Victoria Thursday, March 12, 2020 11:30 AM
Giving people opportunities to be active and engage in sport is the foundation of Pathways to Sport, B.C.’s new strategic framework.
The first public-facing document of its kind in B.C. in over a decade, Pathways to Sport sets out a clear vision for a prosperous and sustainable sport sector. It will guide government investments and identifies three key priority areas: increasing sport participation, strengthening athlete development and enhancing event hosting opportunities for B.C. communities.
“We know sport contributes to our health and wellness and adds to the vibrancy of our communities,” said Lisa Beare, Minister of Tourism Arts and Culture. “Every person should have an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of active living, and this is why we are putting forward a plan for a provincial sport system that is accessible, affordable, safe and inclusive for everyone.”
The framework is based on four key principles: affordability, accessibility, equity and inclusion, and safety and ethics. It focuses on those who continue to be under-represented in sport, including people with disabilities, lower income families, Indigenous peoples, immigrants and new Canadians, 55+ adults, and girls, women and non-binary genders. This framework will also guide new relationships with Indigenous peoples based on reconciliation and respect as B.C. continues to lead Canada in implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action related to sport.
“ViaSport is proud of its role in supporting the process of creating B.C.’s strategic framework for sport, helping to ensure that sport continues to be a catalyst for positive health, social and community benefits,” said Charlene Krepiakevich, CEO of viaSport.
Quick Facts:
- Currently, more than 800,000 British Columbians play organized sports and are members of one of the more than 70 provincial sports organizations, multi-sport organizations or disability sport organizations.
- B.C. is a leader in Canada for high-performance sport, contributing approximately 34% of the athletes on Canadian national teams.
- In February 2019, B.C. endorsed the Red Deer Declaration, which called for a co-ordinated response to addressing and preventing harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport.
- As part of the 2020 Athlete of the Year Awards, the Province launched the new Delivering on Diversity Award, which recognizes a provincial, disability or multi-sport organization that has demonstrated a commitment toward advancing accessibility and inclusion in sport.
- The award supports the Province’s commitment to gender-based analysis plus, diversity and inclusion.
Learn More:
The Pathways to Sport framework: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/sports-culture/sports
Read more about viaSport’s work: https://www.viasport.ca/
This on BC govt Website go to the link here