Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects related to sport. Its mission "to enhance opportunities for all Canadians to participate and excel in sport."^[2][3]

The Government of Canada, through Sport Canada, provides financial support through 3 programs: Athlete Assistance Program, which gives direct financial support to selected national team athletes (CA$33 million/year); the Sport Support Program, which funds Canadian sports organizations (about $178.8 million/year); and the Hosting Program, which helps sport organizations to host the Canada Games and international sport events (about $21.6 million/year).^[2] Sport Canada special projects include research projects; projects aimed at increasing participation in sport;^[4] the Long-Term Athlete Development Model; and Podium Canada, consisting of the Own the Podium and Road to Excellence programs, aimed at improving Canada's performance at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.^[5]

In 1961, the Fitness and Amateur Sport Act came into force, whereby the Government of Canada made an official commitment to “encourage, promote and develop fitness and amateur sport in Canada.” Under this act, the now-defunct Department of National Health and Welfare, through its new Fitness and Amateur Sport Program, was responsible for making grants to any organization that carried out activities in the field of fitness or amateur sport. A few years later, the Canadian government created two new directorates: Recreation Canada, which was tasked with improving the lifestyle of Canadians, and Sport Canada, which was responsible for developing competitive sport.^[3]

The Dubin inquiry proved to be a seminal event in Sport Canada's history, in the wake of the Ben Johnson doping scandal and national embarrassment.

Jean Charest was Minister of Fitness and Amateur Sport for a time during the Mulroney government, and he intended with his 1989 "Towards the Year 2000" policy statement "to elevate Canada to one of the top three positions in the world in the area of sport."^[6]

Sport Canada controlled in 1991 sixty-five "national sport organizations" (NSOs), as the "pivotal agency in each category of sport in Canada". These NSOs were "incorporated non-profit agencies recognized by the federal government and eligible for federal financing through the Fitness and Amateur Sport Directorate."^[6]

In the early 1990s, the role of the Fitness and Amateur Sport Program was split between the Department of Canadian Heritage, which would be responsible for Sport Canada from then onward, and the Department of Health.^[3] The Department of Canadian Heritage was initially created by Prime Minister Kim Campbell from parts of several other federal departments, combining amateur sport with a number of other departments.^[7]

Sport Canada has since remained under the auspices of Canadian Heritage, while Health Canada continues its mandate of "encourag[ing] Canadians to take an active role in their health, such as increasing their level of physical activity and eating well."^[3]

For much of its existence, responsibility for Sport Canada was given to a junior Cabinet Minister reporting to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. In 2015 with the advent of the government of Justin Trudeau, Sport Canada became the responsibility of the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, a full Cabinet position that would eventually cease to be filled as of 2019.^[8]

The Government of Canada is involved in sport primarily through programs and policies administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage. Pursuant to section 4(2)(f) of the Department of Canadian Heritage Act, the department is tasked with "the encouragement, promotion and development of sport."^[3]

There are three major sport funding programs that are run by Sport Canada which "provide financial assistance to our high-performance athletes, advance the objectives of the Canadian Sport Policy, and help Canadian organizations host sport events that create opportunities for Canadians to compete at the national and international level."^[9]

• Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) — The AAP has a goal of providing funds to athletes throughout their training and preparations before and during National and International Games. Funding provided by the APP can be granted to Canadian athletes who meet the proper eligibility requirements. It is recommended for athletes who request the assistance of the AAP to live and train within the country, however, as long as the request is justified by the National Sport Organization, an exception may be granted for certain Canadian athletes to receive funding from the AAP.
• Sport Support Program (SSP) — distributes funding to national sport organizations (NSOs), national multisport service organizations (MSOs), Canadian sport centres, and other non-governmental organizations that provide direct services and programs for athletes, coaches, and other sport participants.^[3] Funding is provided to eligible organizations for programming that is aligned with the goals of the Canadian Sport Policy.^[10]
• Hosting Program — supports the hosting and organization of national and international sporting events in Canada,^[3] enhancing "the international profile" of Canadian sport organizations as well as delivering "economic, social and cultural benefits to Canadian communities."^[11] This program is distributed through four sectors: International Major Multisport Games (Summer and Winter Olympic & Paralympic Games; Commonwealth Games, and Pan and Parapan American Games, etc.); International Single Sport Events; International Multisport Games for Aboriginal Peoples and Persons with a Disability; and Canada Games, which are the largest Canadian games.^[11]

The Government of Canada, through Sport Canada, invests funds and hard work into national level athletes and sporting events through the Sport Support Program (SSP). In order to provide "a role in supporting amateur sport or in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for Canadians," Sport Canada provides help to three major types of sport organizations: National Sport Organizations (NSOs), National Multisport Service Organizations (MSOs), and Canadian Sport Centres and Institutes.^[12]

• Earl Dawson, regional director of Sport Canada and secretary of the Canada Games council (1971–1987)^[23]: 104
• Lou Lefaive, national director of Sport Canada (1971–1974, 1978–1980)^[23]: 256

• Sports in Canada