athletescan, Author at AthletesCAN

AthletesCAN and FireWork to host Athlete Monetization Best Practices webinar for members Sept. 20

Posted on 9 September 20227 October 2022 by athletescan

TORONTO – AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes and athlete marketing influencer partner FireWork are pleased to announce they will be co-hosting their next webinar on Athlete Monetization Best Practices.

The webinar will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, featuring FireWork Founder Nate Behar of the CFL’s Ottawa REDBLACKS, alongside Morgan Burkett, Head of Athlete Relations. Behar and Burkett will discuss how athletes can monetize their personal brand, create connections with prospective partners and tips for a successful campaign.

Previously, Behar and guest speaker Randy Osei of Athlete Technology Group and Rozaay Management teamed up on July 14 to educate AthletesCAN members on Personal Branding Best Practices, providing an overview for athletes how to create their own online persona. National team athletes can still take advantage of resources from the first webinar ahead of Part 2, including an intake survey designed to help create a personalized media kit.

FireWork collaborates directly with athletes to generate new digital brand and sponsorship opportunities that best align and allow for brand growth for both parties. The webinar series provides a key resource for athletes as part of AthletesCAN and FireWork’s ongoing two-year partnership.

National Team athletes wishing to participate in the Athlete Monetization Best Practices webinar can register for the event below.

About FireWork

FireWork is where athletes can find equitable opportunities with brand partners that speak the same way as they do, believe the same things they do, and strive to inspire the same positive impacts in their communities. With technology and humanity intertwined, FireWork creates opportunities for brands big and small, and for athletes at every phase in their career. Follow us on social @theFireWorkApp or visit thefirework.app

About AthletesCAN

AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is the only fully independent and most inclusive athlete organization in the country and the first organization of its kind in the world.  As the voice of Canadian national team athletes, AthletesCAN ensures an athlete-centered sport system by developing athlete leaders who influence sport policy and, as role models, inspire a strong sport culture. Follow us on social @AthletesCAN and Join #TheCollective today.

For more information, please contact:

Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
ahudes@athletescan.ca

Athlete Assistance Program Education Series

Posted on 22 August 202216 May 2023 by athletescan

Attention athletes!

Did you know you may be eligible for financial support for all your hard work representing our country? Sport Canada’s Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) provides direct financial assistance to Canadian high-performance athletes.

Did You Know?

Athletes that compete for AAP-eligible National Sport Organizations (NSOs) may be eligible for AAP funding if they meet the sport-specific AAP carding criteria and are nominated by their NSO. To check if you are eligible for AAP funding, click below for the list of sports that qualify for AthletesCAN membership and follow the links to each individual website for more detailed carding information where applicable.

The Breakdown

For all eligible athletes, Sport Canada provides financial support for living, training, tuition expenses and more! Your carding status and level is determined based on meeting the AAP-approved, sport-specific carding criteria (which normally includes standards achieved at national and international competitions) and being nominated by your NSO. Tuition support up to $5,500 per carding cycle is available to eligible carded athletes and is capped at a lifetime maximum. Courses at Canadian universities or colleges that are publicly supported are eligible. Other Canadian educational institutions or courses leading to a degree, diploma or certificate may also qualify for support. Carded athletes who have been unable to attend a post-secondary institution due to their training and competition commitments, are able to claim eligible expenses through Deferred Tuition support!

Other forms of support offered include Excellence Living and Training Allowance, Child Dependent Allowance, Training and Competition Allowance for Paralympic athletes with high support needs, Relocation Assistance, Child Care Assistance and Retirement Assistance.

Athlete Agreement

Did you know that NSOs nominate annually all eligible athletes who have met the sport-specific carding criteria for the AAP, up to the maximum quota of cards that they have available to them? Furthermore, the NSO must have an agreement in place with you for you to receive your funding. However, as an athlete, you have the right to negotiate any of the clauses with the NSO. It is necessary to agree to the terms required by Sport Canada including NSO and athlete obligations related to the national team and the AAP requirements, for funding consideration.

If you have more questions about negotiating your contract, follow these simple steps:

1. Check out section 7 of the AAP Policies & Procedures for what’s required in an Athlete/NSO Agreement in order to receive funding.

