Sport for Life Launches Comprehensive Resource to Transform Sport Access for New-to-Canada Participants
New pathway addresses urgent need as Canada welcomes one million immigrants by 2027
With Canada preparing to welcome roughly one million immigrants over the next three years, Sport for Life has released a strategic response that positions sport and physical activity as a crucial tool for successful inclusion and community connection.
The New-to-Canada Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Pathway (NLTD)1 represents a comprehensive blueprint for creating inclusive sport experiences. Developed as 99.3% of Canada’s recent population growth stems from immigration, this resource addresses a critical gap in supporting newcomers’ transition to Canadian life.
Responding to Integration Challenges
Canada’s population reached 41 million in April 2024, with 240,955 new residents arriving through immigration in the first quarter alone. However, research from the Institute for Canadian Citizenship2 reveals an emerging concern: “onward migration”—immigrants leaving Canada—is increasing among recent cohorts, indicating integration challenges.
The NLTD directly addresses this reality. New-to-Canada participants who feel connected to their communities are more likely to stay in their host countries, which establishes sport and physical activity as an important pathway toward developing a sense of belonging
Evidence-Informed Development Process
Developed over 13 months through collaborative consultation with experts in immigration, settlement, sport, and academia, these many perspectives helped refine the NLTD. The concept was shared and validated at major national conferences including Metropolis Immigration Conference, the Coaching Association of Canada’s Sport Leadership Conference, and the 2025 Sport for Life Summit.
Building on Sport for Life’s proven Long-Term Development framework and incorporating learnings from the Indigenous Long-Term Participant Development Pathway, the resource ensures both theoretical soundness and practical cultural sensitivity.
Strategic Target Audience Approach
The NLTD strategically serves two essential partner groups: organizations supporting new-to-Canada participants (including but not limited to settlement agencies, ethnocultural organizations, intercultural associations, and faith centres) who guide newcomers but may lack detailed sport system knowledge, and sport and physical activity organizations (spanning community groups offering active games to national sport organizations) who seek to welcome newcomers but need guidance on culturally responsive programming.
This integrated approach addresses awareness, delivery capacity, and practical application, creating a complete inclusion framework.
Research-Based Benefits
The resource uses evidence to establish the importance of sport and physical activity participation. Research shows 87.3% of newcomers report that welcoming activities increase their sense of belonging to Canada, while sport provides natural immersion opportunities for language development.3 Transferable skills like teamwork and leadership enhance workplace success, and physical activity reduces stress, anxiety, and isolation common during settlement. Regular physical activity supports cognitive function and educational outcomes, while sport creates shared experiences that strengthen family and community bonds.
Identifying and Solving Systematic Barriers
The NLTD identifies six primary participation barriers—time constraints, financial limitations, cultural differences, information gaps, communication challenges, and discrimination—and then provides targeted, actionable solutions for each.
Practical tools include the Quality Sport Checklist for Communities and Clubs,4 which provides a comprehensive organizational assessment; the Checklist for Inclusion, which offers a 14-point evaluation framework for welcoming practices; the Community Scan Template, which allows for systematic mapping of local resources and opportunities; and Revenue Generation Strategies, which outline sustainable funding approaches for program implementation.
Seven Guiding Principles Framework
The resource centres on the Seven Guiding Principles of Long-Term Development—evidence-based principles that ensure effective implementation. Collaborative and aligned approaches foster cross-sector partnerships and shared vision, while evidence-informed continuous improvement uses participant feedback and data for program refinement. Developmentally appropriate programming meets participants at their individual developmental stages, and the progression from physical literacy to multisport involvement to specialization creates progressive, personalized pathways. Safe, inclusive and welcoming environments establish psychological, physical, and cultural safety, recognizing that excellence takes time and respecting individual, non-linear development journeys. The framework emphasizes lifelong engagement, building a foundation for sustained participation across life stages.
Comprehensive Implementation Guidance
Beyond conceptual frameworks, the NLTD provides detailed stage-by-stage considerations from Active Start through Active for Life, recognizing that new-to-Canada participants enter the system at various ages and developmental stages.
The resource includes sections on coaches and officials development, Indigenous relationships, governance considerations, safe sport principles, and the Athlete Development Matrix for holistic participant development. Critically, it addresses sustainability through detailed revenue generation strategies, recognizing that effective programming requires stable funding mechanisms.
Proven Success Models
The resource showcases established success stories, from champions at the highest level of sport including Alphonso Davies, Marco Arop, and Bianca Andreescu, to community leaders creating local opportunities. These examples demonstrate both aspirational possibilities and practical implementation pathways.
Current programs like the Winnipeg Newcomer Sport Academy and Action for Healthy Communities initiatives provide replicable models for communities beginning their inclusion journey.
Immediate Implementation Pathway
The New-to-Canada Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Pathway is available at sportforlife.ca/nltd, where you can access immediate implementation tools.
The resource includes fillable checklists, adaptable templates, case studies, comprehensive funding strategies, and step-by-step implementation guidance—everything required to begin meaningful community change immediately.
Whether supporting new-to-Canada participants through settlement services or delivering sport and physical activity programs, this resource provides the evidence base, practical tools, and implementation roadmap necessary for creating inclusive, welcoming experiences that support successful integration.
Canada’s continued prosperity depends on effective immigrant integration. Sport and physical activity offer proven pathways to community belonging, health improvement, and social connection. The NLTD provides the definitive guide for transforming this potential into practice.
Access the complete resource at sportforlife.ca/nltd and begin implementing evidence-based inclusion strategies for new-to-Canada participants in your community today.
1 Sport for Life. (2025). New-to-Canada Long-Term Development in Sport and Physical Activity Pathway. https://sportforlife.ca/portfolio-item/new-to-canada-long-term-development-in-sport-and-physical-activity-pathway/
2 Institute for Canadian Citizenship. (2023). The leaky bucket: A report on the retention of newcomers. https://inclusion.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/print_the-leaky-bucket_2023.pdf
3 Institute for Canadian Citizenship. (2023). Newcomers isolated from recreational activities, Canoo survey finds. https://inclusion.ca/article/canoo-survey-newcomers-isolated-recreationalactivities/
4 Sport for Life. (2023). Quality sport checklist for communities and clubs. https://sportforlife.ca/portfolio-item/quality-sport-checklist-for-communities-and-clubs/