Question Period Note: Indigenous Youth and Sport

A renewed fund of $20 million over five years has been established to support Indigenous youth and sport initiatives.

• In August 2022, the Government of Canada announced $20 million in renewed funding over five years to support Indigenous youth and sport initiatives.
• This funding will continue to help the Aboriginal Sport Circle strengthen their sport leadership and support the provinces and territories in the delivery of culturally relevant Indigenous sport programming.
• This investment is a renewal of the sunsetting funds from Budget 2017 that also provides ongoing support for the hosting of the North American Indigenous Games and Indigenous sport data and research.
• To create the best experience for participants in sport, it is important to recognize that the sport system needs to better reflect the needs and cultural priorities of Indigenous children and youth.

• The needs and cultural priorities addressed by the investment are drawn from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #88 and #90 and are identified as:
o Ensure long-term Aboriginal athlete development and growth, and continued support for the North American Indigenous Games, including funding to host the games and for provincial and territorial team preparation and travel.
o Stable funding for, and access to, community sports programs that reflect the diverse cultures and traditional sporting activities of Aboriginal peoples.
o Programs for coaches, trainers, and sports officials that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal peoples.
o Anti-racism training and awareness programs.
• 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, $3.9 million for five years sunset in 2021–22;
o culturally relevant sport programming, $9 million for five years sunset in 2021–22;
o the North American Indigenous Games, $3.5 million every four years ongoing; and,
o Sport Canada's data and research, $0.5 million every year ongoing.
• More specifically, investments were allocated to:
o The Aboriginal Sport Circle to assume a greater leadership role on Indigenous sport development;
o Provincial and territorial governments, through bilateral agreements, to increase the operational capacity of Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies, increase the offering of culturally relevant sport programming, and supporting 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.
• Budget 2022 announced $20 million in renewed funding over five years for Indigenous youth and sport, starting in 2022–23 to continue support in the following areas:
o Indigenous sport leadership, $2 million for five years sunsets in 2026–27; and,
o Culturally relevant sport programming, $2 million for five years sunsets in 2026–27.
• Results of the Indigenous Youth and Sport Investment are:
o Budget 2017 invested and has strengthen the capacity of the Aboriginal Sport Circle, the national voice for Indigenous sport in Canada. This has enabled the Aboriginal Sport Circle to provide expertise and guidance to provinces and territories, Provincial Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies, National Sport Organizations, Multisport Services Organizations, and Indigenous communities on the Aboriginal Long-Term Participant Development Pathway, the guide for developing sport and physical activity among Indigenous peoples.
o The investment has provided sound technically based sport programming for Indigenous children and youth, and increase the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis involved in sport. In addition, the investment has provided competitive opportunities for Indigenous children and youth by providing funding for the North American Indigenous Games.
o In the long term, the investment will continue to reduce barriers to sport participation for Indigenous children and youth by providing technically sound sport programming that is both culturally relevant to Indigenous children and youth as well as welcoming and safe.

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