Inside Canada’s True Sport Movement: A Council of Europe Evaluation
For decades, the Council of Europe has been the guardian of ethical standards in sport across its member states. Its landmark document, the Sport Charter, serves as a blueprint for governments to promote fairness, integrity, and safety for all participants. So, when its monitoring body, the T-DO (Enlarged Partial Agreement on Sport), schedules an evaluation visit, it’s a significant event. Recently, their focus turned across the Atlantic to Canada, a nation with its own deeply rooted ethical sport framework known as True Sport. This visit wasn’t just an audit; it was a unique transatlantic dialogue on how to build a sporting culture that enriches society.
Why Canada? A Shared Commitment to Ethical Sport
Canada is not a member of the Council of Europe, so why the evaluation? The answer lies in a powerful alignment of values. The Canadian True Sport Movement, spearheaded by the non-profit organization True Sport and embraced by institutions like Sport Canada, operates on seven core principles: Go For It, Play Fair, Respect Others, Keep It Fun, Stay Healthy, Include Everyone, and Give Back. These principles resonate profoundly with the pillars of the Council of Europe’s Sport Charter, which emphasizes sport as a vehicle for social cohesion, health, and personal development.
The visit represented a formal opportunity to explore how these shared ideals are translated into practice. The Council of Europe’s experts sought to understand Canada’s governance model, its mechanisms for protecting athletes, and its strategies for promoting grassroots participation and inclusion. In essence, they came to study a living laboratory for values-based sport policy.
The Evaluation Agenda: A Deep Dive into Policy and Practice
The T-DO delegation’s itinerary was packed with high-level meetings and community engagements, designed to get a 360-degree view of Canadian sport. Key areas of focus included:
Governance and National Strategy
Meetings with Sport Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage were central. Discussions revolved around the federal government’s role in steering the True Sport ethos, funding structures that incentivize ethical behavior, and the integration of the principles into national sport policies. The experts examined how commitment from the top filters down to provincial and local organizations.
Grassroots Implementation and Safe Sport
A critical component of the visit was assessing how principles are enacted where it matters most: at the community level. Sessions with True Sport staff and partners revealed the tools and resources provided to clubs, coaches, and parents. A major point of discussion was Canada’s evolving safe sport infrastructure, including the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which addresses maltreatment and upholds a universal code of conduct.
Inclusion and Diversity
The Council of Europe places strong emphasis on sport as a tool for social inclusion. The delegation engaged with organizations working to break down barriers for underrepresented groups, including Indigenous communities, newcomers, and persons with disabilities. They explored programs that use the True Sport principles to foster belonging and equity in sport spaces.
On-the-Ground Observations
Beyond boardrooms, the visit included stops at local sport facilities and community programs. This allowed the evaluators to see the human impact of the policies and hear directly from athletes, coaches, and volunteers about the challenges and successes of building a positive sport culture.
Key Takeaways and Mutual Learning
While the full report from the T-DO is forthcoming, several clear themes emerged from this exchange:
The Bigger Picture: Sport as a Social Good
This evaluation visit transcended a simple policy review. It underscored a global consensus that sport is far more than just games and medals. When done right, it is a powerful social good that teaches resilience, builds community, and upholds human dignity. The dialogue between the Council of Europe and Canada reinforces that whether in Strasbourg or Ottawa, the goal is the same: to create sporting environments where every participant—from the weekend warrior to the elite athlete—can thrive in a context of respect, fairness, and joy.
The True Sport Movement, now scrutinized through the lens of Europe’s leading ethical sport body, stands as a testament to what is possible when a nation deliberately chooses to define success not only by podium finishes, but by the quality of the experience itself. The lessons from this visit will undoubtedly inform policy on both sides of the ocean, pushing the global community closer to realizing the full, positive potential of sport for all.
