Ottawa begins rolling out long-awaited supplemental funding for national sport groups

Ottawa begins rolling out long-awaited supplemental funding for national sport groups NICK MURRAY OTTAWA THE CANADIAN PRESS PUBLISHED 55 MINUTES AGO Open this photo in gallery: Prime Minister Mark Carney, centre, and secretary of state for sport Adam van Koeverden pose for a picture with Canadian Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Paralympian and Olympian athletes during a commemorative ceremony in Ottawa in May. SPENCER COLBY/THE CANADIAN PRESS COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. The federal government is rolling out more money for amateur sports organizations and will host a national “playground to podium” summit for stakeholders this fall. Secretary of state for sport Adam van Koeverden announced Friday that Alpine Canada will be the first group to get supplementary funding, adding $2.77-million to its funding for the year, which will now be $8-million. Last year Alpine Canada received $5-million. Ottawa announced plans in its spring economic update to inject more money into Canada’s national sport organizations. That promise came after the Future of Sport in Canada Commission’s final report, issued in March, found the country’s sport system was facing a “funding crisis” as federal funding had not kept up with inflation. Organizations were invited to submit applications in July for supplemental funding from a pot of $112-million available this year. The federal government is also planning to bring together representatives from nearly all corners of Canada’s amateur sport landscape for a two-day conference in Ottawa in November. Dubbed “the playground to podium summit,” the event aims to foster an ongoing conversation about how to strengthen Canada’s sport system, and where best to direct the new injection of in federal money. Van Koeverden said the event will be the first of its kind and have “an ambitious agenda.” “We are really focused on this team effort of collective action and listening and making sure that we are bringing every sport and every sport leader along for the journey of rebuilding our sport system,” van Koeverden told The Canadian Press. “At its core this is to highlight and to focus on the direction for this novel $1-billion investment in support.” In April’s spring economic update, Ottawa injected $755-million over five years, with another $118-million each year after, to help host international sporting events, support…