Question Period Note: Call upon the federal government to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #89, calls upon the federal government to “amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act to support reconciliation by ensuring that policies to promote physical activity as a fundamental element of health and well-being reduce barriers to sports participation, increase the pursuit of excellence in sport and build capacity in the Canadian sport system, are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples”. The 2003 Act sets out the Government of Canada’s policies regarding physical activity and sport as well as the mandate of the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Sport) in respect of physical activity and sport.
Given that changes to the legislation will require consultation with other federal government departments in collaboration with the Aboriginal Sport Circle, discussions with Indigenous sport stakeholders have concluded that this will be a longer-term deliverable.

• Our government is committed to fulfilling the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action.
• Engagement with Indigenous Peoples, including the Aboriginal Sport Circle, is essential, to ensure that the sport related Calls to Action are addressed, including the commitment to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act.
• Our Government is committed to advancing reconciliation and renewing the relationship with Indigenous peoples based on recognition of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership.

• There are five Calls to Action that specifically relate to sport: #87 to #91. Sport Canada is engaged on numerous fronts in responding to these Calls to Action, and works closely with Indigenous organizations, particularly the Aboriginal Sport Circle to ensure the sport based Calls to Action are addressed in a manner which respects Indigenous views and Reconciliation.
• Call to Action #87 calls on all levels of government “to provide public education that tells the national story of Aboriginal athletes in history”. In response to this Call to Action, Sport Canada supports The Tom Longboat Awards program, which honours Indigenous athletes for their outstanding contributions to sport in Canada. The 2019 Award recipients were presented at the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in October 2019.
• Call to Action #88 calls on all levels of government to take action to “ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games”. Sport Canada has been a consistent funder of the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games since its inception, consistent with the terms of the North American Indigenous Games Funding Framework.
• Call to Action #89 calls on the federal government “to amend the Physical Activity and Sport Act”. Discussions with Indigenous sport stakeholders have concluded that this will be a longer-term deliverable given that changes to the legislation will require consultation with other federal government departments in collaboration with the Aboriginal Sport Circle. The ongoing work in other areas related to Indigenous sport development will lay the foundation for the future amendment of the Physical Activity and Sport Act.
• Call to Action #90 calls on the federal government “to ensure that national sports policies, programs, and initiatives are inclusive of Aboriginal peoples”. In response to these two Calls to Action, the Government of Canada is investing $18.9 million over five years, starting in fiscal year 2017 to 2018, and ongoing funding of $5.5 million every four years thereafter, to support Indigenous youth and sport initiatives in the following four areas: Indigenous sport leadership; Culturally relevant sport programming; the North American Indigenous Games; and Sport Canada's data and research.
• More specifically, investments were allocated to:
o The Aboriginal Sport Circle to assume a greater leadership role on Indigenous sport development, i.e., have the capacity to assume and maintain a national leadership role on Indigenous sport including to facilitate Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies, National Sport Organizations and Multisport Services Organizations aligning their existing programming with the Aboriginal Long-term Participation Pathway, and ensuring that a data strategy is developed.
o Provinces and territories, through bilateral agreements, to increase the operational capacity of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies, increase the offering of culturally relevant sport programming including North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel; and,
o National Sport Organizations and Multisport Services Organization to ensure long-term Indigenous athlete development and growth through increasing the offering of culturally relevant sport programming.
• Call to Action #91 calls upon officials and host countries of major games “to ensure that Indigenous peoples' territorial protocols are respected” and that local Indigenous communities are engaged in all aspects of planning and participating in the events. In response, Sport Canada has included this Call to Action in its documents shared with bid and host organizations and other stakeholders that are responsible for developing or supporting major sport event bids. These considerations are also included in Sport Canada’s ongoing coordination to develop a national bidding and hosting framework for major sport events involving provincial and territorial governments, as well as other major events stakeholders.
• In addition to the sport-specific Calls to Action, Sport Canada also delivers the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program, which it launched in 2019 expressly to help address the social development Calls to Action, i.e., Call to Action #7: eliminate educational and employment gaps between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians; Call to Action #19: identify and close the gaps in health outcomes, between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities; and, Call to Action #38: eliminate the over-representation of Aboriginal youth in custody.

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