Copps Announces Federal Contributions to Four Sport Organizations
OTTAWA, April 21, 1997 -- Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps today announced financial contributions to four sport organizations in conjunction with the meeting being held in Ottawa with athletes and representatives of amateur sport organizations. The support is part of a Domestic Sport Pilot launched in late February.The Sport Canada 14-month pilot project will support four national sport organizations: lacrosse, football, ringette, and 5-pin bowling. These sports have high levels of participation in Canada and the national organizations serve approximately 243,000 members. The sports are not eligible for funding through the Sport Funding and Accountability Framework (SFAF).
"We want to encourage the young Canadian athletes who are involved in these sports," explained Minister Copps. "We want to give them opportunities to challenge each other and to become the best they can be. At the same time, they will learn more about each other and Canada."
Program support will be focused on youth-oriented activities and will include sporting events such as national championships, and pan-Canadian initiatives such as coaching education and officials' training programs.
Under this pilot, the four sports organizations will be eligible for a contribution in the range of $75,000 to $125,000 in 1997-98.
Sport Canada will review the project's impact on the participation levels of young Canadians as well as the effect on the individual sports and the Canadian sport system as a whole in 1998. Afterwards, it will make recommendations regarding formal implementation of the pilot.
Funding for this project was provided for in the February 1997 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This initiative is an example of how this government is prioritizing its spending so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.
Information:
Janet Bax
Director of Communications
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and
Minister of Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-7788
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