Question Period Note: Athlete Assistance Program - COVID-19 Emergency Support Funds

The Athlete Assistance Program provides direct financial support to over 1800 Canadian high performance (carded) athletes, across more than 94 sport disciplines. The Government of Canada has allocated $5 million in Emergency Support Funding to this grant program.

• The Government of Canada is committed to investing in Canadian high performance athletes so that they may perform at their best.
• The Athlete Assistance Program is a grant program that offsets living, training and education costs so that our athletes can remain in high-performance sport.
• Emergency Support Funding of $5 million will be allocated directly to amateur athletes to help address impacts caused by the cancellation of national and international training opportunities and competitive events and the postponement of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Athlete Assistance Program provides direct financial support to more than 1800 Canadian high performance (carded) athletes, across more than 94 sport disciplines.
• The Athlete Assistance Program’s 2020-2021 budget is $33 million.
• Over 250 of these athletes are Paralympic athletes. Carded athletes receive funding for living and training expenses and are eligible for tuition support to further their education.
• On May 8, 2020, the Government of Canada has committed an additional $5 million in Emergency Support Funding to the Athlete Assistance Program to help support athletes affected by the impacts of the cancellation of national and international training opportunities and competitive events and the postponement of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Funds disbursed from this fund will, as much as possible, respect the intent of the current Athlete Assistance Program Policies and Procedures with some allowed flexibilities to National Sport Organizations in the application of their carding criteria and nominations for the 2020 and 2021 carding cycles.
• All currently eligible sport disciplines (winter/summer/Olympic/Paralympic/non-Olympic/non-Paralympic) would be eligible to access the emergency support funds.
• The allocation process is currently under review but could include the following types of support:
o Support to eligible athletes who were already qualified for carding but who now have changed plans with regards to their commitment to the national team program and who therefore may need additional months of carding added due to the postponement of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games;
o Support to eligible athletes who have qualified and been named to an Olympic or Paralympic spot but who are currently uncarded or carded at the developmental level through the provision of an “early Olympic/Paralympic card” or upgrade card until the start of their National Sport Organization’s next carding cycle;
o Application of a “modified carding quota allocation process” to distribute additional cards to National Sport Organizations for use in the 2020 and 2021 carding cycles. This would address individual National Sport Organization issues around athletes who were not nominated due to COVID-19 effects and in particular, around development and other athletes normally picked up in year one of the quadrennial who would have missed out on carding due to Olympic and Paralympic athletes remaining as the priority for an additional 12 months heading into the 2021 Games;
o Possible additional supplementary support opportunities that align with the Athlete Assistance Program Policies and Procedures such as additional access to “Relocation Support” for carded athletes needing to relocate to the national team training location once the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted and return to training protocols have been put in place.
• Sport Canada will engage with stakeholders to set up a schedule for this process so that cards can be awarded as quickly and equitably as possible, while continuing to respect the policies and guidelines that apply to the Athlete Assistance Program.

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