Release: Canadian Olympic Committee Responds To Federal Budget
February 12, 2014
The Canadian Olympic Committee applauds the Harper Government for their renewed and permanent support of Canadian athletes and all High Performance communities
COC President Marcel Aubut thanks Prime Minister Stephen Harper for his commitment to our athletes
OTTAWA – The Canadian Olympic Committee congratulated the Harper Government for his continued support of athletes, coaches and National Sports Federations through the permanent implementation of annual financing included in the 2014 Budget.
“The Harper Government demonstrated its leadership once again by making a strong and permanent commitment to High Performance sport. By continuing to do whatever is necessary for our athletes, the Government showed its dedication to help them reach the podium, and underlined the unifying influence of sport” said Marcel Aubut, President of the Canadian Olympic Committee. “We now have a long-term guaranteed base level of funding to allow us to be competitive against the best in the world. On behalf of the Olympic movement in Canada, I want to personally thank the Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Minister of Finance, Jim Flaherty, and Minister of State (Sport) Bal Gosal, for their commitment to sport in Canada.”
Two key measures were announced in the 2014 federal budget:
1) Beginning in 2015–16, Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes to dedicate ongoing funding of $23 million per year for the Sport Support Program. This includes $11 million targeted for winter sports through Own the Podium, $6 million targeted for team sports, $5 million for the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and, as recently announced, $1 million for Special Olympics Canada
2) To recognize Canada’s pride in its amateur athletes in this year of the 2014 Winter Olympics, Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes to allow income contributed to an amateur athlete trust to qualify as earned income for the purpose of determining an athlete’s annual RRSP contribution limit. This will provide amateur athletes with more flexibility to save for retirement on a tax-assisted basis and ease their eventual integration into the workforce by deferring tax on income from their athletic endeavours.
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Canadian Olympic Committee Media Office:
Ray Lalonde, Executive Director, Communications
Tel: (925) 007-8536*
Email: rlalonde@olympic.ca
Jane Almeida, Assistant Press Chief Media Relations
Tel: (925) 008-8458*
Email: jalmeida@olympic.ca
Luc Beaudin, Media Attaché (Chef & Assistant Chef)
Tel: (925) 008-8215*
Email: lbeaudin@olympic.ca
*Please note: The digits (011 + 7) are required at the beginning of every call made from Canada.