Ottawa – The Liberal Government and Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced Wednesday that the federal government will increase the Athlete Assistance Program (AAP), known as “carding”, by 18 per cent, bringing the annual program cost to $33 million.
“We thank the Trudeau government for their support of high performance sport and their decision to put more funding into the hands of Canadian amateur athletes,” said race walker Inaki Gomez. “Now, athletes can focus on what they do best, representing our great country.”
Gomez, who sits on the Athletics Canada Board as an athlete representative adds, “On behalf of the Athletics Canada Athletes’ Council, we applaud the leadership and advocacy of Jeff Christie and Adam van Koeverden from the COC’s Athletes’ Commission, the CPC’s Athletes’ Commission, AthletesCAN, Sport Matters Group and any person or group that helped make this a reality.”
AAP funds approximately 1,800 athletes across Canada who receive a monthly stipend; 106 are athletes who are currently carded in athletics or para-athletics. Prior to this week’s announcement, the last increase came in 2004. Since then, the cost of living has grown by more than 24 per cent while the maximum carding level has remained at $1,500 per month.
The government hasn’t indicated how the new money will be divided, but it comes at a critical time for Canada’s national team athletes. Monthly support, tuition, special needs assistance and other grants also come out of AAP, but if the 18 per cent increase is applied to carding, senior carded athletes could receive an additional $250 a month or more.
Canadian athletes have traditionally shied away from talking about the need for public support to pursue sport. But in Canada, where corporate sponsorship is hard to come by for most Olympic and Paralympic athletes, public funding is necessary to succeed on the world stage.
AthletesCAN, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee all released statements Wednesday applauding the increase in funding to athletes. It is a positive indication that the federal government is committed to giving athletes the support they need to live, train, compete and pursue their dreams.
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