#UnitedWePlay
Everyone deserves the benefits of an active, healthy lifestyle. When we come together to play as one, we create spaces where no one is left out and our communities grow stronger. Every individual plays a role in ensuring that recreation programs and spaces are welcoming, safe, and accessible for all. By embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion, we build a community where everyone thrives.
Recreation is for everyone, everywhere.
This Anti-Racism initiative is led by Recreation PEI and supported by our members and various recreation facility user groups, listed below.
We are hanging signs with the slogan #UnitedWePlay near the field of play and in entryways of participating facilities to remind everyone that recreation and sport should unite rather than divide. Inviting people in is not enough. We need to create an atmosphere in which everyone feels like they belong.
If you walk into any arena, curling club, or community centre on PEI, you will find the heart of that community. It is where people gather, compete, play, and cheer. In addition to building community unity, they are spaces which foster improved social, mental, and physical health. It is therefore crucial for these spaces to be welcoming and safe for all individuals of the community.
Prince Edward Island is home to many diverse communities that have shaped and enriched the province. But they also experience racism and discrimination. We know there is work to do to actively oppose racism in how our programs are planned and delivered as well as dealing appropriately with individual incidents.
#JouonsUnis
We recognize that signs are just a first step in creating spaces and programs which are Anti-Racist and welcoming of a diversity of people. As we continue to build policies and practices to eliminate racism from our systems and spaces, we hope the signs can be a reminder to all of what behaviour is acceptable in Island recreation facilities. We hope it can give pause to those who might enter our spaces and programs while still holding racists beliefs and we hope it can empower bystanders to act if they witness racist behaviour.
Recreation is a powerful tool that can bring diverse communities and individuals together. This distinctive characteristic makes it even more important to ensure that everyone is welcome to participate, lead and support the recreation activities that interest them. There is a responsibility on all those involved in the sector to acknowledge and address racism in recreation.
By uniting together when we play, all Islanders can make our communities places where everyone belongs.
Anti-Racism Charter
In 2024, Recreation PEI launched an Anti-Racism Charter in an effort to encourage action to make it better for current and future generations. The #UnitedWePlay campaign is one step on the Recreation PEI action plan to address racism. Other actions include the development of an Anti-Racism policy template which can be adopted by our member facilities, creating a mechanism for reporting incidents or concerns, and a procedure to respond to these, as well as ongoing training and learning at our board level.
Please visit here to learn more about the Charter or to see our action plan. The action plan is updated on a quarterly basis. Also, this page also has links to resources for anyone who wants to learn more about how to be Anti-Racist in recreation and sport.
Supporting user groups:
Participating facilities:
- APM Centre
- Belfast Recreation Centre
- Bell Aliant Centre
- Cavendish Farms Community Event Centre
- Cody Banks Arena
- Credit Union Arena
- Cornwall Curling Club
- Credit Union Place
- Eastlink Centre
- Eliyahu Wellness Centre
- Gateway Arena
- Jacques Cartier Arena
- Montague Curling Club
- Northumberland Arena
- Simmons Sports Centre
- South Shore Actiplex
- Three Rivers Sportsplex
- West Prince Curling Club
- Stay tuned as more facilities join the initiative!
The #UnitedWePlay #JouonsUnis initiative was created with funding support from the Province of Prince Edward Island through the Department of Fisheries, Tourism, Sport, and Culture- Sport, Recreation, and Physical Activity Division.
