Series 16 - Sport Policy

0.99 m of textual records (8 boxes)
18 digital files (566 KB)

This series documents Kidd’s official appointments and advocacy roles in influencing and shaping Canada’s sport policy at all levels of government. Kidd’s early foray into civil service helped to shape his values around sports as an integral part of society and the political economy of Canada. This series has early records from the National Advisory Council for Fitness and Amateur Sport. Kidd was a staff member from 1966-1967 and was a member of the Council from 1968-1970. Particularly, there is documentation on the Council’s Hockey Study including briefs, reports, surveys and research notes. There is also documentation on the Green Paper for Sport (1978) including the response written by Kidd and Abby Hoffman endorsed by Toronto City Council.

His advocacy, research and policy leadership reflect his belief in a “a well-funded, pan-Canadian sports system, with a commitment to high performance and sport for all” He consistently advocated for a sports policy that would address the inherent inequities in the Canadian sport system. This vision is reflected in his work to effect change from the 1970s onward. Included are briefs and reports on physical fitness, parks and recreation facilities, amateurism and governance of sport, sports broadcasting, high performance sports, to list a few. Of note, is documentation relating to Kidd’s and Prof Rob Beamish’s submission to the Dubin Inquiry including Kidd’s notes and appearance as witness to the Commission.

His significant contribution in shaping Canadian sports policy can also be found in several leadership roles he held on government committees and this series also contains documentation specific to these posts. These include:

1. as a member of the Task Force on National Sport Policy, Fitness and Amateur Sport, 1987-88, including the final 1988 report, talks, notes on sports financing and marketing;
2. as a Member, Canadian Discussion Group on Strengthening Commonwealth Sport, 1990-1993, including reports, proposals, correspondence, papers, proposals, press clippings, Working Group final report, Fitness and Amateur Sport International Advisory Committee meeting agendas;
3. as Chair of the Advisory Committee on Canadian Sport Policy, Office of the Secretary of State (Amateur Sport), 2001-2002 including meeting binders, draft reports, memos, position papers,
4. in evolving positions relating to a National Alternative Dispute Resolution System starting as a Co-Chair of a Work Group in 2000 that by 2004 led to the establishment of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada by the Physical Activity and Sport Act of 2003 on which Kidd was served two terms as Vice-Chair until the end of 2008. Documentation includes correspondence, reports, memos and notes of the working group.

In these two latter positions, Kidd is credited with shaping the federal-provincial-territorial agreement known as the 2002 Canadian Sport Policy and the 2003 Physical Activity and Sport Act. His policy work was consistently supported by his academic research and writing as well as his articles in the mass media and numerous talks and papers. Some of these can be found here such as The Status of the High Performance Athlete in Canada Study, Plus Ça Change – Research study in Association Hockey (2001), Ontario Physical Health Education Association - School Sport 2000, a symposium Kidd organized. However, many other examples can also be found in Series 10 - Talks, articles and papers.

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