How can sport attract and include more of us to play, volunteer and cheer — and help us feel like we belong? How can sport and recreation help the 35% of Canadians who find it difficult to make new friends?
From healthier and more meaningful lives; safer, more resilient and more inclusive communities; flourishing culture and identity and greater community participation; a greater sense of belonging has an extraordinary capacity to transform our lives and our communities.
Yet research found that 38% of Canadians don’t feel like they have a stake in their local community. So Vital signs asked: How can we strengthen belonging to each other and our communities?
One of those ways is through sport. In partnership with the True Sport Foundation, this Vital Signs Report on Sport and Belonging takes a closer look at how sport – when grounded in fairness, excellence, inclusion and fun – can strengthen belonging to each other and to our communities.