Title: Sport and civic engagement: community governance and the sport policy process

Authors: Michelle Rose

Addresses: School of Human Kinetics, Research Centre for Sport in Canadian Society, University of Ottawa, 125 University Ave. Montpetit Hall room 227, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada

Abstract: As the primary providers of sporting amenities, municipal governments have a substantial responsibility for the delivery and administration of sport in Canada. However, the responsibilities for sport and recreation have traditionally been a provincial jurisdiction. Within the last decade, sport policies in Canada have emerged from all levels of government. Due to the dynamic and often complex nature of Canada|s federal system of government, relationships between federal, provincial and municipal levels have evolved to deal with the interdependencies and overlap of political jurisdictions. It is the purpose of this study to examine how changing policy priorities and territoriality over the jurisdiction of sport have forced municipal governments to seek alternative sources of political and financial leadership and how municipalities have evolved to deal with the complexities of Canadian federalism to become legitimate players in the sport policy process. More specifically, this paper examines how community governance has emerged from the contestation period of the welfare state to explain current trends in state intervention in sport.

Keywords: sport policy; community governance; multilevel governance; sport councils; welfare state; Canada; infrastructure; hosting; sporting amenities; municipal governments; federal government; provincial governments; state intervention.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSMM.2007.013714

International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing, 2007 Vol.2 No.4, pp.412 - 425

Published online: 22 May 2007 *

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