FINAL REPORT: Future of Sport in Canada Commission – March 24, 2026
The Future of Sport in Canada Commission released its final report today, March 24, 2026. It’s titled, “TRANSFORMING SPORT IN CANADA: TIME FOR ACTION”. The commission mandate is listed below and we used Ai to analyze four areas in the 952 page report. The four areas we asked it to analyze were:
- Implications for Elite Coaching and Athlete Development
- Funding for Youth Sports
- Sports Clubs and Facilities
- Central Funding and the impact on NSOs
The report is heavily focused on safe sport as the executive summary states “All our activities were guided by a victim- and survivor-centred and trauma- and violence informed framework.” The document mentions victim 117 times, survivor 130 times, maltreatment 851 times, and the word safe 1,806 times.
Mandate
The Government of Canada established the Future of Sport in Canada Commission in May 2024.
The Commission was mandated to examine the sport system and make recommendations to:
- Improve safe sport in Canada, including trauma-informed approaches to support sport participants in the
disclosure of and healing from maltreatment. - Improve the sport system in Canada, including but not limited to policy, funding structures, governance,
reporting, accountability, conflicts of interest, systems alignment, culture, and legal considerations.
Analysis on Implications for Elite Coaching and Athlete Development
The Future of Sport in Canada Commission report outlines a fundamental shift in the Canadian sport system, moving away from a traditional focus on high-performance results toward a framework that prioritizes participant safety and dignity. The following analysis examines the report’s victim-centred approach and its implications for elite coaching and athlete development.
1. The Victim-Centred and Trauma-Informed Framework
The Commission explicitly states that all its activities were guided by a victim- and survivor-centred and trauma- and violence-informed framework. This approach is designed to support participants in the disclosure of maltreatment and their subsequent healing. Key elements include:
- Prioritizing Well-being: The proposed safe sport approach is built on three pillars: prevention, response, and support, with the latter ensuring appropriate assistance for those affected by maltreatment.
- Dismantling the “Culture of Silence”: The report aims to eliminate systemic barriers to reporting, such as fear of retribution or the loss of funding.
- Safeguarding Officers: It calls for every sport organization to appoint a dedicated “safeguarding officer”—ideally a licensed health professional—who is independent of performance structures and can identify maltreatment without relying on athletes to report it themselves.
2. Encouraging Disclosure and the Triage of Complaints
The report acknowledges the risk that its efforts to simplify and centralize complaint mechanisms might lead to an influx of reports. To balance the need to investigate real abuse while deterring frivolous complaining, the Commission proposes:
- A Mandatory Triage Step: The report recommends an early triage or screening process to identify and redirect matters that do not involve maltreatment (such as team selection or playing time issues). This is intended to prevent the system from becoming clogged with administrative issues that should be handled by sport organizations themselves.
- Deterrents for Prohibited Behaviours: The Commission includes “making false allegations” within its broader definition of maltreatment, identifying it as a prohibited behaviour.
- Furthermore, centralized authorities have the right to refuse complaints deemed frivolous or made in bad faith.
- Restorative Practices: For non-egregious cases, the report advocates for restorative principles that promote learning, accountability, and behavioural change rather than purely punitive measures.
3. Impact on Elite Coaching and the “Grey Zone”
The Commission identifies a “grey zone” in high-performance environments where the line between pushing an athlete for excellence and maltreatment can become blurred.
- Challenging “Sport Exceptionalism”: The report criticizes the concept of “sport exceptionalism”—the belief that sport is distinct from other domains and therefore exempt from the standards applied in workplaces or schools. It argues that suffering, humiliation, and extreme discipline are not necessary for performance .
- Redefining Coaching Norms: The Commission notes that norms are evolving; practices once considered “normal coaching”—such as publicly berating athletes, intrusive weight monitoring, or forcing them to train through injury—are now explicitly defined as forms of maltreatment.
- Procedural Fairness for Coaches: To prevent the unfair victimization of respondents, the report emphasizes that all resolution processes must embed procedural fairness for all parties, including the right to be heard, adequate disclosure, and impartial investigators.
4. Elite Athlete Production and Systemic Balance
While there is concern that these changes may make it more difficult to produce elite athletes, the report argues that maltreatment actually undermines the long-term success of the sport system.
- Erosion of the Pipeline: The report suggests that when abuse is tolerated, public trust erodes and parents become less willing to involve their children in sport, which weakens the pipeline of future elite athletes, coaches, and volunteers.
- Recalibrating Funding: The report calls for a new funding strategy that balances high-performance goals with safety and accessibility, prioritizing a system where health and dignity are valued as highly as medals.
