Minister Qualtrough, Minister Anand and Minister Boissonnault announce investments to support Canada's athletes

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

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Renée LeBlanc Proctor, Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, 873-455-6498, [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, 819-994-9101, 1-866-569-6155, [email protected]