2. Read into the AthletesCAN Athlete Agreement Template and feel free to suggest changes to your NSO

3. Can’t figure it out? Contact Sport Solution for support!

Final Considerations

Some final tips and tricks:

Sometimes, an important piece of an athlete’s agreement is the requirement to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). If you have any concerns about your NDA, please bring them forward to your NSO for clarification of expectations.
Occasionally, your sport might need to change the start of the annual carding cycle (which normally lasts 12 months), in order to better align with adjusted competition schedules for major international events. If your NSO is considering a possible change through negotiations with Sport Canada, Athlete representatives who are on their NSO’s High Performance Committee can potentially be involved in the discussions at the national level in order to remain informed. All athletes nominated for their NSO’s full carding cycle would be carded for a corresponding adjusted period of more or fewer than 12 months.
We hope this educational series gave you new knowledge about the AAP and reassured you about your rights! AthletesCAN and Sport Solution are always here to support you in any difficulties you are experiencing while performing the art of your favourite sport.

Lascelles Brown: The lesser-known King, finding success and his voice in Canada

Posted on 16 August 202216 August 2022 by athletescan

By Ryan Watson

In the world of sports, when people hear the name “King,” LeBron James, Henrik Lundqvist or even Billie Jean King come to mind. But there is one ‘King’ from another sport that deserves to be put on the same throne.

Lascelles ‘King’ Brown is a Jamaican-born bobsledder whose two Olympic medals and five Olympic appearances for Jamaica (1) and Canada (4) are something of legend in the niche community of Canadian sliding sports.

His teammate and Olympic bronze medal driver Lyndon Rush calls the Jamaican-Canadian: “the most accomplished brakeman that is not a German, no doubt. For someone who is not a German…his numbers will never be touched.”

Brown grew up on the Caribbean Island of Jamaica and has always had a drive to be the best.

“I always had a dream to be an athlete and to be the best at the sport that I chose,” explains the former Olympian.

However, being from Jamaica, bobsled was not his first choice of sport. It wasn’t even on his radar. His first choice was boxing.

“I wanted to be Mike Tyson… But I couldn’t handle all the punches.”

After hanging up the gloves, Brown was turned on to bobsled by a friend who told him about a film ‘Cool Runnings,’ the story of the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team.

The movie inspired him to connect with Jamaican bobsledder Winston Watt.

“I spoke with him and once he explained (bobsled) to me, about the power and the speed – in my mind I thought ‘That could be me.’”

However unlikely it was, Brown found the sport of bobsled and he decided he was going to be the best at it.

For two years, the future Olympic silver medalist woke up at 5 a.m. every morning to travel two hours, train, and travel two hours more home to keep training.

“I used to go to the river and throw rocks like medballs, I used to cut bamboo sticks like hurdles…friends used to laugh at me,” says Brown. “A friend of mine told me once, ‘There’s no chance that you can beat those big strong guys I saw on TV.’”

Despite the ridicule, when the time came to get selected to the Jamaican national team, there was only one spot available to 15 men, and he came out on top.

It was through the Jamaican bobsled team that Brown was introduced to Canada. He trained in Calgary with the team for the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.

“It’s always my mindset to win, however realistically, we didn’t have a chance…(However) we wanted to have the fastest start in the world and we did.”

But despite the Jamaican’s record setting start time in 2002, they came in dead last.

There are a lot of things that go into having a successful bobsled team. You need the man power but most of all you need money and commitment from the athletes and the national federation.

After the 2002 Winter Games, Brown moved to Canada to be with his now-wife Kara, and was welcomed to train with his new country at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary.

“For two years I was waiting for the Jamaicans to come and they didn’t have any funding,” he explains.

The Olympic brakeman had spent two years living in Canada training with the Canadians, waiting for Jamaica, hoping they were as committed to the sport as he was. When the funding didn’t come, the five-time Olympian decided to give himself the best chance of getting to the top of the sport and chose to compete for Canada in 2004.

“What better way to actually showcase what I can do than competing with someone that is competitive, that is going to actually have a chance.”

The competitiveness of Canadian bobsled was not the only motivation to compete for the maple leaf. Like so many other people, Brown also considered Canada his home.

“We had our first daughter, Zody, and right there and then, I (was) like ‘This is going to be my home, why not compete for my home country,’” the Canadian brakeman says

Becoming a member of the Canadian bobsled team was the best thing Brown could have done to accomplish his dream of becoming the ‘best at the sport (he) chose.’

Coming north gave ‘King’ the chance to win, which comes with perks.

