Evidence of meeting #7 for Canadian Heritage in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was hockey.
A recording is available from Parliament.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
Jim Hillyer Conservative Lethbridge, AB
Thank you for coming and sharing your experience with us.
Good luck. We're ready to cheer you on.
9:05 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gord Brown
Thank you very much.
We will now go to
Mr. Dubé, followed by Mr. Lapointe. You have seven minutes.
9:05 a.m.
NDP
Matthew Dubé NDP Chambly—Borduas, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would like to thank the witnesses for being here.
Mr. Judge, you made a point that I found interesting. You talked about preparing for 2018 and 2022 and certain challenges that were involved. Although we are pleased to see the unprecedented level of funding for the Own The Podium program, we have heard concerns that, despite the funding for the elite level and the desire to win medals, there may be difficulties in developing the next generation of athletes. Is that the case in your organization?
I would like to address the same question to Mr. Wilson afterwards.
9:05 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
Thank you. It's an excellent question.
Certainly, as I spoke a bit about, I think our success for 2014, I won't say is absolutely guaranteed, but I think it will be phenomenally strong. Particularly with the addition of the new events, I think we'll see more medals than we've seen before, and hopefully we'll be one of the first countries to follow up the home games with a larger number of medals than we had at home.
But I do honestly see some significant concerns as we move into 2018 and 2022. As you know, the world is not a static place. I think we saw the long list of candidates come through for 2022, which includes two Scandinavian countries and then three of the former eastern bloc countries. My view is that we'll probably see either Norway or Sweden get the games for 2022.
The Norwegians are phenomenal. We already know they have a strong support system and the means to make significant investments in the sport. They also now have the fire.
For us moving forward, I think our future lies in making that strategic investment now, underneath. The summer Own the Podium project was really built from the bottom up. That's allowed for a much more balanced, much more long-term, sustainable structure. The winter side, because it was only focused on 2010, built the roof, but not much of a foundation underneath. The NSOs that have strong foundations—fortunately, we are one—I think will be able to bear well over the time. For the ones that don't, it's going to be much more difficult, unless we can find how to make those strategic investments, where to make the best ones, and insert the most intelligence with the cheapest investment.
9:10 a.m.
NDP
9:10 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
In the bobsleigh world, 2018 and 2022, as Peter said, are going to be very difficult. I absolutely agree that what we did in our type of sport is we prepared for 2010. We are very concerned about where will be our next athletes for 2018 and 2022. The difference for us, a little bit, is in bobsleigh we're a second sport athlete. Jesse Lumsden is 28 years of age. They're older athletes, but they also come into the sport quickly, so it probably takes us four years to turn around a novice to a champion.
In skeleton, we're much the same as what Peter has said in the fact that we are, basically, building the ability of finding the next Jon Montgomery tobogganing down some hill anywhere in Canada now. To get that person into a program and into the level that's necessary at the top level will take at least eight to twelve years. Own The Podium and Sport Canada funding needs to reach down a little bit lower to assist, especially in our case. If we don't get it from the government, and I hate to say this, we then go to corporate, because we don't have a huge membership base. I don't have the ability, like soccer, to say, “Everybody give me a buck and I can do it.” I only have 200-some people so it will be a big issue for us and it needs to be addressed now.
9:10 a.m.
Chairman, Ski Jumping Canada
We're in the situation where we need to develop athletes at a very young age. Basically, they need to start at seven or eight to ten years old. Given the depth in our program right now on the women's side, I'm really looking forward to 2018 to see the progression of some of these young ladies. Beyond that, if this sport wants to sustain itself in this country, we need investment. We're a facility-based sport and we only have one, so to grow the sport we need investment into facilities. That's the only way to ensure success.
December 3rd, 2013 / 9:10 a.m.
NDP
François Lapointe NDP Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Thank you. I appreciate that.
Mr. Wilson, I am one of those Canadians who watch bobsleigh racing on the edge of my chair and then up on my feet as they reach the finish line. These are great athletes, but they are taking huge risks. It is a dangerous sport. We have had some tragic accidents in the past. People have unfortunately slid off the track, including one who hit a pole that some people said at the time should not have been there.
What is the environment like with respect to safety? What do we do if one of these wonderful athletes goes off the track or gets hurt in Sochi? Do you think it is being organized quite safely? Has anyone looked into why there was a pole in the wrong place at one point? Has the safety of the athletes been taken into consideration in building the structures? Would an athlete who suffers a major concussion have access to highly specialized care quickly in Sochi? Have safety measures been put in place for these various aspects?
