By Keiran Gorsky
While the 2026 Commonwealth Games get underway in Glasgow, Scotland for 149 Canadian athletes – including six from Ottawa – the nation’s capital learned that there’s more to Commonwealth sport than a quadrennial showcase for some of the planet’s most exceptional athletes.
In the months leading up to Glasgow 2026, Commonwealth Sport Canada’s Sport for Newcomers (S4N) program landed in Ottawa as well as St. John’s, NL. Commencing in 2019, S4N has partnered with local community sports hubs to make activities accessible for young newcomers to Canada.
“The goal overall is providing barrier-free, welcoming programming, quality sports sessions to newcomer youth,” explains Commonwealth Sport Canada SportWorks officer Becky Kolberg. “It’s just creating that welcoming environment for them to feel comfortable, more confident, and gain new experiences and new skills in sports.”
In 2020, Commonwealth Games Canada changed its name to Commonwealth Sport Canada to better reflect the work it does beyond organizing Canada’s participation in the international multi-sport event.
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Much of its efforts are focused on using sport as a development tool in some of the British Commonwealth’s less developed countries and communities.
In Ottawa, from April through the end of June, S4N hosted a range of introductory sports sessions at the Taggart Family YMCA, in addition to a skating event at Tom Brown Arena. Sports included basketball, swimming, pickleball, soccer, badminton and an outdoor day at the YMCA’s Camp Otonabee. Some sessions were directed at youth, and others included women’s-only opportunities.
“(S4N) has reduced barriers to participation by providing access to sports and recreation opportunities that youth may not otherwise be able to experience because of costs associated with equipment, transportation, registration fees, or unfamiliarity with local recreation systems,” notes National Capital YMCA manager of youth programs, employment and newcomer services Gabrielle Lallier by email.
Being many participants’ first exposure to the sports on the card, Kolberg arranged to have local coaches lead introductory activities. The “Swim to Survive” session at the Y offered a positive case study.
As Kolberg recounts, participants clutched onto the walls of the pool at the beginning of the session, hesitant to wade into deeper water. As they worked with instructors over the hour-long lesson, though, their confidence grew and grew. Soon, kids were practicing the skills they had learned and the nervousness had given way to an air of “rambunctious fun.” By the end, they didn’t want to leave.
“(When) we finish a session and the first thing they ask for is more time, you know you’re working towards something really impactful,” Kolberg underlines.
More than just providing an environment in which to exercise and socialize, the program was intended to give young people a better sense of their new community. A day trip to Camp Otonabee saw some 50 participants travel to the Y’s outdoors centre in Dunrobin.
The participants enjoyed the organized activities, but Lallier recalls a beautiful moment was during unstructured time when they came together for improvised games of soccer, volleyball and badminton. Thrilled with the experience, participants asked how they could recapture it.
“One of the most encouraging outcomes was hearing youth ask questions like, ‘How do I do this in my park near my house?’ and ‘Where can I play outdoor sports near me?’” Lallier highlights. “That curiosity showed us they weren’t just participating for a day — they were beginning to see recreation and community spaces as something they could access and enjoy on their own.”
In essence, the program acted as a social catalyst. Youth left sessions together, navigated public transit routes as a group, coordinated schedules for future events and invited their friends to join in.
The program concluded in the middle of the FIFA World Cup with a four-hour-long soccer tournament and wrap-up party. As S4N moves on to other cities, the Ottawa program leaders say the ultimate measure of success for the program will be long-term engagement.
The Y’s Newcomer Youth Leadership Development program will continue year-round and S4N participant feedback will help shape future programming, while the relationships formed with instructors and participants will carry forth.
Another persisting imprint from the program were the healthy habits learned. Lallier was struck by what occurred naturally when youth were given free time at Camp Otonabee, without cell phones in hand.
“There were large groups connecting, laughing, and playing together,” she reflects. “It was a powerful reminder of how sport can bring people together and create opportunities for meaningful connection.”
– with files from Isabella Disley
This article is part of the Ottawa Sports Pages’ Inclusion in Sport series. Read more about local sport inclusion initiatives at: OttawaSportsPages.ca/Ottawa-Sports-Pages-Inclusion-In-Sport-Series/.