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.
The investment, made through Ontario’s Inclusive Grassroots Recreation program, will help local organizations deliver new programming aimed at getting young people active, building confidence and developing 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.”
The funding will support three organizations delivering accessible sport and recreation programming for children and youth facing financial barriers. Jays Care Foundation will receive $300,000 to expand two flagship programs providing more than 4,200 children and youth with opportunities to learn baseball fundamentals, including the Challenger Baseball program for children and youth with disabilities and the Indigenous Rookie League for Indigenous children and youth.
KidSport Ontario will receive $400,000 to help approximately 1,100 children and youth from low-income families participate in organized sport by assisting with registration fees and equipment costs. Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network will receive $100,000 to boost sport participation among Black, Indigenous and other racialized children, youth and families, supporting free swim lessons and lifeguard training for approximately 650 children and youth, along with training and mentorship for up to 30 young women from racialized communities to become certified basketball officials.
“Providing increased opportunities for Indigenous youth to participate in sports fosters skills development and teamwork for life,” said Greg Rickford, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and First Nations Economic Reconciliation. “This funding enhances accessibility for Indigenous youth to learn, play and grow through the sport, and beyond.”
Since launching in 2021-22, the 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.
