Agreement will further showcase Indigenous achievement to CBC’s national audiences

Ottawa, Ontario – Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO - formerly known as Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario) and CBC have reached an exclusive five-year agreement making the national public broadcaster the premier media partner for the recognized Ontario sport governing body.

Last year’s successful partnership between CBC/Radio-Canada and the Toronto 2017 North American Indigenous Games (hosted by ISWO) resulted in more than 100 hours of live and on-demand coverage of the international sport and cultural event having been made available to Canadians. This newly announced agreement between ISWO and CBC builds on this past partnership to further improve awareness of and increase access to major sport and cultural events for Indigenous youth and adults in Ontario over the next five years.

“There are incredible stories of our People in the sports arena that need a voice,” said Marc Laliberte, President of Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario. “Partnering with CBC will provide Indigenous athletes, coaches, managers, volunteers, and teams the opportunity to share the important role of sport and wellness in our culture, while celebrating achievement and creating positive role models. Utilizing the unique reach of CBC throughout Ontario and across Canada will mean that more people than ever will not only learn about the mission of ISWO, but also be provided greater opportunity for participation.”

In addition to coverage of major events such as the Masters Indigenous Games, Ontario Indigenous Summer Games and Team Ontario’s participation in the 2020 North American Indigenous Games, CBC will provide coverage of ISWO’s flagship sport and wellness programs including Standing Bear Youth Leadership, the Urban Indigenous Sport Strategy, and the Far North Sport Strategy.

“Sharing the Indigenous sport experience with all Canadians underscores our commitment to ensuring Indigenous culture is on our platforms,” said Catherine Tait, CBC/Radio-Canada’s President & CEO. “All Canadians have stories to tell. Stories we need to hear. This agreement is an opportunity to spotlight the inspirational journeys of Indigenous talent who contribute to the development of sport in Canada, whether as athletes, coaches or organizers.”

“CBC Sports is dedicated to sharing athletes’ stories and their ongoing development with Canadian audiences, and this new collaboration with Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario allows us to collectively generate more awareness of the impact and importance of Indigenous sport and its participants,” said Greg Stremlaw, Head of CBC Sports & General Manager, Olympics.

Highlights of the agreement include:

• CBC Sports will provide a minimum of 100 hours of live and on-demand coverage throughout the series of ISWO events, including, but not limited to the Masters Indigenous Games (2021, 2023), and the Ontario Indigenous Summer Games (2019, 2021, 2023).
• CBC Radio will produce multiple documentaries telling the stories of the participants in ISWO programming who have used sport as pathway to wellness.
• CBC Arts will produce digital and radio content reflecting the rich diversity of cultural expression during ISWO events.
• CBC News’ award-winning Indigenous Unit will cover ISWO through original journalism, story-telling and news coverage. This coverage will be distributed across all CBC/ platforms, including those specifically developed to reach Indigenous people.
• CBC Sports will produce signature ISWO sport features for several platforms including ca, Twitter and Facebook.
• Where possible, CBC regional offices will collaborate with ISWO for the purpose of increased storytelling of Indigenous sport and wellness opportunities led by ISWO.
• Both CBC and ISWO will make best efforts to provide increased opportunities to promote Indigenous participation in sports media careers.

The announcement was made Monday in tandem with a multi-year Games partnership between ISWO and the City of Ottawa, together with Ottawa Tourism and the Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation.

Indigenous Sport & Wellness Ontario (ISWO) Quick Facts

• ISWO was formerly known as Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council of Ontario.
• ISWO is primarily funded through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.
• ISWO serves all Indigenous Peoples and communities across the province of Ontario, including First Nations, Inuit and Metis, living on and off-reserve, in rural and urban settings, and 29 Friendship centres, encompassing approximately 300,000 Indigenous Peoples across Ontario.
• ISWO promotes and creates opportunities for participation in sport and cultural activities that promote wellness and positive lifestyles for Indigenous peoples across Ontario.
• ISWO runs dozens of camps, regional tournaments, sport clinics, leadership workshops and local sport opportunities on annual basis.
• ISWO provides opportunities for physical literacy and competitive sport skill development and training by creating sport development pathways, designed specifically for Indigenous youth.
• ISWO’s Sport Development Pathway aims to reach Indigenous people at each stage of their life and provide continuing opportunities in the areas of sport and recreation.
• ISWO is recognized by the Aboriginal Sport Circle and the North American Indigenous Games Council, and is the designated sport body for the development, selection and management of Team Ontario, which participates in the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships (NAHC) and North American Indigenous Games (NAIG).

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Acknowledgement

ISWO honours the traditional lands and homelands of all Indigenous Peoples and communities across the province of Ontario, including First Nations, Inuit and Métis living both on and off reserve, in rural and urban communities.

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

Contact Information

info@iswo.ca

www.iswo.ca

facebook.com/iswo

@iswo

#ActivatingWellness

Tanya Koivusalo

CBC Sports publicist

tanya.koivusalo@cbc.ca

416.205.8638