Funding of amateur sports: disparities that raise questions

At the federal level, Canada has invested CAD 300 million to revive the amateur sports sector, which was severely impacted by the pandemic. Part of these funds were allocated through Sport Canada as part of a program that supports national organizations, participation initiatives, and international events. However, these investments often prioritize media-covered sports like hockey and soccer, which also receive substantial private support. In reality, such concentration of resources only exacerbates existing inequalities, excluding less popular but equally important sports.

In Quebec, the 2023-2024 budget allocated CAD 410 million to sports, recreational, and outdoor infrastructure. Of this amount, CAD 300 million is earmarked for new projects, while CAD 110 million will support existing initiatives. While these funds include projects for rural communities, emerging or less popular sports receive a limited share of these resources. However, investing in a broader range of sports could have a much greater societal impact by reducing chronic disease costs and improving social inclusion.

Unequal Support Across Disciplines

Popular sports naturally attract more attention and thus receive more funding. For example, hockey benefits from significant resources for infrastructure and talent development. In 2022-2023, Hockey Canada received CAD 13.7 million in federal support for player training and infrastructure development. In contrast, sports like gymnastics, judo, or figure skating struggle to secure enough funding to maintain or modernize their facilities. For instance, Gymnastics Canada received CAD 2 million to develop training centers—nearly seven times less than Hockey Canada. Notably, there are only twice as many hockey enthusiasts (600,000) as gymnasts (300,000) in Canada.

In 2022-2023, Swimming Canada received approximately CAD 7 million in federal funding. Although substantial, this amount is still far less than what hockey receives. The point here is not to downplay hockey funding but to highlight the need for more diversified financial support across different sports to foster greater equity.

Why These Disparities?

Disparities in funding between sports often stem from their popularity and ability to attract spectators and sponsors. Media-covered sports like hockey or soccer benefit from much larger resources, making it harder for less popular sports to compete. However, even though they are less publicized, these sports offer significant benefits in terms of social inclusion, diversity, and public health.

Many funding programs aim to diversify access to sport. For example, the "Community Sport for All Initiative" seeks to reduce barriers to sports participation by focusing on underrepresented groups, such as Indigenous communities, women, and people with disabilities. However, despite these efforts, grassroots sports often receive less funding than elite sports that focus on international medals and prestige.

Women’s sports, still too often overlooked, represent another area where better fund allocation is essential. While female athletes perform exceptionally well on the international stage—demonstrated by the recent achievements of Canadian women at the Olympics—they continue to receive significantly fewer resources and media coverage than their male counterparts. Similarly, local initiatives that integrate traditional Indigenous sports practices, although promising, remain underfunded compared to more popular sports.

Consequences for Communities

These gaps create a vicious cycle: underfunded sports struggle to attract new participants, thus limiting their growth. The lack of modern facilities, insufficient trained coaches, and limited access hinder their expansion. Furthermore, rural and remote regions face additional challenges as funding tends to be concentrated in major urban centers.

A More Inclusive Sporting Future: An Opportunity to Seize

Federal and provincial governments are investing significant amounts into amateur sports, but the disparities between disciplines highlight a major challenge: how to allocate these resources to maximize their social and community impact? Hockey will continue to dominate due to its popularity and commercial appeal, but is it fair that emerging or lesser-known sports are relegated to the background?

At a time when public health and social cohesion are critical issues, it’s necessary to rethink our priorities. It's time to view sports not only as a spectacle but also as a tool for social transformation.

By supporting a greater diversity of sports, governments wouldn’t just promote active lifestyles, but would contribute to a more inclusive and dynamic society. The time has come to ask the fundamental question: are we truly investing in sports for all?