The Ottawa Sport Council is pleased to announce registration is open for the 2023 Ottawa Sport Summit: The Past, Present, and Future of Community Sport in Ottawa. This event will be hosted on Saturday, November 18, 2023, at the RA Centre (Clark Hall).
In 2023, the Ottawa Sport Council is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
In reflecting on the 10 years, we recognize that community sport in Ottawa has experienced a significant amount of change, yet some challenges are ever-present.
In looking at the 2008 True Sport Report: What Sport Can Do and the Power of Sport: The True Sport Report 2022, here’s what we can see about the community sport sector:
- The percentage of volunteer time spent by Canadians in the sport sector has declined nearly 9%, indicating that the volunteer pool for sport organizations is shrinking.
- Minimal government funding continues to create financial challenges for community sport; however, it is reported that 84% of Canadians believed that it was important for the government to provide funding to community sport.
- Barriers to access community sport persist for equity-deserving groups, however the research base supporting inclusive sport has expanded significantly (as reported in the Power of Sport: The True Sport Report 2022).
- Overall sport participation among Canadians has increased since 2008, with the most notable increase being among girls and women (more than 3% increase).
Despite the ongoing challenges, many that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it remains true that more than 90% of Canadians continue to believe that sport has the power to be a positive influence for youth, contributes to good health, and can strengthen communities.
We look forward to having you join us on Saturday, November 18 where we will reflect on community sport and the Ottawa Sport Council over the last 10 years, discuss the current state of community sport in Ottawa, and dive into the future with innovative minds.
Registration:
This is a free event. We do ask participants to consider making a minimum $35 donation to the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation. The Ottawa Sport Council Foundation has been created to provide sporting organizations with grants to improve inclusion in sport. Tax receipts will be provided.
The goal of this year’s sport summit is to create dialogue between attendees as we move towards an inspired vision for the future of community sport. As such, our recommendation is that organizations attend with up to 3 representatives (board members, staff, key volunteers) to offer a variety of perspectives throughout the day.