9:15 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
The short answer would be yes.
That's one of the things the COC has been absolutely magnificent at. They've been over to Russia countless times to check out the medical opportunities or support services. That would be the first thing our people have done as well. We've been there twice.
The particular instance that you're referring to was at one of the very first and oldest German tracks, Altenberg. The problem there was that most of the tracks, as it sits today, use, for the sake of discussion, puck board, so when a sled goes out of control and goes up, which this one did, it would normally be forced back down. In that particular instance, they have wood, and at 150 kilometres an hour, a 325 kilogram object going in that direction, it went through.
We don't have any concerns at all with the quality of the tracks that are now built in the world for that type of instance. We're very comfortable that the medical support that will be supplied for the Olympics will be excellent.
9:15 a.m.
Conservative
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Lyon, Mr. Judge, and Mr. Wilson, thank you very much for being with us today.
I'd like to discuss Sochi with you first, and then look at what will happen after Sochi. Sochi will be coming in the coming weeks. Is there something you would like this committee to recommend to the government for Sochi, or would you say that the cake is baked now?
Mr. Judge, Mr. Wilson, and Mr. Lyon, in that order.
9:15 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
I'm sorry, just for clarification, are you talking about athletic preparation, or—
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
I'm talking about athletic preparation, anything that may happen in Sochi. Would you say there is a need for more government help, or would you say that everything is settled?
9:15 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
I would say that everything is well in hand. I think the investment that this government has made is sound, and that all the different entities, Sport Canada, OTP, and all the others, have done a phenomenal job at preparing in each of their silos. I think the national sport organization has done that as well.
We knew what we were getting into. When we were preparing for Sochi, we knew it was going to be a difficult or interesting environment. The COC has been vigilant about ensuring that familiarization takes place, as have the components of the NSO. I would say that at this point there's not a lot that can be done.
I guess one of the biggest concerns is what might happen over there. My understanding is that the Canadian security detail has this well in hand and has a very good relationship with the Russians. I take great comfort in this.
9:15 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton
Certainly, from a point of view of athletic preparation, the cake is baked.
From a government point of view, visas represent the largest non-athletic issue. I don't know whether government interaction can make that faster and easier for us and for the parents. We're waiting for certain numbers to come back, and the parents are on the edge of their seats. They want their child to make it through, and they don't know if they're going to be able to get to Sochi. That type of support would be very helpful.
My final point is that certain things seem to happen in Russia that you just don't understand. The safety of our Canadian athletes, families, and coaches is paramount.
9:15 a.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Mr. Lyon, do you have any specific requests for the coming weeks, or would you say that everything is well handled?
9:15 a.m.
Chairman, Ski Jumping Canada
I think we've prepared our athletes as best we can with the money we have available. We had a significant hole in our budget this year from the lack of Own the Podium funding. I wouldn't sit here and say that more money wouldn't help quite a bit, but the athletes are on a specific path to where they need to be, and we feel that's very solid. At the same time, with our NSO, there are a few things at the tip of the iceberg that we could still put in place between now and Sochi, but I feel that the path we put the athletes on has been very sound. Still, there are some holes in the budget for this season.
9:20 a.m.
Liberal
Stéphane Dion Liberal Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC
Okay, thank you.
After Sochi, we need to keep the momentum. You will know which countries you're competing with. You know the experience after Vancouver.
Do you have specific recommendations for the federal government that you would like to express today?
9:20 a.m.
Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Freestyle Ski Association
We know for sure in the business plan that increasing the gene pool, having a larger number of bodies in the hopper, is our most critical shortage right now. In order for us to have long-term success, we need to have more athletes in the system. I think there are a number of different ways we can do that, and they vary quite widely.
This is a Canadian issue. We don't really have a venue where you can watch Canadian amateur sport right now. Some of the networks pick up bits and pieces of it, but we need a reliable source for viewing, like Eurosport in Europe, where you can watch all the amateur sports. Through that, you develop followings, and then you can draw more people out. I think that would be something the government could do great good with.
I think we have to make investments at the bottom, at the grassroots level, into the NSO and into programming. We might see investment in gymnastics and track and field that pays dividends in bobsleigh and freestyle skiing. I think we have to look at a number of different investments in order to try to create that larger gene pool.