HAMILTON — Interval House of Hamilton (IHOH) is proud to announce the next chapter in the provincial rollout of Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM), following major funding from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services (MCCSS).
This milestone builds on the early advocacy of MPP Jess Dixon, who championed the initiative in 2023 and played a pivotal role in securing foundational support from the Ministry of Education. Her leadership laid the groundwork for this expansion and set the stage for deeper provincial collaboration.
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“When I first learned about Coaching Boys Into Men in 2023, I knew it was something we needed to bring to more Ontario schools—and I’m proud to have helped secure initial provincial funding to support that vision” said Jess Dixon, MPP Kitchener South – Hespeler, “with support from all three CFL teams and a recommendation in the upcoming Subcommittee report I authored, I’ll keep advocating until CBIM is in every publicly funded school across this province.”
With this momentum, partnerships have now been formalized with all three Canadian Football League teams in Ontario: the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, Toronto Argonauts, and Ottawa REDBLACKS.
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats have long been a driving force behind this work, having partnered with MentorAction—a program of IHOH—for more than five years. Their leadership has been instrumental in embedding CBIM into school communities in the Hamilton region, where coaches and mentors use the program to model respect and teach boys about healthy relationships, positive bystander interventions, and disrupting the platforms that often perpetuate gender-based violence.
“Programs like Coaching Boys Into Men turn locker rooms into classrooms that teach respect and character,” said Matt Afinec, President & COO, Hamilton Sports Group. “We’re honoured to help take this program province wide and stand alongside our fellow CFL clubs to build a culture that leaves no room for gender based violence in our communities.”
Now, with the Toronto Argonauts and Ottawa REDBLACKS officially joining the movement, CBIM is expanding its reach into schools and athletic communities across Ontario. These partnerships represent a united front in using sport as a vehicle to shift culture and empower the next generation of young men.
“We are incredibly proud to join fellow CFL Clubs in partnering with the Coaching Boys Into Men program, with a shared commitment to ending gender-based violence,” said REDBLACKS President Adrian Sciarra. “Football has provided us all with an opportunity to serve as community leaders, and we look forward to doing our part in helping to create spaces that are safe and welcoming for everyone.”
Toronto Argonauts GM Michael “Pinball’ Clemons said, “We are proud to be teammates with our Ontario rivals in supporting this important cause. If we’re not serving local youth, we’re not honouring our commitment to this community. The CBIM program is doing impactful work and we are thrilled to join our friends in Hamilton and Ottawa to amplify this initiative and expand its reach.”
As part of this next phase, trained players from each team will partner with local Violence Against Women (VAW) agencies (Interval House of Ottawa and Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke) and visit youth-based school and community sports teams who are delivering CBIM. These visits will include transformational discussions that focus on respect, healthy masculinity, and positive bystander interventions. The program will continue to model respectful behaviour and healthy relationships, while equipping boys with the tools they need to recognize and challenge gender-based violence.
“We are thrilled to have the full support of Ontario’s CFL teams behind this work,” said Sue Taylor, Executive Director of IHOH. “Their influence and commitment to youth development will help us deliver meaningful change at a time when it’s never been more needed.”
CBIM is an evidence-based program from Futures Without Violence that equips coaches to engage male athletes in regular, structured conversations about respect, gender equality, and violence prevention. With strong provincial investment and support from leaders across sectors—including education, sport, and government—IHOH and its partners are positioned to create lasting impact for generations to come.