The minister of Sport is a

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

cabinet minister responsible for

Sport Canada Sport Canada is a branch of the Department of Canadian Heritage that develops federal sport policy in Canada, provides funding programs in support of sport, and administers special projects related to sport. Its mission "to enhance opportunitie ...

(and

sports in Canada Sports in Canada consist of a wide variety of games. The roots of organized sports in Canada date back to the 1770s. Canada's official national sports are ice hockey and lacrosse. Other major professional games include curling, basketball, bas ...

, more generally), who typically assists the

minister of Canadian Heritage The Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture is the minister of the Crown who heads Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Heritage, the department of the Government of Canada responsible for Canadian culture, culture, Media in Canada, medi ...

. The specific name of the ministerial designation has changed many times since the position was introduced in 1961, typically depending on the portfolio it falls under. It was originally known as the Minister of Amateur Sport, answering to the

Minister of National Health and Welfare The minister of health () is the minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing health-focused government agencies including Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as enforcing the ''Canada ...

. The position was then relegated to the Secretary of State in 1976, with various titles, only to return as a full cabinet position in 2015. That year, the title was changed to Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities following the appointment of

Carla Qualtrough Carla Dawn Qualtrough (; born October 15, 1971) is a Canadian politician and former Paralympic swimmer who served as the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity from July 2023 to December 2024. A member of the Liberal Party, Qualtrough repres ...

and the addition of the responsibility toward

disability in Canada Disability in Canada affects approximately 8 million individuals aged 15 and older. According to the 2022 survey by Statistics Canada of those reporting a disability nearly 42% of seniors had four or more co-occurring disabilities, while 43% of y ...

to the portfolio. In 2018, shortly after

Kirsty Duncan Kirsty Ellen Duncan (born October 31, 1966) is a Canadians, Canadian politician and Health geography, medical geographer from Ontario, Canada. Duncan was the Member of Parliament (Canada), Member of Parliament (MP) for the Toronto riding of Et ...

assumed the role, the name was changed to the Minister of Science and Sport. After the 2019 federal election, Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau (born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who served as the 23rd prime minister of Canada from 2015 to 2025. He led the Liberal Party from 2013 until his resignation in 2025 and was the member of Parliament ...

did not appoint a Minister for Sport, passing on this responsibility to the Minister of Canadian Heritage,

Steven Guilbeault Steven Guilbeault (; born June 9, 1970) is a Canadian politician and activist who has served as Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture since 2025. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, Liberal Party, Guilbeault has sat as a Member of Par ...

at the time. After the 2021 federal election, the position was once again spun out, and

Pascale St-Onge Pascale St-Onge ( ; born May 13, 1977) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Brome—Missisquoi in the House of Commons of Canada from 2021 Canadian federal election until 2025. She served as the Minister of Canadian Heritag ...

was appointed to the office. In a 2023 cabinet shuffle

was appointed to the office again, and the name was changed to Minister of Sport and Physical Activity.

Terry Duguid Terry Duguid (; born 1954 or 1955) is a Canadian politician. A member of the Liberal Party of Canada, he has been the Member of Parliament for Winnipeg South since the 2015 federal election. Duguid was Minister of Environment and Climate Cha ...

was appointed to the office in 2024, at which point the name was shortened back to Minister of Sport. The position was reduced to a secretary of state position in the

30th Canadian Ministry The Thirtieth Canadian Ministry is the Cabinet of Canada, cabinet chaired by Mark Carney, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and which has governed Canada since Justin Trudeau vacated the office. Following the 2025 Liberal Party of Canada leadership e ...

, the Secretary of State (Sport).

Ministers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Minister for Sport (Canada) Disability in Canada Sports in Canada Sport, Minister for Canada, Minister for Sport