ICSN and Sport for Life Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Inclusive Sport and Community Impact

The Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network (ICSN) and Sport for Life (S4L) are proud to announce a strengthened partnership aimed at advancing inclusive, accessible, and community-driven sport across Canada.

Building on a strong foundation of collaboration, ICSN and Sport for Life will work together to co-host webinars, workshops, and community-based learning opportunities, while also engaging in ongoing knowledge-sharing and project co-creation to address key priorities within the Canadian sport system.

For communities, this partnership means closer access to the knowledge, training, and tools that strengthen sport and physical activity at the local level — delivered by and for the people closest to the participants. By combining ICSN’s reach into equity-deserving communities with Sport for Life’s national infrastructure, the partnership aims to ensure that capacity flows to where it is needed most, rather than remaining concentrated within institutional networks.

This announcement builds on a history of collaboration between the two organizations. ICSN and Sport for Life have previously partnered through key national moments, including the Sport for Life Summit, where ICSN President & CEO Shauna Bookal contributed to national conversations on building inclusive sport systems. Sport for Life has also been an active contributor to ICSN’s flagship events, including the Diversity in Sport Conference (DISC) and Black Leaders in Sports Day (BLSD), as speakers, partners, and community builders.

Together, ICSN and Sport for Life are committed to strengthening this collaboration to better serve equity-deserving communities and drive meaningful change across the Canadian sport landscape.

“This partnership reflects a shared commitment to reimagining sport as a space where everyone belongs,” said Shauna Bookal, President & CEO of ICSN. “In the context of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission’s Final Report, which calls for more equitable, accessible, and accountable sport systems, collaborations like this are essential. By working together, we can amplify impact, co-create solutions, and ensure that sport systems are truly inclusive, accessible, and community-centered.”

“ICSN and Sport for Life bring together complementary strengths — their leadership in advancing equity for communities historically underrepresented in Canadian sport, and our national reach across the sport and physical activity system. This partnership is about closing the gap between policy and practice, and ensuring that federal commitments to a more equitable sport system translate into real opportunities for the communities that need them most,” said Kabir Hosein, Director of Operations and Strategic Initiatives at Sport for Life.

Through this partnership, both organizations will continue to prioritize collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and community engagement as key drivers of sustainable change in sport.

 

About ICSN

The Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network (ICSN) is a national organization dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Canadian amateur sport system. Through programs, partnerships, and advocacy, ICSN works to create safe, inclusive, and accessible sport environments for all.

 

About Sport for Life

Sport for Life is a national organization that helps Canadians develop the confidence, competence, and motivation to be active for life through quality sport and physical literacy.

Rainbow Registered and Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network Announce Collaboration to Advance Inclusive Sport Systems in Canada

Rainbow Registered and the Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network (ICSN) are proud to announce a new collaboration. Together, we will focus on strengthening inclusive practice, accountability, and belonging for 2SLGBTQI+ individuals across the Canadian sport system.

Aligned with the 2026 Diversity in Sports Conference (DISC), this collaboration reflects a shared commitment to collective leadership and systems-level change. As a national multi-sport organization and the convener of pivotal industry events like DISC and Black Leaders in Sports Day, ICSN joins forces with Rainbow Registered to translate equity and inclusion commitments into sustained, measurable action for athletes, coaches, and sport administrators nationwide.

The collaboration brings together Rainbow Registered’s standards‑based accreditation and organisational inclusion expertise with ICSN’s national role supporting and convening the amateur sport sector. As a recognized Multi-Sport Organization under Sport Canada, ICSN brings a national platform for convening leaders, delivering education, and advancing systems-level change across sport. Together, the organisations are responding to the real and evolving needs of athletes, coaches, administrators, and community leaders navigating inclusion and belonging within increasingly complex organisational, social, and political environments.

As part of this work, Rainbow Registered and ICSN are exploring opportunities to align education, recognition, and incentives that encourage progress across different stages of organisational readiness. Initial areas of focus include collaborative learning opportunities, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and the integration of inclusion standards within sport-specific contexts. This includes examining how inclusion standards, accreditation, and sport‑specific context can work together to promote consistency, credibility, and long‑term cultural change, rather than one‑time or symbolic interventions.

“At ICSN, we believe that building inclusive sport systems requires more than intention—it requires collaboration, accountability, and sustained action. This collaboration with Rainbow Registered allows us to align our efforts and support sport organisations in moving beyond one-time commitments toward meaningful, measurable change. Together, we are working to ensure that 2SLGBTQI+ individuals feel safe, seen, and valued in sport spaces across Canada.”
— Shauna, President & CEO, Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network

“By combining Rainbow Registered’s accreditation standards with ICSN’s deep-rooted expertise in the amateur sport ecosystem, we are creating a roadmap for authentic belonging. We know that when athletes, coaches, and staff feel truly seen and safe, it transforms their mental health and well-being. Accreditation is more than a badge; it is a promise of care, ensuring that 2SLGBTQI+ identities are respected and protected in every locker room and front office across the country.”
— Victoria Wicks, Program Lead, Rainbow Registered (CQCC)

 

About the Partners

Rainbow Registered is a time-bound accreditation program that recognizes and supports businesses and organizations committed to authentic inclusion for 2SLGBTQI+ communities across Canada. Through a structured assessment process and required training, the program helps organizations build accountability, visibility, and trust.

The Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network (ICSN) is a national not‑for‑profit multisport organisation dedicated to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion across the Canadian amateur sport system by connecting leaders, sharing knowledge, and fostering collaboration and systems change. Through initiatives such as the Diversity in Sport Conference (DISC), and Black Leaders in Sports Day (BLSD) ICSN plays a key role in convening national conversations and advancing inclusive practices across the sport sector.

Together, Rainbow Registered and ICSN affirm that progress toward inclusive sport environments is collective, grounded in shared responsibility, learning, and action.

For more information:

🌈 Rainbow Registered
https://rainbowregistered.com
rainbowregistered@queerchamber.ca

🏅 Inclusion in Canadian Sports Network
https://inclusionincanadiansports.ca
info@inclusionincanadiansports.ca