On Monday, the Canadian Olympic Committee unveiled a comprehensive 10-year strategic initiative aimed at leveraging the influence of sports to bring about change in Canada.
Supported by the Canadian sports framework, Team Canada 2035 signifies an investment exceeding $500 million in the private sector over the upcoming decade, largely funded by the COC’s 39 marketing collaborators and contributors from the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
“We are convinced that Canada embodies a sporting spirit, and that the significance of sport to Canadians is greater than ever,” stated COC CEO and Secretary General David Shoemaker in a press release.
“While this approach cannot fully address the substantial funding shortfall that persists within the sports system, it does allocate private resources to the areas that will most significantly benefit athletes.”
The framework of Team 2035 is centered on three main pillars, each designed to enhance Canada’s standing as a leading nation in the global sports arena.
Podium: Aiming to place among the top five countries by total medal count at both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
Play: Motivating and involving an additional one million youth in organized sports.
Planet: Advocating for climate action to safeguard our sporting landscapes.
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These objectives were crafted in partnership with the Canadian sports framework and will be executed in cooperation with national sport organizations and other partners within the sports community, including COC marketing affiliates.
The COC aims to enhance the Canadian sports system to make it more effectively funded, organized, and sustainable while promoting safe, inclusive, and accessible sport opportunities for all participants.
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“This initiative aligns with our organization’s objectives of fostering supported and sustainable high-performance pathways, as well as emphasizing the significance of play and inclusivity,” remarked Volleyball Canada CEO Mark Eckert.
Philippe Marquis, chair of the COC Athletes’ Commission, referred to the decade-long strategic initiative as an “ambitious advancement in enhancing the sports system,” placing Olympians and the emerging generation of athletes at the core of the COC’s approach.
“By focusing on three crucial pillars,” said the two-time Olympic freestyle skier, “[COC] leadership will bolster the athletes’ journey in all vital aspects and set a benchmark that will motivate others to unite in support.”
CBC’s Power & Politics host David Cochrane sat down with Canadian Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer and Secretary General David Shoemaker and Olympic and world champion sprinter Andre De Grasse, to discuss the COC’s call to increase funding to Canada’s sport system.
Key highlights of the COC’s current initiatives in alignment with the Team Canada 2035 strategy include:
- Ongoing funding for national sports organizations, aimed at addressing the enduring difficulties they encounter.
- Innovative high-performance support mechanisms, such as training camps, to assist Olympic aspirants preparing for Los Angeles 2028 and French Alps 2030. Additionally, expansion of programs like RBC Training Ground, designed to identify and support the next wave of Canadian Olympians.
- Encouraging youth engagement in organized sports. The COC has previously committed $3.5 million to introduce a participation incubator, collaborating with NSOs to develop or enhance sports programs and boost cooperation with equity-serving groups and Indigenous sport governing bodies.
Complementing these efforts are marketing partner initiatives like the new Bell Starting Line program, which aims to facilitate participation in sports for newcomer youth.
“We take pride in supporting athletes nationwide at every stage of their journey, from grassroots to Olympic competition,” stated Jacqueline Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation.
Canada Snowboard CEO Dustin Heise added: “We are excited to collaborate with the COC in its commitment to continue excelling on the [medal] podium, engaging more youths in snowboarding, and ensuring the winter environments necessary for our sport’s prosperity are preserved.”
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