Question Period Note: Canada and the Commonwealth Games

The Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada launched its public funding campaign at the end of 2018 with the dramatic slogan: ‘Don’t let the 2022 Commonwealth Games be our last – Be part of the legacy’. Canadian parties are currently considering pursuing a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in Canada in 2026 or 2030.

• We are proud to support Commonwealth Games Canada and the athletes participating in the Commonwealth Games taking place every four years.
• Commonwealth Games Canada is expected to complement public funding with sponsorship and other revenues to complete the funding of its programming.
• The public funding campaign of the Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada is important to help diversify the revenues of Commonwealth Games Canada.
• Commonwealth Games Canada is in the exploratory process with Canadian parties interested in bidding to host the 2026 or 2030 Commonwealth Games.
• The Government of Canada is watching to see which communities show interest in hosting the Commonwealth Games.

• Canada has participated in the Commonwealth Games every four years (except 1942 and 1946), since their inception in 1930, in Hamilton, Ontario. The next Games will be held in Birmingham, England, in 2022.
• Sport Canada provides Commonwealth Games Canada (CGC) with an annual contribution of up to $385,300 as per the 2017-2020 contribution agreement, primarily to support participation of selected athletes to the Commonwealth Games (Team Canada). Additional funding was provided in previous games when available.
• CGC is expected to complement funding of Team Canada with revenues from sponsorship and other sources. The Commonwealth Games Foundation of Canada manages Commonwealth Games Canada’s current public funding campaign.
• Team Canada is primarily composed of athletes meeting the selection standards and for whom all expenses are covered by CGC. They are identified as ‘Priority 1 – Medal Potential Athlete/Teams’. The National Sport Organizations (NSOs) may also register next-generation athletes meeting less stringent selection criteria, conditional upon country quotas per sport. These are ‘pay-to-play’ athletes.
• CGC has lobbied the federal government since 2017 to obtain an additional $800,000 per year to finance Team Canada ($400,000/year) and its international sport for development program SportWORKS ($400,000).
• CGC’s goal is to raise $200,000 per year with its public funding campaign.
• On November 22, 2019, CGC will receive proposals from Canadian parties interested in pursuing a bid to host the Commonwealth Games in Canada in 2026 or 2030. It is anticipated that a Hamilton group will pursue a bid for 2030 and that other parties from locations such as Calgary could also submit proposals.

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