History, heritage, and community all intersect at your local sport‘s game. On the rink, on the field or out on the court, people come together to play and have a good time. There are songs to celebrate, good food to eat, and great company to keep.
Rural communities are vibrant areas of community, sport and recreation. There are many benefits from participating in sports including:
Health benefits from exercise and active living
Social benefits through playing with other people and feeling welcome
Creation of a community identity and having a sense of place
Rural communities are also notable for their abundant access to greenspace. In the previous lecture on "The Urban Exodus”, for many people, a pull factor in rural living is the outdoor space.
Opportunities for Rural Recreation
You can always find a tree to hug in a rural space. There are many local trails and outdoor spaces that can be found in rural communities. These can range from local trails to large parks. Some of the one’s near the Gateway CERH’s office include:
Goderich to Guelph Rail Trail - a trail that winds 132 km on former railroad tracks
Falls Reserve Conservation Area - fishing, swimming and hiking are all things to do in this local park
Point Farms Provincial Park - a great place to camp near Lake Huron
There are also many creative ways people develop sites of recreation:
Blue Stone Wake Park - an old quarry turned into a fun summer destination
Exeter Ram Rodeo - an amazing yearly event bringing together people, animals and places
Voice of the Grand River play project - a new project that inspires knowledge on the Grand River and shares insight into the cultural heritage of these areas
Arctic Winter Games - up to the north and not to be missed, the Arctic Winter Games has many sports unique to the circumpolar region of Canada and beyond
Kincardine Scottish Festival - a celebration of Scottish heritage and local feats of strength, agility and caber tossing
Edge of Walton - a site for local summer camp activities ranging from high ropes to kayaking
Webinar “Rural Sport and Recreation”
On Tuesday, March 4th, 2025, from 12 – 1 PM, Dr. Kyle Rich and Dave Shulist presented a lecture on “Rural Sport and Recreation” via ZOOM.
Dr. Kyle Rich is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sport Management at Brock University. Kyle's research looks at the impact of policy, community, and inclusion/exclusion on experiences in sport, recreation, and physical activity programming. This research has examined a variety of local, regional, and national programs and how they are implemented in both urban and rural contexts.
David Shulist is a Councillor at the Township of Madawaska Valley. In this role, he sits on the Barry’s and Area Recreation Committee. He is the Founding Commissioner of the Opeongo Heritage Cup, the Nations Cup of Curling bonspiel at the Killaloe Curling Club, and the Multi-Cultural Golf Tournament at the Wolf Ridge Golf Club.
They were able to speak on the benefits of participating in local sports, the importance of sports and local culture and some things you may not know. For example, many local emergency plans often rely on recreation spaces such as arenas or gyms.
You can watch the full episode here:
About Gateway Centre of Excellence in Rural Health
Founded in 2008 in the community of Seaforth, ON, Gateway CERH is a not-for-profit rural health research organization run by a community-based volunteer board of directors. Gateway CERH's main mission is to better the health and quality of life of rural residents through research, education and communication. Learn more on the Gateway CERH website at: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/ and follow on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube
A brief disclaimer: the views expressed in these lectures may not necessarily reflect Gateway CERH’s views or opinions, but we believe in providing a platform for a range of perspectives and thoughtful discussion.
Gateway CERH has a full library of lectures and information about the upcoming presentation that can be found on our website: https://www.gatewayruralhealth.ca/lectureseries
Or watch all past lecture online on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GatewayCERH/videos
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