About Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities
Welcome! We are the Indigenous Sport Unit at Sport Canada. We manage and deliver the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) component of the Sport Support Program (SSP).
SSDIC supports diverse Indigenous communities across Canada by funding Indigenous nations and organizations who deliver sport and recreation opportunities within the communities they serve. SSDIC offers flexibility that supports Indigenous communities and organizations to self-determine their own social development goals and how to go about achieving them.
SSDIC funding is delivered through 3 streams:
- Stream One: $5.3 million is available annually to the 13 Provincial/Territorial Aboriginal Sport Bodies (PTASBs) and the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) for the development of sport community programming
- Stream Two: $3.6 million is available annually to Indigenous governments, communities, and other not-for-profit Indigenous organizations for projects that promote sport and recreation in Indigenous communities
- Stream Three: $2.5 million is available annually to Indigenous governments, communities, and other not-for-profit Indigenous organizations that specifically support sport and recreation projects serving Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ peoples
Definition of sport
Recognizing and respecting that there are many important cultural approaches to health and wellness in Indigenous communities, the definition of sport is broader for SSDIC than that which Sport Canada uses for high performance sport. The focus of SSDIC is on supporting the self-determined social development goals of communities and program participants.
The SSDIC social development goals can be facilitated by any sports or physical activities and can include cultural components, such as traditional and cultural sports (for example, snowshoeing, Inuit games, snow snake game, traditional dance) and non-traditional sports (for example, skateboarding, bowling, dance) or by physical activities (for example, pow wow dancing, berry picking, etc.), that have a recreational or wellness component. Ultimately, it is up to the Indigenous organizations and communities receiving project funding to determine what is appropriate for their needs.
Sport for social development
Sport for social development understands that through physical activity, communities can improve not only physical wellbeing, but also other social determinants of health. SSDIC was created in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s Calls to Action, and specifically supports the following four key social development goals in Indigenous communities through SSDIC Stream One and Stream Two:
- Improved health
- Improved education
- Increased employability
- Reduction of at-risk behaviour
SSDIC Stream Three was created in response to the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG). Drawn from the MMIWG Calls for Justice, Stream Three has unique social development goals which focus on:
- physical and mental health
- suicide prevention
- sexual trafficking awareness and prevention
- safe and healthy relationships
- sexual positivity (2SLGBTQI+)
Contact us
We would love to hear from you! The best way to reach us is by email.
- sportcanada.ssdsca-ssdic.sportcanada@pch.gc.ca
- Address
- Sport Support Program
Department of Canadian Heritage
15 Eddy St
Gatineau QC J8X 4B3 - Telephone
-
To speak to a representative of SSDIC, please send an email to sportcanada.ssdsca-ssdic.sportcanada@pch.gc.ca and indicate a phone number at which you can be reached. A representative will contact you within 2 weeks.
If you are unable to send emails, you can call at 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free number) and leave a contact number with the Call Centre Agent. A representative of the SSDIC Unit will contact you within the Service standards for Canadian Heritage funding programs.
- Customer Support Line
- 1-866-811-0055 (toll-free)
- TTY
- 1-888-997-3123 (toll-free)
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