- Role Models: The Commission recognizes that elite athletes serve as vital role models, but asserts that their achievements are diminished if they are produced through a “flawed system” that allows for “heart-wrenching stories of broken dreams and humiliation”.
Analysis on Funding for Youth Sports
The Commission describes a widespread and worsening funding crisis within the Canadian sport system that significantly impacts youth participation. Rising costs for registration, equipment, and travel, combined with a growing reliance on a “pay-to-play” model, have made sport increasingly unaffordable for many families .
The following analysis outlines the Commission’s specific findings and recommendations regarding the funding of youth and community sports:
1. Direct Financial Relief for Families
The Commission identifies that nearly 44% of parents report they cannot afford to register their children in organized sport. To address this, the report recommends:
- Targeted Subsidies and Tax Exemptions: The federal government, in collaboration with provinces and territories, should explore fiscal tools such as targeted subsidies for youth and families and potential tax exemptions on essential sporting equipment .
- Subsidies vs. Tax Credits: Some participants noted that past initiatives like the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit had limited impact on low-income families and suggested that subsidizing the activities themselves is a more effective way to increase participation.
2. The Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI)
The CSAI is a core component of the Sport Support Program aimed at removing barriers for under-represented youth, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQI+, and low-income participants.
- Call for Extension: Funding for this initiative is currently set to expire in 2026. The Commission calls for the federal government to increase and extend this funding to ensure stable, long-term support for grassroots sport development.
3. Rebalancing High-Performance and Community Funding
A major theme of the report is the need to recalibrate the sport system’s financial priorities.
- Shifting the Focus: The Commission found a disproportionate emphasis on winning medals, which has often come at the expense of developing sport at the community level.
- New Funding Strategy: The report calls for a multi-year funding strategy that balances high-performance goals with the broader objective of fostering a system that is safe, equitable, and accessible for all Canadians .
4. Infrastructure and School Sport Access
The report notes that school-based programs, historically the most affordable entry point for youth, are in decline.
- Declining School Programs: Low physical activity rates are partly attributed to budget cuts and a lack of trained staff or equipment in schools.
- Infrastructure Strategy: The Commission calls for a national sport infrastructure strategy to modernize aging facilities and increase community access to existing public facilities like school gymnasiums.
5. Funding for Indigenous Youth Sport
The Commission highlights that Indigenous youth face unique barriers, including high travel costs from remote communities.
- Support for Social Development: The Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) program provides funding for projects that improve health, education, and employability.
- Call for Sustained Support: Participants noted that current funding is often insufficient and provided on a short-term basis, making strategic planning difficult. There is a specific call for permanent funding for events like the North American Indigenous Games.
6. Small-Scale and Youth-Led Grants
The report acknowledges existing smaller federal supports, such as the Public Health Agency of Canada’s School Health Grant for Youth.
- Micro-grants: This program provided $1,000 micro-grants for youth-led healthy living projects, with approximately 39% of those projects focusing on physical activity. However, the program received far more applications than it could support.
- Ultimately, the Commission asserts that a strong, well-funded sport system is a fundamental investment in Canada’s youth and the country’s future, contributing to long-term health and reduced social costs.
Analysis on Sports Clubs and Facilities
The Commission’s report highlights that the lack of high-quality, accessible facilities and the unregulated growth of private clubs are major barriers to participation and safety within the Canadian sport system. The following analysis outlines the report’s findings and recommendations regarding sports infrastructure and club support.
1. The Infrastructure Shortage and Aging Facilities
The report describes a “chronic shortage” of adequate sport facilities across Canada, noting that many existing spaces do not meet modern standards for safety or accessibility.
- Deteriorating Condition: A 2019 assessment found that 30% to 35% of sport and recreation facilities were in “fair” condition or worse, with many being over 50 years old and in urgent need of repairs.
- Accessibility Gaps: Many older facilities are not accessible to persons with disabilities and lack inclusive features, such as gender-neutral washrooms.
- Impact on Participation: The scarcity of facilities results in long waitlists for programs—such as 8,000 people waiting for swimming lessons in Vancouver alone—and forces residents to travel long distances at high costs.
2. Funding and Revitalization Strategies
The Commission asserts that the federal government’s last significant comprehensive investment in sport buildings was in 1967. To address this deficit, the report calls for:
- A National Sport Infrastructure Strategy: The Commission recommends a collaborative strategy between all levels of government to assess needs and prioritize renovations or new multi-use builds.
- Dedicated Infrastructure Program: The report calls for a dedicated federal sport infrastructure program to provide stable, long-term funding, separate from general municipal infrastructure transfers .
- Leveraging School Facilities: Schools and municipal centres are identifies as the most affordable venues for sport. The Commission urges better coordination to grant community clubs after-hours access to school gymnasiums, which are currently underutilized.