Along with medals, having a voice is something that Canada has afforded the 47-year-old, particularly of late as the bobsleigh and skeleton community attempt to rebuild a safer, and more inclusive culture within their sport.

His voice, his story and his athletic success have been heard on a national scale, something that would have never been realized had he stayed in Jamaica.

With three IBSF World Championship medals, one of each colour and two Olympic Winter medals, a silver in the two-man (Turin 2006) and a bronze in the four (Vancouver 2010), Canada enabled the brakeman to become the first Jamaican born athlete to win a Winter Olympic medal.

The career of Lascelles Brown speaks for itself, and it’s safe to say that the self-appointed nickname ‘King’ fits almost as well as the Maple Leaf over the heart of the Jamaican-Canadian bobsledder.

Ryan is a member of the inaugural AthletesCAN Creative Champions Program.

He is a student in the one-year Graduate Sports Journalism Program at Centennial College in Toronto, after completing the Communications and Cultural Studies program at Concordia University in Montreal. He is also a member of the Canadian Para 7-aside National Soccer Team. Follow him @r_watson_

AthletesCAN celebrates Board members competing at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games following 30th anniversary

Posted on 25 July 202225 July 2022 by athletescan

AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is proud to celebrate four of its Board members will be competing at the upcoming 2022 Commonwealth Games that begin this week.

Para swimmer Camille Bérubé, Vice President and wheelchair basketball player Robert “Bo” Hedges, diver / secretary Celina Toth, and lawn bowler / treasurer Rob Law will all be representing Team Canada when the Games open Thursday, July 28 in Birmingham, U.K.

The quartet gives AthletesCAN a significant presence at the Games among the delegation of 273 athletes assembled by Commonwealth Sport Canada ahead of Thursday’s Opening Ceremony – following the organization’s milestone 30^th anniversary last Wednesday, dating to its founding on July 20, 1992.

“We are thrilled to have Camille, Bo, Celina and Rob competing at the Commonwealth Games on behalf of AthletesCAN. With our recent 30th anniversary, it is a fitting time for our Board to showcase their athletic talents on the international stage, while continuing to serve the athlete voice on behalf of all our members.”

Erin Willson - AthletesCAN President, London 2012 Olympian in Artistic Swimming

Bérubé (Gatineau, Que.) heads into the Commonwealth games as a three-time swimming Paralympian, having represented Canada in London, Rio and Tokyo across multiple disciplines. She has also competed at five World Championships (2009, 2010, 2013, 2019, 2022), in addition to the 2015 Para Pan American Games in Toronto.

Hedges (Wonowon, B.C.) serves as captain of Canada’s wheelchair basketball team. A four-time Paralympian, he captured a gold medal at London 2012 and a silver medal at Beijing 2008. He also represented Canada at the last four Para Pan American Games and a pair of World Championships.

Toth (Victoria, B.C.) will be looking to improve on her ninth-place finish in the 10m platform from the 2018 Commonwealth in Gold Coast, Australia. The lone Board member with past experience at the event, Toth also made her Olympic debut last summer in Tokyo.

Law (Winnipeg, Man.) has been a member of the senior national lawn bowls team since 2018. In his second year, he won a pair of bronze medals at the 2019 Asia Pacific Championships in the pairs and fours disciplines.

All national team athletes nominated for the Commonwealth Games are eligible for AthletesCAN membership, by joining #TheCollective today.

The 2022 Commonwealth Games run from July 28 – August 8. CBC Sports will provide exclusive Canadian broadcast and streaming coverage, featuring six daily streaming feeds of the competitions available on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca and the CBC Sports app for iOS and Android devices, and up-to-the-minute news across CBC Sports digital and social media platforms.

Daily updates of the event can also be found on commonwealthsport.ca and the Commonwealth Sport Canada digital channels.

About Commonwealth Sport Canada

Commonwealth Sport Canada (CSC) is the franchise holder for the Commonwealth Games and the Commonwealth sport movement in Canada. CSC is an active, contributing member of the Canadian sport community and supports Canada’s athletes to achieve excellence at Olympic, Paralympic Games, and world championships. The mission of CSC is to enrich the lives of youth across the Commonwealth and host the Commonwealth Games. CSC is responsible for all aspects of Canada’s participation in the XXII Commonwealth Games and will be sending a team of almost 400 of Canada’s best athletes and coaches to compete for Canada. The upcoming Games will occur in Birmingham, England from July 28 through to August 8, 2022. For additional information go to: www.commonwealthsport.ca.

