Ontario Investing $800,000 to Expand Sport Opportunities for Children and Youth
Provincial funding will help make sport and recreation more accessible and affordable for nearly 6,000 children and youth across the province
The Ontario government is investing $800,000 to make community sport and recreation more accessible for nearly 6,000 children and youth across the province. As part of its plan to protect Ontario by building stronger, healthier communities, this investment will help local organizations deliver new programming that gets young people active, builds confidence and develops lifelong skills, while reducing costs for families.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to play, build confidence and reach their full potential through sport,” said Natalie Pierre, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Sport. “By investing in community organizations, we’re making sport and recreation more accessible and affordable for families across Ontario, while helping young people stay active, build lifelong skills and thrive.”
Through Ontario’s Inclusive Grassroots Recreation program, this funding will support three organizations delivering accessible sport and recreation programming for children and youth facing financial barriers, including:
- $300,000 for Jays Care Foundation to expand two flagship programs that will provide more than 4,200 children and youth with opportunities to learn baseball fundamentals, build connections and develop a lifelong connection to physical activity. The Challenger Baseball program will provide adaptive baseball programming for children and youth with disabilities and the Indigenous Rookie League will deliver community-based baseball programming designed to engage Indigenous children and youth.
- $400,000 for KidSport Ontario to help approximately 1,100 children and youth from low-income families participate in organized sport by assisting with registration fees and equipment costs.
- $100,000 for Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network to boost sport participation among Black, Indigenous and other racialized children, youth and families. This funding supports free swim lessons and lifeguard training for approximately 650 children and youth, while also offering training and mentorship for up to 30 young women from racialized communities to become certified basketball officials.
Ontario’s Inclusive Grassroots Recreation program partners with organizations across the province to make sport and recreation more accessible and affordable. By helping more young people participate in local programs, the province is supporting healthier communities and creating pathways for lifelong participation in sport and recreation.
Quick Facts
- Since launching in 2021-22, Ontario’s Inclusive Grassroots Recreation program has helped approximately 150,000 children and youth across the province participate in sport and recreation programming in their communities.
- The Ontario government invests over $23 million annually to support local, inclusive physical activity programming, including: Ontario’s After School Program, the Inclusive Grassroots Recreation program, the Community Aboriginal Recreation Activator (CARA) program, the Sport Pathway for Ontario Native Wellness, the Youth Cultural Camps (YCC) program and Variety Village.
- Ontario’s historic $500 million investment through the Community Sport and Recreation Infrastructure Fund is helping revitalize existing local sport and recreation facilities and build new spaces so more people can participate and stay active.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love