Our response to the Future of Sport in Canada Commission’s interim report

At Play for Dignity, our purpose is to make sport everyone’s game.

The Commission’s interim report is a meaningful step forward, with many strong ideas across governance, alignment, and safe sport. But in its current form, it risks becoming a long list of recommendations without a clear path to delivery.

Our submission focuses on how to turn this into a coherent roadmap.

We support the creation of a centralized, arm’s-length sport entity to provide leadership and accountability. But for real change, this must be grounded in a human rights–based approach, recognizing the right to participate in sport, the right to safety and dignity, and sport as a driver of broader social outcomes.

There are also critical gaps to address. Alignment must extend beyond national and provincial sport bodies to include schools, municipalities, and community organizations — where most Canadians actually experience sport. And safe sport must be universal, not limited to high-performance environments, with consistent standards, independent mechanisms, and meaningful support for survivors.

The biggest risk is not disagreement, but diffusion. Without a unifying vision, even strong recommendations may struggle to translate into action.

The opportunity is clear: anchor the final report in the right to sport, and expand alignment to the full ecosystem.

Done well, this can move Canada closer to a future where sport truly belongs to everyone.

Read our response to the interim report.