About AthletesCAN

For more information, please contact:

Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
ahudes@athletescan.ca

Patrick Kenny
Communications Team Leader
Team Canada 2022
613-724-7160
patrick@commonwealth.ca

AthletesCAN and FireWork to host personal branding best practices webinar for members July 14

Posted on 8 July 20228 July 2022 by athletescan

The webinar will be held on Thursday, July 14 at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT and provide an overview for national team athletes on how to create their own online persona and identify and approach suitable prospective brand partners.

Founded by Nate Behar of the CFL’s Ottawa REDBLACKS, FireWork collaborates directly with athletes to generate new digital brand and sponsorship opportunities that best align and allow for brand growth for both parties. Behar will be joined by guest speaker Randy Osei, Founder of Athlete Technology Group and Rozaay Management.

Following Behar and Osei’s presentation, participants will also have the opportunity through a hands-on workshop exercise to create their own unique media kit.

National Team athletes wishing to participate can register for the event below.

About FireWork

About AthletesCAN

For more information, please contact:

Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
ahudes@athletescan.ca

AthletesCAN welcomes Summer 2022 interns, unveils inaugural Creative Champions Program

Posted on 7 July 20227 July 2022 by athletescan

TORONTO – AthletesCAN, the association of Canada’s national team athletes, is pleased to welcome its Summer 2022 interns and unveil the inaugural participants in its landmark Creative Champions content production program

Grigori Peregoudov and Anthony Bruno will be working closely with AthletesCAN staff and Board of Directors over the coming weeks, with Peregoudov serving as Operations Intern, and reporting to Alicia Renaud-Paquin, AthletesCAN’s new Manager of Athlete Projects and Operations. Bruno, meanwhile, has been named Marketing and Communications Intern, reporting to Alan Hudes, Manager of Communications and Sport Partnerships.

“We are thrilled to expand the AthletesCAN team with Grigori and Anthony as our interns this summer. Their experiences and skillsets were a fantastic fit for our athlete-centred culture and we look forward to providing them an engaging and meaningful learning environment."

Erin Willson - AthletesCAN President

Peregoudov is entering the final year of the Business Management program at Toronto Metropolitan University (recently renamed), set to graduate with honours in 2023. His diverse background includes experience in both project management and digital advertising, in addition to playing basketball at a professional junior level.

“I am so excited to be working alongside Grigori this summer – a talented, up-and-coming force in the sport world. He will be a great asset to the AthletesCAN team and I look forward to his support in key athlete programs and initiatives.”

Alicia Renaud-Paquin - Manager, Athlete Projects & Operations

A graduate of Centennial College’s Sports Journalism Program, Bruno has written for the school’s in-house media outlet, the Toronto Observer, where he covered the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and was mentored by TSN and Sportsnet personalities. He also holds a digital marketing certificate from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.

In addition, AthletesCAN is also proud to unveil its roster of participants in the inaugural Creative Champions Program. The AthletesCAN Creative Champions are a collection of students, young professionals and national team athletes with a passion for and experience in content production who will become a voice for our members. Each Creative Champion will help to tell the stories of how the organization has played a significant advocacy role in their respective sport journeys, thereby strengthening athlete activism and empowerment across the country.

“AthletesCAN is well-positioned to spotlight the stories of our members like never before. The additions of Anthony and the Creative Champions team give us an exciting opportunity to create dynamic, engaging content promoting the voices of Canadian athletes on our various digital channels. I am excited to work with each of them to showcase our leaders looking to inspire change and ultimately raise the visibility of AthletesCAN within the Canadian sport system.”

Alan Hudes - Manager, Communications & Sport Partnerships

Peregoudov and Bruno’s internship placements and the introduction of the Creative Champions Program will allow AthletesCAN to continue delivering on the priorities of the organization’s new Strategic Plan originally launched last year: Awareness, Insight and Activation.

Full biographies for the entire Creative Champions Team can be found below.

AthletesCAN Creative Champions

Anabelle Dagenais

Anabelle is a graduate of the Bachelor of Communication and Master of Marketing and Management Sciences programs at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). She is also a Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM).

In addition to a career in international development, she is a member of her local triathlon club and through her involvement with AthletesCAN, aims to enhance the voice of Canadian high-performance athletes.

Vlada Taits

Vlada is entering her fourth year in the Political Science and Public Policy at the University of Toronto. She has served as both the Manager of Events and Social Media for the U of T Sports & Business Association, and was a former competitive volleyball player and gymnast. Vlada is currently a judge for USA Gymnastics.

