ABSTRACT
Canada is the second largest country in the world in terms of surface area1 but its population is considered to be quite modest at approximately 33 million.2 Although the majority of this population inhabits cities and towns located within 200 kilometres of the largest unguarded border it shares with the United States, there are a significant number of small and isolated communities in all provinces and in the northern territories. Canada is composed of ten provinces and three territories and governed through a federalist state that divides legislative authority between two levels of government: federal and provincial. Culturally, Canada has been influenced by its European heritage, its proximity and collegial affiliation with the United States, its multicultural population, recognition of its Aboriginal population, the linguistic diversity of Francophone and Anglophone Canadians, and its regional diversity. This complexity has had an impact on both the nature and extent of government involvement in sport participation and the manner in which government policies regarding sport participation have been implemented.
