It’s Just About Having Fun’? Interrogating the lived experiences of newcomers To Canada in introductory winter sport programmes

Abstract

This study examined the underexplored relationship between winter sport, newcomer participation, integration, and national identity. Winter sports hold a prominent place within Canadian culture and identity; newcomers recognize this and express a willingness to try winter sports to feel ‘more Canadian’. Using a qualitative intrinsic case study design, I interrogated how newcomers to Canada experienced the significance of participating in one introductory winter sport programme – the WinSport Newcomers Programme – for their integration into Canadian society. Study methods included qualitative in-depth interviews and a photo elicitation focus group with WinSport Newcomers Programme participants, as well as participant observations of the programmes. This research was theoretically informed by social constructionist perspectives on race and ethnicity, as well as critical insights on sport-related integration. Using reflexive thematic analysis, I developed two themes focusing on the relationship between winter sport participation and newcomer integration, and considerations about future winter sport participation. Results illustrate that study participants experienced diverse programme outcomes and drew varied meanings from learning prominent Canadian winter sports. Various program shortcomings were also identified, which weakened the WinSport Newcomers Programme's integrative potential. Acknowledging the programme shortcomings, I argue that the role of introductory winter sport programmes for newcomer integration is worthy of future inquiry.