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- calendar_today November 12, 2026
Canadians’ engagement with outdoor activities and recreational sports has experienced notable changes in recent years, with official statistics revealing both rising participation rates and efforts to improve access to a broad range of facilities.
According to the 2021 Households and the Environment Survey, nearly 8 in 10 Canadian households (78%) reported taking part in outdoor activities close to home, up from previous years. Walking remained the top outdoor activity, enjoyed by 74% of households, followed by bicycling (35%), park or playground visits (34%), and hiking (29%). Notably, 21% of households reported visits to swimming pools or beaches, while 12% participated in activities like boating, kayaking, or jet-skiing. Provinces such as British Columbia led participation, with 82% of households engaged in outdoor pursuits, and urban centers like Victoria reporting an 84% walking participation rate. Organized sports continued to be a part of household routines, with 15% engaging in fast-paced games like soccer or basketball (StatCan: More Canadians getting active outside, 2021).
Expanding the lens to individual sports participation, StatCan’s 2023 data showed that more than half (55%) of Canadians aged 15 and older participated in sports such as soccer, ice hockey, swimming, and running. Men were somewhat more likely (62%) than women (49%) to participate. Swimming ranked as the most common sport overall, with 35% involvement, but running emerged as the top choice for several racialized groups. Motivations for participation were diverse—82% cited physical health and fitness, while social and mental health benefits followed closely. Most sports participants (83%) preferred informal play outside of clubs or leagues, illustrating a vibrant recreational sports culture outside traditional structures (StatCan: Diving into the data, 2023).
Access to outdoor activities is closely linked with the availability of facilities. The Open Database of Recreational and Sport Facilities (ODRSF) catalogs approximately 182,000 recreation and sports facility locations across the country. These facilities encompass 18 types, from trails, parks, playgrounds, and beaches to pools, arenas, and stadiums. The database consolidates data from various provincial and municipal sources and is freely accessible for mapping and analysis, helping Canadians and planners understand and improve facility distribution nationwide (StatCan: The Open Database of Recreational and Sport Facilities).
Together, these datasets point to robust and growing participation in outdoor and recreational sports activities among Canadians, alongside ongoing efforts to catalog and enhance public access to a wide array of recreation facilities across the country.
