The Tragically Hip Partners with Canadian Tire to Help Keep Girls in Sport

Canadian Tire Corporation (“CTC”) is teaming up with iconic band The Tragically Hip to raise awareness for the need to empower girls across the country to be leaders in sport.

According to Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities’ (“Jumpstart”) 2022 State of Sport report by Ipsos, 45% of Canadian parents say their child is currently not involved in playing any sports and when it comes to girls specifically, a report by Canadian Women & Sport and E-Alliance states, 1 in 4 are not committed to returning to sport¹. Gender inequity in grassroots sport has always been an issue but has been exacerbated by COVID-19. CTC and The Tragically Hip are partnering to raise awareness of this issue to help get girls back in the game.

The Tragically Hip and CTC are proud to support Jumpstart’s Girls in Sport initiative, which aims to create an environment where girls thrive and choose to continue to participate in sport. To do this, the band is donating a catalogue of exclusive signed memorabilia, which will be available to Canadians through an online contest and auction beginning in April. In addition, The Tragically Hip and CTC are donating $50,000 each to support the cause. To learn more and to get notified when the event launches, visit ct100xthehip.ca. Jumpstart is committed to empowering girls to stay engaged in sport for life through programming and advocacy, so girls can grow into strong leaders in their communities. Jumpstart supports programs designed specifically for girls and young women in every province and territory, with just under half (48%) of all the kids helped each year being female. Since launching the Keeping Girls in Sport online resource in 2018, Jumpstart has trained over 5,800 coaches and youth activity leaders on the principles of gender equity in sport, creating safe and respectful environments for female athletes.

The Tragically Hip have a legacy of giving back to Canadian communities and advocating for women in hockey. They began sponsoring girls’ minor hockey in Kingston, Ontario in the mid-1990s, cheering on the Kingston Kodiaks and then Ice Wolves. They formed a friendship with Jayna Hefford, hockey player and one of the most decorated Canadian Olympians of all time, that endures to this day.

“Jumpstart is grateful to The Tragically Hip and CTC for their generosity, and for helping to bring awareness to the significant barriers to sport that remain for Canadian youth,” said Scott Fraser, President of Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. “Programs like the Girls in Sport initiative are critical in building our legacy of getting kids, especially girls, involved in sport. The opportunity to play is about much more than getting active – sport teaches important life skills like courage, confidence and teamwork.”

“We were proud watching the recent Summer and Winter Olympics and see the women punch way above their weight. It inspired us to want to get involved and give more women an opportunity to participate in sports. Partnering with Canadian Tire to support Jumpstart’s Girls in Sport program seemed like the perfect fit for us,” said The Tragically Hip.

In celebration of its 100th birthday in 2022, Canadian Tire has further partnered with The Tragically Hip to create a unique composition of The Hip’s famous song Ahead by a Century. Performed by the youth choir Young Voices Toronto, the song is featured in Canadian Tire’s newest campaign which highlights some of the Company’s core values – community, inclusivity and sustainability. It can be viewed here.

⁽¹⁾ 2022 Jumpstart State of Sport Report By Ipsos
COVID Alert – Pandemic Impact on Girls in Sport, 2021 (Canadian Women & Sport and E-Alliance)

About Canadian Tire Corporation

Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited, (TSX: CTC.A) (TSX: CTC) or “CTC”, is a group of companies that includes a Retail segment, a Financial Services division and CT REIT. Our retail business is led by Canadian Tire, which was founded in 1922 and provides Canadians with products for life in Canada across its Living, Playing, Fixing, Automotive and Seasonal & Gardening divisions. Party City, PartSource and Gas+ are key parts of the Canadian Tire network. The Retail segment also includes Mark’s, a leading source for casual and industrial wear; Pro Hockey Life, a hockey specialty store catering to elite players; and SportChek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, Intersport and Atmosphere, which offer the best active wear brands. The more than 1,740 retail and gasoline outlets are supported and strengthened by CTC’s Financial Services division and the tens of thousands of people employed across Canada and around the world by CTC and its local dealers, franchisees and petroleum retailers. In addition, CTC owns and operates Helly Hansen, a leading global brand in sportswear and workwear based in Oslo, Norway. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.

About The Tragically Hip 

Critically acclaimed for more than three decades, The Tragically Hip have been at the heart of the Canadian musical zeitgeist, evoking a strong emotional connection between their music and their fans that remains unrivalled. The five-piece group of friends – Rob Baker (guitar), Gord Downie (vocals, guitar), Johnny Fay (drums), Paul Langlois (guitar) and Gord Sinclair (bass) – grew up in Kingston, Ontario. The Tragically Hip have achieved both mass popularity with more than 10 million albums sold in Canada and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S, as well as peer recognition through 15 Juno Awards – picking up their last two for Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year for Man Machine Poem. Their studio catalog includes their self-titled debut album The Tragically Hip (1987), Up To Here (1989), Road Apples (1991), Fully Completely (1992), Day For Night (1994), Trouble At The Henhouse (1996), Phantom Power (1998), Music @ Work (2000), In Violet Light (2002), In Between Evolution (2004), World Container (2006), We Are The Same (2009), Now For Plan A (2012), Man Machine Poem (2016) and Saskadelphia (2021). The final show of The Tragically Hip’s Man Machine Poem Tour was broadcast on Aug. 20, 2016, from the K-Rock Centre in their hometown of Kingston, Ontario, and was viewed by over 11 million Canadians. Throughout their career, the band became a cultural touchstone in Canada and, despite their accolades and numerous recognitions, will always be proudest of the humanitarian work they have done over the years through numerous charitable organizations and causes.

About Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities

Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity committed to ensuring kids in need have equal access to sport and recreation. With an extensive, national network of more than 1,000 grantees and 289 local chapters, Jumpstart helps eligible families cover the costs of registration, transportation, and equipment, and provides funding to selected organizations for recreational infrastructure and programming. Supported by the Canadian Tire Family of Companies, Jumpstart has provided more than 2.5 million opportunities for Canadian kids to get in the game since 2005. For more information, visit jumpstart.canadiantire.ca. Follow Jumpstart on Twitter and Facebook to learn about how the charity is giving kids across Canada a sporting chance.

Contact:

Carolyn Skinner – Media Contact – carolyn.skinner@cantire.com – (647) 326-3203

Source: Canadian Tire Corporation Limited