Building Stronger Communities Through Sport
What you need to know
The Government of Canada is Building Canada Strong through sport. From playground to podium, we are investing in communities, supporting athletes and uniting Canadians.
Today, Secretary of State (Sport) Adam van Koeverden and Secretary of State (Labour) John Zerucelli announced a major federal investment in sport and community infrastructure at Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus in Etobicoke.
Through the Build Communities Strong Fund, the Government of Canada is investing up to $76 million toward the construction of a new Athletic and Community Recreation Hub.
The new Hub will expand access to sport and recreation for students, athletes and community members, while providing a new national training home for Canada Basketball. It will feature six gymnasiums, a high-performance training centre and a playing field, while doubling available programming for community, academic and high-performance uses.
Additionally, through new federal funding, the Government of Canada will provide a $1.8 million Sport Support Program top-up to Canada Basketball’s overall annual funding, totaling $81,356,685 for 2026-2027.
Today’s announcement builds on the Government of Canada’s $1 billion investment in sport, the largest in our nation’s history, support Canadian athletes, strengthen sport infrastructure, increase participation and ensure Canada continues to host world-class sporting events. A country that comes together through sport is a country united.
Please amplify the linked shareables! For more information, see today’s news release.
Key Messages
The Government of Canada is investing up to $76 million through the Build Communities Strong Fund toward a new Athletic and Community Recreation Hub at Humber Polytechnic’s North Campus.
The new Hub will expand access to sport and recreation in Etobicoke, bringing communities together with six gymnasiums, a high-performance training centre, a playing field and 32,000 hours of community use each year.
The facility will provide a new national training home for Canada Basketball, housing its training and operations and supporting athlete development at every level.
Available programming will double, creating more opportunities for community members, students and athletes to participate in sport and recreation.
From playground to podium, this investment will help increase participation, strengthen communities and support Canadian athletes in pursuing excellence.
Our work to strengthen Canada’s sport system is anchored in five pillars: Build, Host, Protect, Perform and Participate – investing in infrastructure, safe sport, athlete development and greater access to sport for Canadians.
