When it comes to that, we are really very close to our goal. There is not much more left to do, aside from working out the details and fine-tuning things. As for the Vancouver Olympic Games, we saw that, when governments and the private sector invested, the results were immediate. Own the Podium, which was created for the Vancouver Olympics, produced the expected results.
Immediately after the Vancouver Olympic Games, the government could have ended that program, since the games were finished. We insisted that the program not be abolished. We must seize the opportunity at every Olympic Games. It is not about making an exception because we are at home. Things do not work that way with athletes. We will have as many opportunities in London as in Sochi or Rio de Janeiro. So the government heard us. The Own the Podium program was kept alive, and for the summer Olympics, it was possible to keep most of the financial support provided for the Vancouver Olympic Games.
However, there is still so much left to do! We are lucky to have had this support, this interest, and no budget cuts, and so on. Athletes' needs are constantly growing. Things are getting more expensive at every games, and there is always more technology. We need to have access to that technology in order to remain competitive; otherwise, we will get left behind. As I was recently being told, since we were ranked number one at the Vancouver Olympic Games, the first thing other countries did was try to figure out how they could surpass us. Holding on to the number one ranking is one of the most difficult things to achieve. So that assistance needs to continue. There is a whole plethora of solutions.
For those who are asking how they can help us, we have about 50 solutions to propose. However, it is important to proceed in stages, one step at a time. I think it is our turn to show governments at all levels that the private sector is ready to do more. We are working on reaching agreements with Bell Canada, Suncor, Air Canada, the Royal Bank, Hudson's Bay, and so on, and our involvement surpasses anything previously seen in the history of the Canadian Olympic movement.
Usually, all that assistance drops down to zero following the Olympic Games. People have invested so much in the Games that they want to do something else with their money. There is a lot of volatility in the difficult economic situation we are currently experiencing. Despite that, we have convinced these companies to invest record amounts so that the efforts may continue. Then we can meet with governments again, compare their contribution with that of the private sector and let them know how more can be done.
We have an endless stream of ideas when it comes to that. Tax credits are a very good idea. There is also that famous amateur sport network we would like to create in order to raise public awareness about sports and promote them, and to be able to have recurring revenues from this type of operation some day.