History

A Look Back at Sports and Recreation in Canada

Sports and recreation in Canada is world-famous for its athletes and organizations. But it has had its ups and downs.

Some professional sports organizations, such as the National Hockey League (NHL), have flourished. The NHL, originally established in Montréal in 1917, has grown from four Canadian teams to 30 teams. But today only six of those are Canadian.

The Canadian Olympic Association has also prospered. Founded in 1904, the association was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee in 1907. Montreal hosted the 1976 Summer Games, Calgary the 1988 Winter Games and Vancouver and Whistler will play host to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games.

Attitudes in the sports world have also changed. Women, for example, weren’t always welcome in sports. They were considered physically and psychologically fragile. So it was a surprise when the 1928 Canadian women track-and-field team became world famous overnight after competing at their first Olympic Games in Amsterdam, running away with four medals and top standing.

Athletes such as Terry Fox and Chantal Petitclerc have challenged our notions about athletes with physical disabilities while making sports history. In 1987, Indigenous leaders from Alberta organized the first North American Indigenous Games. And in 2002, federal, provincial and territorial governments endorsed the Canadian Sport Policy to increase access and equity in sport.

This section is about the history of sports and recreation in Canada.