Secretary of State van Koeverden announces strengthened support for Canadian athletes
The Government of Canada is enhancing the Athlete Assistance Program, making it easier for Canadian athletes to focus on training, competition and success on the world stage
CALGARY, AB, July 27, 2026 /CNW/ -- Canadian athletes are our country's greatest ambassadors, working tirelessly to represent the very best of Canada on the world stage. To make it easier for them to train, compete and bring home the gold, the Government of Canada is making sure they have more support along the way.
Today, the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), announced a $3-million annual increase to the Athlete Assistance Program, bringing the program's total yearly funding to $43 million.
The enhanced funds will provide greater support to more high-performance athletes, including those identified in sports newly added to the Los Angeles 2028 and French Alps 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games programs. It will also increase support for para athletes, athletes with children, and guides for athletes with visual impairments. This will help ensure Canadian athletes can focus on training, pursuing excellence and proudly wearing the maple leaf.
Together, these investments will help increase participation, put Canadians on podiums, and bring major sporting events to Canada, continuing to prove that we are the best sport-hosting country in the world.
This work 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.
Quotes
"We've been listening to Canadian athletes, and they've been clear. They need more support to compete at the highest levels and represent Canada on the world stage. In a country as great as Canada, with record-breaking athletes who proudly wear the maple leaf, we need to make sure they have more support to focus on their performance and achieve their goals. This investment will help more athletes train, compete and succeed, while strengthening our sport system for the future."
-- The Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport)
Quick Facts
The Athlete Assistance Program provides direct financial support to high performance athletes. It aims to relieve some of the financial pressures for athletes in international sport.
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. The new investment will bring the program's annual budget to $43 million.
The decision on how to allocate the additional support was based on feedback from more than 240 athletes, through a report prepared by the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission, the Canadian Paralympic Committee Athletes' Council and AthletesCAN.
The monthly living and training allowance, known as "carding," will increase by 5.5 percent for a senior athlete, resulting in a new monthly amount of $2,300. An additional 30 senior cards will be added to the system. These cards will primarily be assigned to cover athletes in new sports at the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and to ensure the provision of support for guides of visually impaired athletes.
In addition to providing higher monthly allowances to more high-performance athletes, this increase to the program will help athletes access financial support. There will be an increase in the monthly supplemental support amount for athletes with children and for para athletes with high-support needs.
The Spring Economic Update 2026 provided $755 million over five years, starting in 2026–27, and $118 million on a permanent basis, to Canadian Heritage to help Canada's sport system:
Host and compete with the best: $50 million over five years to bring more world-class sporting events to Canada. Funding will be tied to legacy-building projects that deliver lasting benefits well beyond the events themselves. Facilities built or upgraded for major events will continue to serve communities, support grassroots participation and strengthen local sport systems for years to come.
Support our athletes and the next generation in performing at the highest levels: $45 million over five years and $8 million on a permanent basis to help our athletes train, compete and perform, including support for better mental health and funding that will be linked to robust safe sport measures and frameworks. These actions will strengthen the sport system and respond to some of the findings of the Final Report of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission while the government continues to consider all its recommendations.
Get more Canadians involved in sport: $660 million over five years, and $110 million on a permanent basis, for sport organizations, increasing funding that has remained largely unchanged since 2005, so they can invest in a strong and safe sport system and grow participation among children and youth across Canada. We want sport organizations to work with private sector partners that share the goal of getting more Canadians involved in sport. We also expect sport organizations to make changes to their programming to invest in sport at all levels.
Associated Links
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]
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