Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport

The Ontario election is less than two weeks away and we're not hearing much from any party about their plans to increase support for sport across the province.

This is surprising because we know that kids involved in a good sport experience are more likely to remain physically  active, do better in school, are less likely to be involved in youth gangs, are less likely to use illicit drugs and more likely to acquire a number of life skills that help set them on a positive life course.

We also know that 83% of Canadians believe that community-level sport can instill character in Canadian youth by teaching them values and positive life lessons.

Furthermore, 78% of Canadians believe sport can strengthen our communities. Simply put, community-level sport is an incredibly valuable asset that is not being used to its full potential. If we want to take full advantage of sport as a public asset, we must invest in it. But it’s not just any sport that produces these benefits. It is good sport – sport that is values-based and principle-driven. We cannot afford to leave sport and its potential benefits to chance. We must be intentional and deliberate in our efforts to make a good sport experience available to all Ontario children.

So, we are waiting to hear from all of the Ontario political parties about their sport platform. How do they plan to put sport to work to instill character in our children and to strengthen our communities? How do they plan to ensure the sport that is available across the province is driven by the principles of Go For it, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone and Give Back?

If you get the chance, ask the candidates in your riding what their party's platform includes about investing additional dollars in good sport.