Sport Policy in Prince Edward Island: A Case Study

Abstract

In Canada, while provincial and territorial governments are key actors in the institution of amateur sport, limited research has examined the impact of sport policy at the provincial and territorial levels (Lachance & Parent, 2023). While Canada’s political landscape is highly regionalized and complex (Losardo, 2024), less scholarly attention has been given to the cultural and geographical factors that affect sport policy implementation in Canada (Rich et al., 2022). As a result of this, much of the established literature does not encompass the agency of regional policymakers within Canada’s multi-level governance system, particularly in relation to understanding the regional and jurisdictional differences that underpin sport policy development (Rich, Nelson, et al., 2024). To address this gap, I analyzed provincial sport policy in Prince Edward Island (PEI). Broadly, the purpose of this study was to investigate sport policy at the provincial level in PEI and to analyze how PEI’s cultural and geographical context is implicated within sport policy and decision-making processes. This study answers the following key questions: 1) how have provincial policymakers addressed sport in PEI? and 2) how do cultural and geographical factors of being an Island province affect sport policy? I utilized an intrinsic case study methodology to examine these questions specifically within the province of PEI. Data were collected through document analysis and semi-structured interviews with decision-makers and individuals within the sport system who are informed on provincial sport policy in PEI. Critical Policy Analysis (CPA) was employed to analyze the collected data. Institutional complexity and community embeddedness were utilized as the primary theoretical lens for this thesis. The analysis identified that shifting political priorities and ideologies of the Provincial Government led to sport being addressed differently across successive administrations. The findings also revealed how the Island identity and smallness of PEI influence various policy decisions and governance practices, which collectively shape sport policy in the province. This research contributes to sport policy and management literature through an in-depth analysis of how provincial policymakers in PEI address sport, and how PEI’s culture and geography influences the sport policy processes.