Aboriginal Sport Circle Welcomes Federal Investment in Sport, Highlights Opportunity for Indigenous Sport Systems

May 1, 2026

Ottawa, ON - The Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) is welcoming the Government of Canada's announcement of $775 million in funding for sport over five years, with $118 million annually ongoing beginning in 2026-27, as outlined in this week's Spring Economic Update.

ASC acknowledges the leadership of Prime Minister Mark Carney and Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden in advancing this investment, which represents an important step toward strengthening sport systems across the country.

"This is a significant and welcome investment in the future of sport in Canada," said Rob Newman, President of the Aboriginal Sport Circle. "For Indigenous communities, it creates an opportunity to expand access to safe, inclusive and culturally grounded sport and recreation, while strengthening systems rooted in Indigenous leadership. These systems support not only participation, but also wellness, community connection and pathways for young people to grow and lead."

For many Indigenous communities, access to sport, physical activity, and recreation remains uneven - shaped by geography, infrastructure gaps and long-standing inequities in funding and support. This investment presents an opportunity to begin addressing those disparities in a meaningful and sustained way.

The announcement aligns with The Spirit of Sport - Active Together, a 10-year national strategy championed by the Aboriginal Sport Circle to strengthen Indigenous sport, physical activity and recreation systems grounded in Indigenous cultures, values and leadership. It also supports stronger connections with the broader sport system, creating space for Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing.

The Aboriginal Sport Circle looks forward to working with partners across the sport system to help ensure this investment supports communities in ways that are equitable, community-informed and responsive to diverse regional needs.

Media Contact:
Jennifer Purdy
Aboriginal Sport Circle
ascoffice@aboriginalsportcircle.ca
www.aboriginalsportcircle.ca

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About the Aboriginal Sport Circle

The Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) is Canada's national voice for Indigenous sport, physical activity, and recreation bringing together the interests of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. Established in 1995, the ASC was created through a national consensus-building process, in response to the need for more accessible and equitable sport and recreation opportunities for Aboriginal peoples. This mandate has expanded to include physical activity as well as expand advocacy and program areas again, to include health, nutrition, physical education, wellness.

As a member-based organization, each regional association carries the mandate to represent the grassroots interests of the Indigenous peoples in their jurisdiction. It is their collective regional voice that guides the direction of the ASC and establishes its national priorities. Through partnerships and collaborations, the ASC supports expertise in athlete and coaching development, physical literacy and physical activity programs to Indigenous communities throughout Canada.

The ASC is also the franchise holder for the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), and annually hosts the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC), in addition to effecting policy change at the highest levels of government.

 

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