By Annie Kennedy, Regional Sport Consultant & Maddie McDonald

Sport genuinely changes lives.

In our roles at Sport Nova Scotia, we have the privilege of helping make sport available to all Nova Scotians no matter their ability, background, age, gender or circumstance. We have been involved in sport as players, coaches, referees and now we work professionally in sport every day. 

One thing we have learned about working in the Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility space is that it’s not about hopping on the latest trend or checking boxes — it’s about intentional listening and meeting community where they are at. We know that it’s not the people who work in sport that make the biggest difference, it’s the coaches, parents, groundskeepers and volunteers who dedicate hours to the games we all love. 

As we work to make sport more inclusive, we brainstormed how we can create more spaces for those who have been historically left out of sport. We felt we had a pretty good understanding of what the most common barriers were, but we really wanted to get to know the communities and build trust. 

We decided our best way to connect would be to host community engagement sessions. Halifax Regional Municipality has the most diversity in the province, so we knew that each community would require a unique approach. In some communities, we hosted a very structured session, while in others there was more open conversation. 

During these sessions, we offered guided activities, interpreters, information on grants and resources and gave examples of what has been done in the past. We also understand the power of food in bringing people together, so we shared a meal during the session by providing food from a caterer from their community. 

As two proud queer women, we also led a closed space session for 2SLGBTQIA+ people involved in sport. We learned that many of these adults left sport as youth because they didn’t feel safe. With that learning, we have continued our engagement with the 2SLGBTQIA+ community through local Gender and Sexuality Alliance Youth Clubs. The feedback we have received has reinforced the idea that sport needs to evolve to reflect the communities it is serving to ensure all gender identities feel welcome. 

When people think of HRM, they often think of urban areas like downtown Halifax, Dartmouth or Bedford. However, this region also covers many rural areas, which can sometimes get overlooked. We hosted sessions in rural areas to help raise awareness about grants to support start-up costs like equipment, opportunities to become a coach and how to adapt sports to reflect the needs of the community. We’ve learned that when opportunities are offered, communities come together to make it work. 

What all of these meaningful sessions have taught us is that sport programming can be and should be flexible. What works for one group may not work for another. Whether it’s pickup games, formal tournaments or a mix of both, communities want sport. 

We invite you to re-imagine what sport could look like for your community. We’re here to work with you and help bring your ideas to life.