What is the Community Cup?

The Community Cup is a yearly event in Ottawa’s Brewer Park that combines a 24-team recreational soccer tournament with free multicultural activities that celebrate Ottawa’s welcoming communities. It is a free community event – multigenerational and multicultural. Based around a unique recreational soccer tournament where teams are mixed and winners are based on scores and/or spirit points

How long has it been in existence?

The Community Cup began in 2005 as an initiative by the Host Program of the Catholic Immigration Centre (CIC). This year will mark the 6th year for the event in Ottawa and will act as part of a training session for five other Host programs that are looking to run similar events in their city.

What are the main attractions at the Community Cup?

The main attraction is a 7-on-7co-ed recreational soccer tournament, with prizes including the Spirit Cup and Community Cup Trophy. A musical language village, international food bazaar, craft workshops, Kids FunZone and Volleyball pick-up games run with the help of HOPE Volleyball SummerFest. There will also be a reaffirmation ceremony conducted by Suzanne Pinel, known to many as television's Marie-Soleil, where participants repeat the oath of citizenship to express their commitment to Canada, and receive a reaffirmation certificate. Both new citizens and current Canadian citizens are welcome to participate.

Why Soccer?

Soccer, as seen by the FIFA World Cup, is an international sport. Just as it can bring nations together, it can also bring people together to become friends.
Soccer, or football as it is known in many places around the world, couldn’t be a better fit for a welcoming, diverse and inclusive community. Indeed, the official World Cup motto in 2006 was “a time to make friends”.

Soccer is a main focus and primary “lure” of the Community Cup for its popularity amongst newcomers, for its increasing popularity in Canada, for its simplicity, and for the team focused relationship building regardless of skill level, culture, gender, age and even language.

What do we hope to achieve through the Community Cup?

The Community Cup is not a "fund-raiser" rather it is a "friend-raiser". The main objective of CIC's Community Cup is to facilitate new friendships, create new networks for community members and newcomers to Canada. All the while helping to build strong, welcoming communities that help newcomers to settle, adjust and enjoy their new lives in Canada more quickly.

What is the Host Program?

The Host Program is a friendship building program that brings together newcomers to Canada and established community residents for friendship, sharing, and learning. Throughout the year Ottawa has between 200 and 300 active volunteer matches who meet up regularly to have fun, learn about another culture and discover the city together.  There are 51 Host programs in Ontario – with Host Programs being offered in Ottawa through the Catholic Immigration Centre.

How many people are expected to attend?

We expect over 2000 people to attend the event.  It will be a multicultural and multigenerational demographic, but is one of the top events to witness diversity and large gatherings of newcomers to Canada.

Why is Community Cup Important?

Building welcoming communities is the goal of several cities across the nation. Providing a place where new comers feel welcomed and at home so that they are happy, well adjusted and better able to participate fully in their new communities.
Community Cup promotes this idea by bringing together newcomers from all different walks of life with volunteers and established community residents for a day and an event where all people can come together in friendship to work, play and foster long lasting personal relationships.

Has it had any national/ global impacts?

Community Cup’s goals are based in and around the community in which the event takes place, but the ideas of acceptance and welcoming communities is something that can be translated into a global perspective. As participants take with them from this event an understanding and tolerance for other cultures along with a desire to make their community a welcoming place, they pass along this message and it grows from community to community, nationwide and globally.