Fifteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

Sport in Canada is largely organized through National Sports Organizations (NSO). These not-for-profit organizations are charged with overseeing and delivering amateur sport. Examples are Hockey Canada, Athletics Canada, etc. While NSOs are independent organizations they receive partial government funding. Nonetheless, there has traditionally been little state oversight of these organizations. In recent years, this has begun to change as significant attention has been focussed on these organizations resulting in the national government issuing dictates (largely around issues of transparency and Safe Sport) that NSOs must meet in order to maintain their funding (which in some recent high-profile cases has been frozen). The presence of an activist Minister for Sport seems to be recalibrating the relationship between NSOs and government. This paper examines the dynamics of this evolving relationship and its implications for sport in Canada.