Report: 60% of Canadians say perception of women's sport has improved over 3 years
TORONTO – A new report says 60 per cent of Canadians believe perceptions of women's sport have improved over the past three years.
The study also found that 80 per cent of men consider themselves fans of women's sport.
However, the report found that over 30 per cent of fans still say investment is lacking across media, sponsorship, and policy.
Commissioned by Torque Strategies, in partnership with IMI, the report was presented at the espnW Conference at Toronto's Evergreen Brick Works on Wednesday morning.
It also found that 41 per cent of Canadians see women's sports as a national investment.
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Since the Professional Women's Hockey League was founded in 2023 there has been a 45 per cent increase in female hockey registrations in Canada, a historic record for the sport.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 18, 2025.
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Photo: Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Elizabeth Thompson They are also concerned about the plan's U.S. exposure at a time when President Donald Trump's administration has made the country a riskier place to invest. The Trump administration's big, beautiful tax reform bill also contains a section that risks hitting Canadian pension funds (new window) that have U.S. investments with a new withholding tax that experts predict could cost Canadians and Canadian companies billions if it is adopted. Some pension funds, like the Public Sector Pension Investment Board which has 41 per cent of its assets invested in the U.S., have said in recent days that they are reconsidering their U.S. exposure and are looking for more Canadian investment opportunities. Michel Leduc, head of public affairs and communications for the CPPIB, says it has to invest for the long term, regardless of individual governments or administrations. We're investing money for people who aren't even born yet, he said. That long-term thinking must be the strongest pillar of how we think about our investment strategy. But he says the CPPIB at the same time isn't short-term stupid. We're continuing to think through what could be some of the bigger impacts, he said. Leduc said the U.S. percentage has grown even though the fund has been diversifying away from the U.S. because the existing investments have grown in value. U.S. stocks have gone up, he said. It's just because we make good investments. Time to invest at home again? The CPPIB is also open to Canadian investment opportunities, Leduc said. Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced plans to invest and build in Canada. He has mentioned pension funds as one possible source of money. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne said the government also plans to host foreign pension funds interested in investing in Canada. People see Canada as the place to invest, Champagne told CBC News. 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