Why should sport and physical activity leaders care about meeting the needs of families immigrating to Canada? By 2030, immigration will account for all of Canada’s net population growth.

Newcomers can bring renewal and vibrancy to sport and physical activity organizations. The majority of the ICC (2014) new citizen survey respondents were between 35 – 44 years of age with over 50 percent having children. They are looking for sports and physical activity opportunities for both their children and themselves. They are a new audience for programming and want an invitation to play! Many newcomers are keenly interested in taking part in both traditional and non-traditional sports and activities in Canada, but we may need to take different approaches to engage them.