African Centre in Toronto’s essential goal is to provide a range of opportunities for people of various ages to participate in sports and physical activity.

1. Economic value: ACT provides a variety of direct and indirect income streams to their communities. One of the ways is their help in attracting new business to an area. Quality parks and recreation are cited as one of the top three reasons businesses choose a community. By maintaining parks, CSOs also drive up property values and their corresponding tax revenues. Finally, these departments generate direct revenues through the fees they charge for participation in sports, recreation, and related activities.
2. Health and environmental benefits: ACTs influence the health of local residents of all ages. According to the ACTs having places to be physically active can improve community health and result in a 25% increase in residents who exercise at least three times per week. Parks and public lands also improve the environment, having positive effects on water and air quality, as well as wildlife habitats.
3. Social importance: Parks provide gathering places for people to socialize and enjoy activities together, and their services are usually at low cost or free. This enables access for people of all socioeconomic conditions. For this reason, parks rank among the most important factors in community livability surveys.