Ryan Watson

Ryan is a student in the one-year Graduate Sports Journalism Program at Centennial College in Toronto, after completing the Communications and Cultural Studies program at Concordia University in Montreal. He is also a member of the Canadian Para 7-aside National Soccer Team.

Ryan Zupancic

Ryan is a performance and mindset coach at Zupi Performance, working with Individuals and athletes to improve their emotional fitness and wellbeing in order to optimize performance in sports and in life. Bringing his professional background to storytelling, Ryan also hosts the Zupi Autotelic Mindset Podcast, telling the stories of national teams athletes and their own performance mindset. Previously, Ryan played U SPORTS Hockey while completing his Bachelor of Commerce Degree at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ont.

About AthletesCAN

For more information, please contact:

Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
ahudes@athletescan.ca

Former AthletesCAN President Peregoudova joins Abuse-Free Sport – Canada’s new independent safe sport mechanism

Posted on 20 June 202222 June 2022 by athletescan

MONTREAL – As it officially launches its first phase of operations today, Canada’s new independent safe sport mechanism becomes Abuse-Free Sport, unveils new websites and welcomes an exceptional group of collaborators.

Under its new name, Abuse-Free Sport acts as the national hub to prevent and address maltreatment in sport.

The renewed Abuse-Free Sport website provides information to all Canadians about resources and tools available to prevent maltreatment in sport, including more details on its safe sport education accreditation program and its safe sport research grant program. It also introduces the
key components of the complaint management process to increase understanding of the services available to concerned individuals. Resources available will expand over the next few months as more prevention, education and awareness initiatives are implemented.

Acting as a central pillar of Abuse-Free Sport, the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner launches its first phase of operations today.

The Office is set to administer complaints related to violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Address and Prevent Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) alleged against designated participants of Program Signatories and to initiate sport environment assessments addressing systemic issues related to the UCCMS.

The Office also offers support services, such as legal aid and mental health referrals, which are part of a robust, trauma-informed system where everyone involved will be treated with fairness and compassion.

“We are focused on building a system that will earn the trust of the athletes and the sport community as a whole. The sport system needs a change of course and higher standards, and the OSIC is one of the accelerators.”

Sarah-Eve Pelletier, Canada’s Sport Integrity Commissioner

Pelletier’s Office will also make recommendations on sanctions for violations of the UCCMS to the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes, a function independent of the Office. The newly appointed Director of Sanctions and Outcomes is Dasha Peregoudova, a former taekwondo national team member, now an associate at the law firm Aird and Berlis in Toronto. She previously served as the President of AthletesCAN, as a member of the Pan Am Sports Legal Commission, and as a board member of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. She was also the Ombudsperson for Team Canada at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

Peregoudova was hired by the newly formed Maltreatment in Sport Sanctions Council, an independent body that oversees the operations of the Director of Sanctions and Outcomes. The Council is accountable to the Canadian sport community to address discipline and sanctions when
maltreatment in sport occurs and to make resourcing recommendations for the Abuse-Free Sport program.

Statement regarding recent safe sport commitments by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Government of Canada

Posted on 15 June 202215 June 2022 by athletescan

MONTREAL – On June 11 and 12, athlete representatives, Multisport Organization leaders, National Sport Organization leaders, Sport Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, and the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner came together to discuss the critical state of sport in Canada. Although these were difficult conversations, it provided an opportunity to have open and honest dialogue on the the gaps and deficiencies that exist in the sporting system, and to develop an actionable path moving forward. However, as stressed over the course of the weekend, while discussions and conversations are important, action must now follow. There is an urgent need to build trust among partners, and to ensure collaboration towards a sport system that prioritizes well-being and requires high standards of leadership and governance. It is also necessary that adequate resources (human and financial capital) are allocated to match the monumental task at hand.

Following the recent Sport Community conversations, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) Athletes’ Commission, Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) Athletes’ Council, and AthletesCAN would like to applaud the COC’s investment of $10 million towards Safe Sport initiatives to help build a healthy, safe, and barrier-free sport system in Canada. We would also like to acknowledge the commitment by Minister Pascale St-Onge and Sport Canada to create an Athlete Advocacy Council that will ensure the ongoing engagement of athletes. We commend the Minister’s commitment to changing the contribution agreements with sport organizations for 2023 ensuring stronger measures of responsibility, accountability, and governance.

