Investments will go toward supporting athletes and increasing
participation in sport
CALGARY,
AB, July 4, 2024 /CNW/ - This summer,
Canadians will come together to cheer on Team Canada at the
Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic
Summer Games. Canada's athletes will inspire us to believe in the
power and possibility of sport. They are invested in making Canada
proud, and the Government of Canada is invested in setting athletes
up to do their best.
Today, during a visit to the Canadian Sport Institute Alberta in
Calgary, the Honourable Carla
Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, announced over
$55 million over the next two years
in sport. Minister Qualtrough was joined by the Honourable Anita
Anand, President of the Treasury Board, and the Honourable Randy
Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and
Official Languages. These investments will go directly toward
supporting athletes, from the playground to the podium.
A $35-million investment will be
made over five years in the Athlete Assistance Program, with
$7 million per year committed on an
ongoing basis thereafter. This program directly supports carded
athletes who train and compete to represent Canada. This means an
increased monthly living and training allowance for already carded
athletes and will also allow for support to be extended to more
athletes. As it has for many Canadians, the cost of living has put
stress on athletes to make ends meet. The Government of Canada is
stepping up to meet athletes where they're at and empowering them
to focus on what matters—pursuing their best.
Opportunities for athletes to do their best are possible when
their sport environments make them feel empowered and welcomed. To
support this, the Government of Canada is investing in making sport
safer and more inclusive for everyone. Over the next two years,
$16 million will be invested in the
Sport Support Program and $15 million
in the Community Sport for All initiative.
Through these programs, funding will help break down barriers,
making sport more available and more affordable in more communities
across the country. It will also go toward initiatives to improve
safe sport and advance athlete well-being. All Canadians deserve to
see a future for themselves in sport.
Quotes
"Athletes spend years preparing to represent Canada on the world
stage. In the process, they inspire generations of Canadians to
believe in the power of sport. I am so excited to cheer on Team
Canada this summer at the Paris
2024 Summer Games. Go Canada
Go!"
—The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Physical
Activity
"With the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games fast approaching, we
are reminded that sports not only bring us all together but also
help us build stronger and more active communities. Through this
funding, we are breaking down barriers to ensure that sport
programming is more available and affordable in communities across
the country, while making it safer and more inclusive for
everyone."
—The Honourable Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board
"Access to sport is a critical part of personal development for
children and adults. Today's investments will make sport safer and
more inclusive and empower athletes in Alberta to be the future of sport."
—The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment,
Workforce Development and Official Languages
Quick Facts
The Athlete Assistance Program provides direct financial
assistance to high performance athletes. It aims to relieve some of
the financial pressures for athletes in international sport. The
new investment will bring the program's annual budget to
$40 million. Typically, between 1,800
and 1,900 athletes receive support from this program.
The Sport Support Program contributes to the development of
Canadian athletes and coaches. It is the primary funding program
for national level initiatives that have a direct impact on
athletes and athlete development, and initiatives that provide
children and youth with their first experience in sport.
The Community Sport for All initiative aims to remove barriers
and increase sport participation rates for underrepresented groups.
In the 2023–24 fiscal year, 39 national sport organizations
received more than $16.7 million in
funding to offer sport programming to underrepresented
communities.
The Future of Sport in Canada
Commission will engage and seek input from the sport community,
including survivors and victims of maltreatment in sport, over 18
months. The process will be trauma-informed, human rights-based and
forward-looking. The Commission will develop recommendations for
the Government of Canada to improve safety in sport and the sport
system in Canada.
As the largest investor in Canada's amateur sport system, the
Government of Canada is proud to support Canadian athletes, the
national and multisport organizations that support them, and
initiatives to host international sporting events. In 2023–24,
Sport Canada provided $266.8 million
in support for national sport organizations and high-performance
athletes, as well as initiatives aimed at increasing sport
participation and improving safe sport practices.
Budget 2024 committed $10.6
million over two years to support the operations of the
Future of Sport in Canada
Commission, which was launched on May
9. It will develop recommendations to improve safety in
sport and the sport system in Canada.
Associated Links
Budget 2024: Supporting Canada's National Athletes
Athlete Assistance Program
Sport Support Program
SOURCE Canadian Heritage