July 30, 2014
Participating in Sports Culture Can Help With Integrating into Canadian Culture
If you walked through the streets of Toronto during the recent 2014 World Cup tournament, then you certainly saw the sea of flags from various participating countries proudly displayed on homes, cars and businesses. And like any true Canadian, we watched as our men and women’s hockey teams dominated ice hockey in this year’s Sochi Winter Olympics. An inevitable result of sporting culture is that it brings people who otherwise have no similar interests together; but in a multicultural society such as ours, could participation in sports actually help with societal integration?
A recent survey conducted by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship suggests that it can. Unlike other social structures such as the workplace or school yard, “sports are a natural and universal connection point”, and allows citizens to explore our social environment while participating in a culture that is uniquely Canadian. Sports can also be used as a platform from which other conversations can start, such as politics, history or local news. Participating in this one form of Canadian culture gives new citizens a chance to join an immersive and passion-inducing environment, where inclusiveness and teamwork are always part of the program.