Province reveals funding support for local sports and recreation groups
Ontario government officials announced on April 19 $30 million in funding support for local sports and recreation organizations, while eliminating the cost of police record checks for volunteers looking to lend a hand in their communities.
“Ontario’s sport and recreation sector was among the first and hardest hit by the pandemic,” said Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod. “As we emerge from the pandemic, this investment will help ensure families and athletes are able to return to the sports and activities they love.”
This funding includes:
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- $20 million to ministry-recognized provincial sport organizations (PSOs) and multi-sport organizations (MSOs) to distribute to their local member clubs such as soccer, karate and volleyball.
- $3 million to help the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) and its 17 teams meet their academic scholarship commitments for current and former players.
- $7 million to the Ontario Sport Network (OSN) to distribute to local community-based sport and recreation organizations such as dance and cheerleading.
The investment into the OSN is to deliver a one-time application-based relief fund targeting community level sport and recreation organizations, clubs, teams, leagues, and associations that have sustained losses due to COVID-19. This is the first time Ontario’s government is supporting sport organizations not affiliated with a government recognized PSO or MSO.
“Community and local sport organizations go hand in hand,” said Cyril Leeder, chair of the OSN. “This support from the government will ensure Ontario’s sport and recreation sector can continue to provide communities across Ontario with an opportunity for all ages to get active and safely play the sports they love.”
On April 1, the province eliminated fees for record and judicial matters checks, which are commonly required by organizations that work with volunteers, including sport organizations. The removal of the fee allows for one of the hardest hit sectors to receive a greater pool of qualified volunteers, allowing organizations to move forward with programming with the required support.
