Question Period Note: Ensuring that national sports policies, programs and initiatives are inclusive of Indigenous peoples

The Government of Canada is committed to fulfilling the sport-related Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

• The Government of Canada is committed to fulfilling the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action and is working in collaboration with key Indigenous stakeholders to design and implement sport programming in Indigenous communities.
• The Government, through Budget 2017, has invested 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, Indigenous sport data and research.
• Through Budget 2018, the Government of Canada invested to expand the use of sport for social development in more than 300 Indigenous communities for the purpose of achieving outcomes in the areas of health, education, at-risk behaviour, and/or employability.

• Through Budget 2017, the Government of Canada invested $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. The four point approach of the Indigenous Youth and Sport investment captures the essence of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and is designed to address systemic barriers that prevent Indigenous children and youth from participating in sport by investing in the following areas:
o Indigenous sport leadership
o culturally relevant sport programming
o the North American Indigenous Games
o 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;
o provinces and territories, through bilateral agreements, to increase the operational capacity of provincial and territorial Aboriginal sport bodies, increase the offering of culturally relevant sport programming including North American Indigenous Games team preparation and travel;
o national sport organizations and multisport service organizations to ensure long-term Indigenous athlete development and growth through increasing the offering of culturally relevant sport programming; and,
o the North American Indigenous Games on a four-year cycle starting in fiscal year 2019–20 to ensure the Games are hosted in Canada every four years.
• Through Budget 2018, the Government of Canada invested $47.5 million over five years, and $9.5 million per year ongoing, to expand the use of sport for social development in more than 300 Indigenous communities.
• The announcement resulted in the May 31, 2019, launch of the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) component of the Sport Support Program, delivered by the Department of Canadian Heritage (Sport Canada branch).
• Drawing from these Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the four intended outcomes of the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities component are: improved health; improved educational outcomes; reduction of at-risk behaviors; and, improved employability.
• The framework for the delivery of the SSDIC was developed by a joint design team formed by representatives from Sport Canada and the Aboriginal Sport Council (ASC), including some of its Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Body (PTASB) members. ASC/PTASB representation was meant to ensure Indigenous voices from various regions were central to the SSDIC’s co-design.

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