Secretary of State van Koeverden announces new investments to strengthen the Canadian sport system

A strong sport system is one that Canadians can trust and believe in; one that is safe, inclusive, affordable and built to support people at every stage of their journey.

OTTAWA, ON, Oct. 7, 2026 /CNW/ -- Our new government is building Canada strong through sport, from playground to podium. A strong sport system is one that Canadians can trust and believe in; one that is safe, inclusive, affordable and built to support people at every stage of their journey. Systemwide action is taking place to address longstanding gaps in safety, governance, and accountability across the system. We recognize that restoring trust in the sport system requires meaningful and coordinated action across all levels.

As part of the Government of Canada's generational $1-billion investment to strengthen the sport system from the playground to the podium, the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), is highlighting the work underway to strengthen protections across Canada's sport system and is announcing new investments to build on that progress. This support will enable Sport Integrity Canada and the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to further protect sport participants, strengthen safeguards and uphold sport integrity. To do so, we are increasing our support for safe sport, anti-doping and competition manipulation prevention initiatives to $19.2 million in 2026–27.

Safe Sport

The Government of Canada is providing $7.1 million in 2026–27 to Sport Integrity Canada and to the SDRCC to strengthen safe sport measures across the country.

This includes $5 million for Sport Integrity Canada to continue delivering the Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP), which provides an independent, trauma-informed reporting process to address maltreatment and supports participants in training and competing in safe, respectful and supportive environments.

An additional $150,000 will support the development of new educational resources for participants at all levels of sport and the launch of a Legal Advice Service through the CSSP.

The SDRCC will receive a total of $1.94 million in federal funding, including an additional $440,000 to modernize its operations, strengthen organizational capacity, expand its legal aid program and continue providing its safeguarding tribunal free of charge.

Addressing maltreatment is a shared responsibility that requires commitment and collaboration from all levels of government across Canada. The federal government continues to work closely with provincial and territorial partners to advance safe sport priorities, including independent complaint mechanisms, awareness and education initiatives, and the exploration of a national safe sport registry. Together, these efforts look to build a more coordinated, consistent and effective approach to safe sport from coast to coast to coast.

Anti-Doping

The Government of Canada is investing $11.75 million in 2026–27 to help keep sport fair, clean and drug-free.

This includes $7.2 million for Sport Integrity Canada to deliver the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. The program supports anti-doping education, prevention, testing, investigations, research and enforcement measures across the Canadian sport system.

An additional $4.5 million for Sport Integrity Canada will support the replacement of critical testing equipment at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). This investment will help ensure Canada continues to meet World Anti-Doping Agency accreditation requirements and maintains world-class anti-doping testing and analysis capabilities.

The Government of Canada is also providing $50,000 for an independent review of anti-doping education programs, including consideration of the needs of Paralympic athletes and broader sport integrity issues. The review will help strengthen education and support services available to athletes and the Canadian sport community.

Competition Manipulation

Competition manipulation, including match-fixing and other forms of cheating, undermines trust in sport and creates unsafe environments for participants.

To help address this issue, the Government of Canada is providing approximately $400,000 to Sport Integrity Canada in 2026–27 to continue developing and implementing the Canadian Program to Prevent Competition Manipulation. With the program's rules now finalized, sport organizations across the country are in the process of adopting measures to prevent, detect and address competition manipulation, helping to protect the integrity of sport for athletes and fans alike.

Additional actions taken to build a safer sport system for all Canadians:

Investing in safety, integrity, and inclusion

• In 2025, our government invested a total of $12 million to support safe sport initiatives delivered by Canadian sport organizations. Of this amount, $7.75 million was allocated to 74 sport organizations to advance safe, inclusive, and accessible sport actions and programs. This includes more than $3 million dedicated specifically to expanding mental health support for athletes and coaches through Canadian sport institutes and other national partners.

Supporting participation and high-performance sport

• The Government continues to invest in community sport programming to reduce barriers and help more Canadians get involved in sport.
• Since 2018, the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities program, in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action, has provided more than $8 million annually to support sport and recreation opportunities. Since 2021, in response to the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Calls for Justice, an additional $2.5 million was provided to support the participation of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ peoples.
• Launched in 2022, the Community Sport for All Initiative (CSAI) has invested $75 million to help hundreds of thousands of Canadians access affordable sport and recreation programs.
• In 2024, monthly living and training allowances for high-performance athletes increased by approximately 23 percent, ensuring athletes have the support they need to succeed. In 2026, monthly living and training allowances increased again by almost 6 percent, thereby further supporting the efforts to reduce the financial burden on high-performance athletes.

Setting clear national standards for safe sport

• Since 2018, federally funded sport organizations must adopt rigorous safe sport practices, including strong policies, mandatory training and access to independent complaint mechanisms.
• In 2019, federal, provincial and territorial governments endorsed the Red Deer Declaration, reaffirming a shared commitment to preventing harassment, abuse and discrimination in sport.
• That same year, the Government supported the development of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), establishing a national standard for safe sport environments.

Strengthening governance and accountability

• Between 2021 and 2023, new measures were introduced to improve oversight, strengthen accountability and raise governance standards across the sport system.
• In 2023, updated governance requirements for national sport organizations (NSOs) strengthened transparency, financial oversight and athlete representation.
• Organizations must now publicly disclose key governance information, including strategic plans, annual reports and policies, and regularly submit audited financial statements and operational plans to Sport Canada.
• A Sport Canada accountability unit was established to monitor performance, address governance concerns, link funding to compliance and perform audits where required.
• In 2024, a modernized funding framework was introduced to better streamline the application process, allowing organizations to apply for multi-year funding and affording those who qualify stability in funding with consistent and predictable reporting mechanisms.