3. Sports Clubs: Community vs. Private For-Profit
The report identifies a shifting landscape where private for-profit clubs are increasingly filling the gap left by declining municipal and school programs.
- Affordability Issues: While school-based sport costs an average of $70 per person, participation in a private sports club averages $1,122, making elite development prohibitively expensive for low-income families.
- Governance and Oversight Concerns: Many private clubs operate with “limited oversight” and “inconsistent safety practices,” sometimes prioritizing financial interests over participant well-being. The report notes that National Sport Organizations often lack the resources to monitor these clubs.
- Proposed Support and Licensing: To improve safety, participants suggested a “verified club program” or licensing system where clubs receive benefits (such as facility access) only if they adhere to standardized governance and safe sport policies.
4. Municipal Support and Facility Access
Municipalities own and operate 99% of the roughly 78,000 publicly owned recreation facilities in Canada.
- Equitable Access: There are concerns that some municipalities rent facilities to private clubs—who can afford higher fees—at the expense of community-based non-profit organizations.
- Role of Local Government: The Commission recommends that municipalities impose minimum requirements (such as safe sport training) on any club seeking to rent public space, which would force private clubs to align with national standards.
- Ultimately, the Commission views investment in sport infrastructure and the oversight of clubs as a vital investment in Canada’s youth, essential for fostering health, inclusion, and national unity.
Analysis on Central Funding and the impact on NSOs
The Commission report concludes that the Canadian sport system is currently “broken” and “fragmented,” largely due to a lack of national leadership and a confusing, ad hoc funding structure. The following analysis examines the report’s recommendations for centralizing federal funding and the resulting impact on National Sport Organizations (NSOs).
1. The Need for Centralized Federal Funding
The report calls for all federal sport and physical activity funding to be centralized within a single Centralized Sport Entity (CSE), ideally structured as a Crown corporation.
- A Unified Voice: Centralization is intended to redress the current fragmented approach by creating a single point of leadership responsible for policy, strategy, and funding distribution.
- Crown Corporation Model: The Commission selected the Crown corporation model because it operates at an arm’s length from the government, reducing political interference and providing more stable, predictable funding.
- Reduced Administrative Burden: Currently, NSOs must often submit duplicate applications to multiple agencies (e.g., Sport Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada), which creates an “excessive” administrative burden that the CSE would simplify.
2. The Dependency of NSOs on Federal Funding
The report highlights a high degree of financial vulnerability among NSOs, making them highly susceptible to changes in federal policy.
- Primary Revenue Source: Approximately 90% of NSOs are heavily dependent on federal funding as their primary source of income.
- Funding Ratio: On average, government funding accounts for between 47% and 50% of the total revenue for NSOs. Only a few “larger” NSOs operate with minimal reliance on federal grants.
3. The Current NSO Funding Crisis
A recurring theme in the report is that NSOs have reached a “critical point” due to chronic underfunding.
- The 2005 Freeze: Core federal funding for NSOs has not seen a significant increase since 2005, despite massive inflation and rising operational costs.
- Erosion of Purchasing Power: Since 2005, the purchasing power of NSO funding has decreased by an estimated 33%.
- Collective Deficits: NSOs are facing an estimated collective deficit of roughly $134 million to $140 million while attempting to meet their core mandates.
4. Impact on NSO Operations and Programming
The funding crisis has led to tangible declines in the quality and reach of national sport programs.
- Program Reductions: Due to budget shortfalls, 70% of NSOs have scaled back or eliminated programming, and 90% have reduced or cut training camps.
- Missed Competitions: 80% of NSOs report skipping international competitions that their athletes would normally attend.
- Downloading Costs to Athletes: To cover gaps, 80% of NSOs have increased athlete fees, forcing many high-performance athletes to resort to crowdfunding to meet basic training and travel expenses.
- Survival Concerns: Many NSOs expressed fear that they may not meet payroll obligations or could be forced to shut down entirely if the funding gap is not addressed.
5. Funding as a Lever for Compliance
Under the proposed centralized model, the CSE will use funding as its primary tool of persuasion to enforce national priorities.
- Mandatory Conditions: NSOs are currently required to adopt the Universal Code of Conduct (UCCMS) and specific governance standards as a condition of receiving federal funds.
- Monitoring and Auditing: The CSE would implement a proactive monitoring and auditing regime to ensure NSOs are using funds effectively and adhering to “safe sport” and governance requirements.
- Mandatory Efficiency Reviews: NSOs will be required to conduct “operational efficiency reviews,” which include establishing shared services or pursuing amalgamation (merging with other NSOs) to reduce administrative redundancies.