We believe in the power of sport. Right off the bat, here are just a few of the many highlights where sport was used as a vehicle for positivity throughout the year.

The Get More From Sport campaign drew national and international recognition as it educated parents about the perils of early sport specialization.

Sport Nova Scotia partnered with the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic and the Department of Communities Culture and Heritage to host consultations inviting input from sport stakeholders on how we can become the best sport system in the country.

Our partnerships with business’ and other non-profit organizations resulted in financial assistance to worthy initiatives including supporting hundreds of athletes across the province through the Support4Sport program, which is now in its 11th year.

More than 200 Nova Scotian athletes, coaches and officials were celebrated for their achievements in sport at the Support4Sport Awards.

Our work with Immigration Services Association of Nova Scotia helped refugee families participate in Sport and strengthen their connection in their new communities.

The 2017-2018 year was an interesting and exciting year for sport in the province and for Sport Nova Scotia.  We’ve worked hard with our key partners, the provincial government and the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic to determine how we can better engage and work with a broader slate of partners in order to have an even better impact on sport at all levels and in all communities across the province.

Perhaps most importantly, we began a strategic planning process that involved significant stakeholder engagement including our staff, provincial sport organizations, individual interviews and two public consultations.  Although the plan is not yet finalized, we have heard clearly that there is a desire for Sport Nova Scotia to increase efforts at the community level across the province.  We feel that this fits well within the scope of our broader sector work and we’re excited about both the challenges and opportunities we know this direction will provide.

Throughout this report you will see great examples of some of our on-going programming. In every instance we rely on so many wonderful partners and sponsors to help make this work happen, and we’d like to thank them all, especially the Nova Scotia Gaming Corporation who bring us our Support4Sport program.

As we look ahead to the completion of our strategic plan and its implementation, we know there is much to be done and we’re anxious to get started.  We also know that if we are to be successful, it will be the result of numerous groups and organizations; the job is too big to be done alone.  Our provincial sport organizations and their community members will continue to be a vital element to this success, and we thank all of the staff and volunteers who continue to make sure sport programs are provided for Nova Scotians

We also want to thank our own Sport Nova Scotia team.  We are very lucky to have an incredibly talented, passionate and dedicated staff who have truly led our success.  We have also benefited from the guidance and support of our volunteer board of directors, and we appreciate their willingness to lend us their time and expertise.  Both will be critical as we continue to strive to bring the important benefits of sport participation to all Nova Scotians.

Jamie Ferguson
CEO
Sport Nova Scotia