We were encouraged by the sense of collaboration at the discussion table, and by the commitment and support of the COC, CPC, the Minister and other members of the Sporting community to have open dialogue and active engagement of the athlete community throughout the process. We are hopeful that the engagement of athletes as equal partners will become the norm across the sport system at all stages rather than in reaction to a crisis.

Despite the progress seen to date, athletes need to see action and tangible change. Trust needs to be restored, and we need an environment where all sport stakeholders feel safe and heard. As athlete representatives, we are committed to ensuring that athletes are engaged as true partners throughout the entire Canadian sport system, and would encourage sporting administrators and other members of the sporting community to work with us in finding solutions to the challenges we face ahead. We are committed to supporting athletes through this process and to working to ensure a better sport system for all.

I'd like to thank the Minister for her concern and attention to this pressing issue. It's clear that trust in the system has been breached, and it must be restored. We need to listen to athletes and keep their health and well-being at the centre of the sport system. And we need to work together to address these issues and build a safe system for everyone.

Rosie MacLennan, Chair, COC Athletes' Commission

We applaud the work of Minister St-Onge in swiftly taking action to enact new safe sport initiatives and engage the entire sport community towards positive change. Safe sport is a critical issue that must be solved within our sport system, and the athlete voice is one of the most important when it comes to finding solutions. The work is not done yet, and together athletes will do the work and demand accountability to ensure a safe sport system for each and every participant.

Tony Walby, Chair, Canadian Paralympic Athletes' Council

We continue to be encouraged by the positive steps the Minister, the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and sport partners are taking to address the safe sport crisis. Including athletes in the process of change is an essential piece, so that they are no longer silenced and vulnerable. We know that more concrete actions are needed to ensure current and future athletes and all other participants can be in an environment that is safe, healthy, and places the human at the centre.

Erin Willson, President, AthletesCAN

About AthletesCAN

About the COC Athletes' Commission

The COC Athletes’ Commission represents the voice of Canadian Olympic athletes to the Canadian Olympic Committee Board of Directors, to Sport Canada, to the International Olympic Committee, international sport federations and all other domestic sport organizations. It is instrumental in presenting Canadian athletes’ perspectives in areas ranging from athlete rights, safe sport policies, marketing & COC partnership agreements, Olympic team selection policies and much more.

About the CPC Athletes' Council

The CPC Athletes’ Council is an elected group of current and retired Paralympic athletes (within the past eight years) that serve as the collective voice, advocating the best interests of Canada’s Paralympic athletes and the Paralympic movement within Canada. The Athletes’ Council works to provide input and recommendations from an athlete perspective to the Canadian Paralympic Committee staff, committees and Board of a Directors with respect to decision making at all levels of the organization.

For more information, please contact:

Alan Hudes
Manager, Communications and Sport Partnerships
AthletesCAN
613-526-4025 Ext. 224
ahudes@athletescan.ca

COC Athletes’ Commision
athletescommission@olympic.ca
@TeamCanadaAC
bit.ly/3OEFMcT

CPC Athletes’ Council
athletescouncil@paralympic.ca
@CDNParalympics
paralympic.ca/athletes-council

Canadian Sport Policy Renewal

Posted on 14 June 202214 June 2022 by athletescan

The Canadian Sport Policy is set to be renewed in February 2023. The renewed sport policy will help identify Canadian sport priorities. It will also guide how federal, provincial and territorial governments advance sport for the next 10 years (2023 to 2033). Through this survey, you’ll help renew the Canadian Sport Policy.

The Canadian Sport Policy helps to guide policy, program and funding decisions. To make sure the new policy reflects what Canadians want for sport, it’s important we hear from valued, diverse stakeholders such as you, from across the country.

Your perspective is important. If you’re interested in policy development, your insights can help us to set a renewed course for sport in Canada.

To find background information about the Canadian Sport Policy, visit the Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC) website. The background information includes the existing policy, a summary evaluation of the existing policy, and an environmental scan.

This survey will take you approximately 15 minutes to finish.

*This survey is also available in Inuktitut, please click here.

*ᑕᒪᓐᓇ ᑕᑕᑎᒐᒃᓴᖅ ᐊᑐᐃᓐᓇᐅᔪᖅ ᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ, ᐅᓇ ᓇᕿᓪᓗᒍ.

