With the Canada Games set for next summer, the province has declared that 2025 will be the Year of Sport.

The Year of Sport will celebrate sport and athletes in this province and will consist of marquee events, including the 2025 Canada Games. Throughout the year, there will be spotlights on community sport, volunteerism, women and inclusivity in sport, seniors in sport and athletes and builders.

During the Year of Sport, the public will have access to free skates and swims, as well as access to multi-purpose facilities throughout the province. The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts and Recreation and Celebrate NL will also deliver several programs in support of the sporting community, including provincial sport organizations and municipalities. Further details on these funding programs, including eligibility and application guidelines, will be issued in the coming weeks.

At the event, Premier Andrew Furey announced that the province is providing funding to SportNL to formalize a safe sport contract with ITP Sport. Safe sport refers to the provision of an environment that promotes positive physical, mental and emotional well-being for all sport participants. Safe sport encompasses areas such as injury prevention (like concussion in sport) and safe and inclusive sport, free of abuse, harassment and discrimination.

The enabling of third-party oversight in the province will provide an investigative body for complaints related to misconduct in sport, resulting in a safer environment for athletes to thrive.

“Sport is the cornerstone of many communities in our province and is often the guiding light toward success for our young people,” says Furey. “This year, we will highlight all that is good about our sport and recreation sector and our province’s athletes.”