon who had promised to bring a Canadian team to the 1968 Paralympic Games, elected as CWSA’s first President.

At the time, Jackson said, “… we should note with some pride that although wheelchair sport may have started earlier in England and the USA, that the Canadian organization was started by paraplegics themselves, with full cognizance of the many benefits that they would receive” (Legg, 2000). Ten of the 14 board members were wheelchair users.

A year later in 1968, Maury Van Vliet, Dean of the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta, and Robert Steadward, a University of Alberta undergraduate student (who would later found a research and training centre for athletes with disabilities at the University of Alberta, now called The Steadward Centre, and serve as President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee) helped organize the first National Wheelchair Games, where athletes would be selected for the 1968 Paralympic team led by Jackson.

1970s

Following Canada’s first participation in the 1968 Paralympic Games (along with the 1969 Parapan American Games in Argentina and the 1971 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica), the Canadian team travelled to Heidelberg, Germany in 1972 to compete in their second Paralympic Games (then called the 21st International Stoke Mandeville Games).

In 1976, Canada hosted the Summer Games in Toronto, called the “Olympiad for the Physically Disabled (Toronto)”. This was the first Olympiad with full competition for athletes with amputees and visual impairments.

The addition of different disabilities encouraged organizers to change the name of the event from the “Paralympics” to the “TORONTOlympiad for the Physically Disabled” (Legg, 2000). The term Paralympics was not used because it was believed to signify Games for people who have paraplegia (a type of SCI that affects the lower half of the body). However, the term ‘Paralympics’ would eventually be chosen as the official name with “Para” denoting “in parallel” to the Olympics.

1976: Canada in first Winter Paralympic Games (Örnsköldsvik, Sweden)

Canada’s participation in the Winter Paralympic Games have their origins going back to 1961 when Jerry Johnston started teaching adapted skiing at Sunshine Village in Banff. He helped create the Alberta Association of Disabled Skiing in 1971, and in 1976 the national association was created. The funding for the creation of the association came from money earmarked earlier by the Federal government for the Toronto summer games but was not used due to geo-political issues involving South Africa. This funding also helped create the umbrella group originally called the Coordinating Committee of Sports for the Physically Disabled (CC-SFD). In 1980, it was renamed the Canadian Federation of Sport Organizations for the Disabled (CFSOD) and then in 1989, the name was changed to the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC).

1980s

Disability sport and recreation continued to evolve in the early 1980s. For example, icons Terry Fox and Rick Hansen demonstrated how persons with disabilities could achieve excellence through physical activity. The evolution of the sport system also continued. In 1986, University of Alberta Professor Robert Steadward hosted the Jasper Talks, a national symposium on physical activity and disability. This event eventually led to the creation of the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (ALA) and the International Paralympic Committee’s VISTA Conference. Leaders of the ALA would then publish the Blueprint for Action helping guide municipal parks and recreation departments to become more inclusive.

Another significant moment in the 1980s included the leaders of the ALA writing the Moving to Inclusion series, which helped guide physical education teachers to make curricula more inclusive for children with disabilities. Steadward would then become the founding President of the International Paralympic Committee in 1989, a position he would hold for 3 terms until 2001. In this role, he initiated the signing of the agreement with the International Olympic Committee whereby any city bidding to host the Olympic Games would also agree to host the Paralympic Games.

1990s

In the 1990s, Canada once again became a global leader by encouraging able-bodied sports organizations to become more inclusive in their programming by providing the same or similar privileges, opportunities, and responsibilities to all national athletes regardless of whether they were able bodied or disabled. Early examples included Swim Canada Natation and Archery Canada.

More recently, Canada hosted its first Winter Paralympic Games in Vancouver in 2010, Parapan American Games in 2015 in Toronto and the Invictus Games in 2017 for war veterans with disabilities and these Games will be held in Vancouver and Whistler in 2025.

The Canada Games, meanwhile, are still the only major Games globally that include events for athletes who are able-bodied, athletes with physical disabilities and athletes with intellectual disabilities, a practice that started in the 1990s.

Inclusion in the Commonwealth Games also has its roots in Canada with Rick Hansen leading the addition of athletes with a disability into the 1994 Games held in Victoria after exhibition events were held at the 1990 Games in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2002, at the Manchester Games, the policy was ratified and every Commonwealth Games since has included events for athletes with disabilities.

Today

Today, Canada continues to be represented and led by outstanding and extraordinary icons in adapted sport. This includes Minister of Sport and Physical Activity Carla Qualtrough; Senator and Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame 2010 inductee Chantal Petitclerc; Michelle Stillwell, former British Columbia MLA and Minister of Social Development and Social Innovation; IPC Athletes’ Council First Vice Chairperson Josh Dueck; former IPC Governing Board member Patrick Jarvis; former Chair of Own the Podium Todd Nicolson; and Danielle Peers, former Team Canada wheelchair basketball player, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair and Canada’s Sport Hall of Fame 2023 inductee.

Thanks to the creativity, tenacity, and vision of a several outstanding leaders, Canada has been a driver of Paralympic sport, and disability sport and we will hopefully continue to move forward with the same commitment, and integrity towards inclusion and accessibility in sport.