**This survey is also available in Inuinnaqtun; please email SRinfo@gov.nu.ca to receive a copy.
**Una ihivriudjutikhaq pigiaqaqtuq Inuinnaqtuuqhimayuq; titirarlugit qaritaujakkut SRinfo@gov.nu.ca piyaangat aadjiliuqhimayumik.

AthletesCAN, the COC Athletes’ Commission (COC AC), the CPC Athletes’ Council (CPC AC) and SIRC will also be hosting an Athletes’ session of the CSP renewal process on Tuesday June 21, 2022 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT.

National Team athletes are encouraged to check their email or contact AthletesCAN, SIRC, the COC AC or CPC AC for further details regarding the event.

Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC)
debrag@sirc.ca
@SIRCtweets
SIRC.ca

AthletesCAN
info@athletescan.ca
@AthletesCAN
AthletesCAN.ca

COC Athletes’ Commission
athletescommission@olympic.ca
@TeamCanadaAC
bit.ly/3OEFMcT

CPC Athletes’ Council
athletescouncil@paralympic.ca
@CDNParalympics
paralympic.ca/athletes-council

Government of Canada provides update and announces action on safe sport

Posted on 13 June 202213 June 2022 by athletescan

MONTRÉAL – The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, accompanied by sport leaders and athlete representatives, provided an update on and announced measures for safe sport.

First, the Minister followed up on the roundtables launched on March 31, when an initial emergency meeting with various leaders of the sport system was convened to start a dialogue to identify collective solutions.

She noted that several observations clearly emerged from this period of consultation, including the need to improve organizations’ accountability, the need to promote better governance practices within organizations, and the need to increase the representation and voice of athletes in our system.

Second, the Minister took the opportunity to announce new measures that fall within her jurisdiction and will be led by Sport Canada.

Responsibility, Accountability and Governance: Effective April 1, 2023, Sport Canada will make changes to contribution agreements with organizations that will meet the new eligibility requirements of the Sport Funding and Accountability Framework. The goal is to ensure that sport organizations receiving federal funding meet specific governance, accountability and safe sport standards. Over the next few months, Sport Canada will work to develop new requirements and standards to achieve this objective.

Sport Canada Athlete Advisory Committee: This committee will be created to increase the representation of athletes in the sport system and to allow Sport Canada to obtain advice and guidance that reflect the realities of athletes in Canada.

The Minister also stressed the importance of the creation of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which will become operational on June 20. She noted that this independent mechanism will gradually become mandatory for all national sport organizations. She described the establishment of the OSIC as an important step to challenge the culture of silence and to provide a clear and reliable way for all participants in sport to report abuse and mistreatment and to be heard and supported. Budget 2022 proposed an investment of $16 million over three years to support the OSIC.

Finally, Minister St-Onge committed to continuing the work, noting that these new measures are only part of the solution, which is that responsibility must be shared by all leaders in the field. She concluded by noting the importance of the consultations for the renewal of the Canadian Sport Policy in the current context and expressed her support for a constructive dialogue with provincial and territorial partners, which is essential to achieve a change in sport culture.

The Government and its sport partners will continue to work together to ensure that we collectively create a safe and inclusive sport environment for all Canadians.

Author: athletescan

AthletesCAN and FireWork to host Athlete Monetization Best Practices webinar for members Sept. 20

About FireWork

About AthletesCAN

Athlete Assistance Program Education Series

Attention athletes!

Did you know you may be eligible for financial support for all your hard work representing our country? Sport Canada’s Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) provides direct financial assistance to Canadian high-performance athletes.

Did You Know?

The Breakdown

Athlete Agreement

Final Considerations

Lascelles Brown: The lesser-known King, finding success and his voice in Canada

By Ryan Watson

AthletesCAN celebrates Board members competing at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games following 30th anniversary

About Commonwealth Sport Canada

About AthletesCAN

AthletesCAN and FireWork to host personal branding best practices webinar for members July 14

About FireWork

About AthletesCAN

AthletesCAN welcomes Summer 2022 interns, unveils inaugural Creative Champions Program

AthletesCAN Creative Champions

About AthletesCAN

Former AthletesCAN President Peregoudova joins Abuse-Free Sport – Canada’s new independent safe sport mechanism

Statement regarding recent safe sport commitments by the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Government of Canada

About AthletesCAN

About the COC Athletes' Commission

About the CPC Athletes' Council

Canadian Sport Policy Renewal

Government of Canada provides update and announces action on safe sport

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