The Canadian Tire Corporation has announced it will invest CAD$50 million ©CTC

The Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) has announced it will invest CAD$50 million (£29.9 million/$40.5 million/€33.9 million) over five years to Jumpstart Charities, in order to give the country's children with disabilities greater access to sport and play.

Jumpstart's "Play Finds a Way" Movement includes funding for accessible playgrounds, infrastructure and programming to provide access to play and sport for children with disabilities.

This includes funding to build world-class, fully accessible "destination" playgrounds in every province and territory.

Funding will also be committed to retrofitting existing community centres, parks and arenas in communities to help remove physical barriers that prevent children with disabilities from participating in sport.

A major programme as part of this new initiative has also been announced, which involves a significant expansion of the Para-sport Jumpstart Fund in partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee.

The Fund will receive CAD$5 million (£2.9 million/$4 million/€3.3 million) over the next five years to provide young people with physical disabilities an opportunity to participate in adapted and integrated sports and recreation programmes, by assisting with the costs of registration, equipment and transportation.

This new initiative expands upon CTC's ongoing commitment to Jumpstart Charities to help Canadian children overcome financial barriers to sport and play.

The money will go to Jumpstart Charities who give the country's children with disabilities greater access to sport and play ©CTC
The money will go to Jumpstart Charities who give the country's children with disabilities greater access to sport and play ©CTC

It is claimed that since 2005, CTC has helped change the lives of more than 1.4 million financially disadvantaged children across Canada.

It will now invest a further $100 million (£59 million/$81 million/€67 million) over the next five years to continue to help financially disadvantaged children overcome economic barriers to play.

"Canadian Tire has been part of the fabric of Canada for 95 years and our involvement in sport and community goes back decades," said Stephen Wetmore, President and chief executive of CTC.

"'Play Finds a Way' is our renewed commitment to getting every kid in the game and a promise to help shape our nation's future through inclusiveness.

"With this significant contribution to Jumpstart, we are strengthening our efforts to remove even more barriers and making play more accessible for all kids in communities across Canada."