Creating independent safe sport mechanism

• In 2022, the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner began operations to administer the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport until this responsibility was transitioned over to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (now Sport Integrity Canada) in 2025.
• Last year, Sport Integrity Canada launched the CSSP, an independent mechanism to receive and address reports of prohibited behaviour in sport at the national level. All federally funded national sport organizations are required to adopt the program as a condition of funding.
• Sport Integrity Canada also oversees the e-learning and educational components of the CSSP to ensure all sport organizations are well equipped to remain in compliance.
• The CSSP public registry is improving transparency and accountability across the sport system, and Sport Integrity Canada is committed to expanding it.
• The Government will continue to work with provinces and territories to ensure each jurisdiction has an independent complaint mechanism in place.

Strengthening athlete voice and support

• Athlete representation has been strengthened through the creation of a Ministerial Athlete Advisory Committee, ensuring athlete perspectives inform government decisions.
• National sport organizations are now required to include athlete representation on their boards.
• In 2023, the Government invested more than $559,000 in AthletesCAN to strengthen support for national team athletes and amplify their voices.
• Mental health supports for athletes and coaches have been expanded through investments in national partners and sport institutes.
• In 2025–26, the Athlete Assistance Program provided $40 million in monthly living and training allowances as well as supplemental supports like tuition, to close to 1,900 athletes. In July 2026, we announced a $3-million annual increase to the Athlete Assistance Program, bringing the program's total yearly funding to $43 million.

The Government of Canada remains deeply committed to maintaining integrity and ethical standards that support a sport system which protects Canadians. We've made meaningful progress, and we will continue building a system that Canadians can trust and have full confidence in.

Quotes

"Canadians deserve a sport system they can trust. That is why we are continuing to strengthen safety, integrity, accountability and transparency across the sport system. Environments that are safe, clean and fair help ensure that every participant, from playground to podium, can thrive. Strong governance and clear accountability are essential to delivering results for Canadians and building a sport system that reflects our shared values and earns the confidence of athletes, families and communities across the country."

--The Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport)

"The federal government's generational investment will redesign the Canadian sport system, and it is crucial that integrity be at the heart of this new era. Sport Integrity Canada's mandate is to protect and promote the integrity of sport, and so we gratefully accept this supplemental funding that will help ensure safe, clean and fair sport. As we prepare to launch the 2027 Canadian Anti-Doping Program, this investment, in large part, will support ongoing modernization of the World Anti-Doping Agency-accredited laboratory and demonstrates Canada's commitment to clean sport and athlete safety."

--Jeremy Luke, President and CEO, Sport Integrity Canada

"The Canadian sport system has evolved significantly since the SDRCC was established more than 20 years ago, and this investment will strengthen our ability to continue evolving with it. Through consultation and collaboration with stakeholders across the sport system, we have an opportunity to examine how sport dispute resolution and prevention services can adapt to the changing needs of the Canadian sport system while remaining grounded in the principles of independence, cost-effectiveness and timeliness that define the SDRCC's mission. This work will help shape the future of Canadian sport."

--Francis Ménard, CEO, Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada

Quick Facts

This announcement is part of the Government of Canada's generational $1-billion investment to improve access to sport; continue hosting world-class events; upgrade stadiums, fields and community recreation facilities; and help athletes succeed from the playground to the podium.

The Government of Canada is investing $19.2 million in 2026–27 to support:

Safe Sport: $7.1 million

• $5 million to Sport Integrity Canada for the Canadian Safe Sport Program
• $150,000 to Sport Integrity Canada for new education resources and a Legal Advice Service
• $1.94 million to the SDRCC including an additional $440,000 to modernize its operations, strengthen organizational capacity, expand its legal aid program and continue providing its safeguarding tribunal free of charge.

Anti-Doping: $11.75 million

• $7.2 million for the Canadian Anti-Doping Program
• $4.5 million to replace critical anti-doping testing equipment at the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS)
• $50,000 for an independent review of anti-doping education programs.

Competition Manipulation: Approximately $400,000

Sport Integrity Canada is an independent, national, not-for-profit organization that works to protect and promote the integrity of sport in Canada. Through the administration of its programs, including the Canadian Anti-Doping Program and the Canadian Safe Sport Program, it strives to ensure sport is safe, inclusive, fair, clean and accessible for all Canadians.

The Canadian Safe Sport Program is an independent program that receives and responds to reports of prohibited behaviours, such as abuse, harassment and discrimination, involving individuals who are part of federally funded national sport organizations.

The Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) is a not-for-profit corporation created by federal legislation and funded by the Government of Canada. The mission of the SDRCC is to provide the sport community with a national alternative dispute resolution service and strengthen the culture of fairness in Canadian sport by resolving disputes quickly and efficiently and to provide expertise and assistance regarding alternative dispute resolution.

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Associated Links

Sport Canada
Sport Integrity Canada
Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada

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SOURCE Canadian Heritage

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Bahoz Dara Aziz, Director of Communications, Office of the Secretary of State (Sport), [email protected]; Media Relations, Canadian Heritage, [email protected]