Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 26th, 2013

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

That's good.

My next question is the one you started to speak about, Mr. Thompson—-keeping the momentum after Sochi. Is there something you would like us to recommend in our report?

Maybe Mr. Farstad can start because he's so patient with us.

[Tim Farstad]

Yes, that's where we could use some assistance.

As I said, we're very set for our Sochi plan and financed that way. It's the next level where we need help; the sustainability of our program. All the programs in place right now support us at the very top level, but it's the next level we need help with, so we can continue to sustain and bring forward those athletes who are at the level they need to be to compete for medals.

It's a funding issue, to be honest. It's that next level of support we need, to continue to be at the elite level we're trying to be at.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Is it a matter of the amount or is it also the way the money is distributed?

[Tim Farstad]

It's the amount, but also we have to be able to use it for our development athletes. Most of the funding we receive is restricted to our national team, for our national coaches and that very top-level athlete.

We need funds for the next level—for our junior, national, and development levels—so that they can have the coaches, training, and equipment they need to develop that level of skill.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

The base of the pyramid is too narrow, is that what you are saying?

Is that your view, Mr. Moss?

[Ian Moss]

That's correct.

It's really a funding alignment issue: the regular ice-time cost now for a club is about $200 an hour. Things are getting very expensive for people to get into sport.

Getting some stronger alignment, whether it's federal-provincial and then provincial-municipal,would be an obvious benefit to all of us, would be a plus. Certainly for us, and I know it's not only us, the whole infrastructure issue of facilities is catching up quickly, and it will affect us at all levels.

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Saint-Laurent—Cartierville, QC]

Mr. Thompson, go ahead.

[Daniel Thompson]

Yes, I’ll add to that.

The top of the funnel is not bad; it's the bottom and the middle of the funnel. It's getting more coaches who are highly skilled to get those kids up to the next level so we can win those medals. I think that's a huge piece.

I do like the comment about federal and provincial collaboration in terms of the athlete pathway and ensuring that we can maximize every dollar spent in the system, right from the municipality to the provincial level to the federal level. I know this work is ongoing, but it is very important.

[Elizabeth Manley-Theobald]

The biggest complaints I'm hearing as a professional coach at the grassroots level are what was just stated—ice costs. Go to different areas and ice costs can jump anywhere from $100 an hour to almost $285 an hour. Young families with three or four children get involved in skating or CanSkate programs. They're very excited, they want to move on, but then they start seeing the cost of these sports, and with four children sitting at home, it becomes an expensive decision on the family's part.

I know the problem that exists in my particular area is huge ice costs. We can't have the amount of ice we would like; therefore, we've got an overload on the ice, where kids aren't getting the attention and the quality that they could be getting, and it's all cost efficient. That's, once again, where provincial and funding and everything comes in, where it can help offset some of the costs on these clubs and programs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you.

We're going to move to Mr. Richards and Mr. Leung, who are going to split about six-plus minutes.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thanks, Mr. Chair.

I want to try to save a little time for Mr. Leung, so I'll try to be as quick as I can.

I've got two questions, one specifically for you, Ms. Manley-Theobald, and the other one is for each of the organizations, whoever would like to answer.

I'll start with you, Ms. Manley. As someone who comes from the Calgary area, I certainly recall very well, with very fond memories, the Olympics in 1988 that we had in Calgary, of course, and in Canmore, which is in my riding. You did really inspire a nation, and I want to make sure you hear that. I'm sure you hear it often, but you really did, and I appreciate your being here today.

Since your time as a competitive skater, you've stayed involved in the sport as a coach and otherwise, so you would be very uniquely positioned to answer the question I'd like to ask. From the time that you were competing as an athlete to now, what kind of changes have you seen in terms of support from the Government of Canada, whether it be financial or otherwise, in our support for sport?

[Elizabeth Manley-Theobald]

I believe it has not only been a huge financial difference. You know, there was only so much funding that was allowed back 25 years ago in the 1980s, and sport wasn't as big as it is in Canada today. So yes, that is a huge part, but I think more it's the embracing of sport in government, the understanding of what sport is really about and what it can do. It filters into all different areas, into health care and into all these other aspects of government. I think it has now been an eye-opener, and we can produce some great champions. But there is a huge difference, I'd say, in 25 years, just in the attention and the embracing of the athlete.

You know, I think in the 1980s sometimes we were just somebody trying to go for a medal, and now it's so much more. There's more at stake. There's a career for the athlete.

I really believe that we are producing heroes, mentors, and idols, and this is what our younger generation needs to see. We need to see them get off the couch away from the computer, the Game Boys, and all the little things that don't get them moving. We need to create these heroes for them, these people who inspire them to get out there and do something: the Sidney Crosbys, maybe the Elizabeth Manleys still. That's what is so important, and that's the great change that I'm seeing. We're able to sit in front of a committee like this and tell you what we're about and you guys are here to help us. That's so important. Twenty-five years ago, that wasn't there.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you, and I think that is something that we do see. I think that's why as a government we have tried to make sure that we're supporting our sports and our athletes. You are right; we're creating heroes and encouraging young children to get more involved in sport, which obviously has great benefits, so I appreciate your response there.

When we talked about support for sport in the previous panel, Mr. Miller from B2ten talked about the model of corporate sponsorship for sport. I don't know that I heard that from any of the rest of you.

Mr. Farstad, I did certainly hear you mention in your opening remarks about a corporate sponsorship that your organization had. I'm sure you all do have some, and I wondered if you could all tell us a little bit about that and what we could do as a government to further encourage that corporate involvement, particularly in the beginning part of the Olympic cycle.

I'll start with you, Mr. Farstad, and if you can all be very quick, I can leave a little time for Mr. Leung.

[Tim Farstad]

When it comes to corporate sponsorship, it's difficult out there, as we all know. We've tried to put a for sale sign on our helmets to try to find corporate sponsors. I think what you can do to help us would be anything the government could do to make it more interesting for a corporation to be involved in sports, things like tax benefits and anything that could be gained, even more than just being a partner with us, would be one way that might make it successful for our sports.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you. To the other two, could you be quick as well?

[Ian Moss]

Yes, I certainly agree. Sometimes it's not a direct connection with government, it's more inspiring and creating the environment for corporate Canada to jump on board. To Elizabeth's point, times have changed, and our amateur athletes are seen as icons and figureheads. We are getting some traction that way, and however we can continue that will be helpful.

[Daniel Thompson]

I think from a sponsor point of view that corporations today are looking for relationships that they can extend in community. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was all about events, but now corporations want to be able to talk to their 500 Canadian Tire stores. We in sport need to be better, and government needs to help encourage our sports to create programs that can live in every community where we have clubs, and against the learn-to space versus the elite space. If you construct it right, corporations are looking to support this.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Thank you.

I hope I've left some time for Mr. Leung.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

There's a bit over a minute left.

[Chungsen Leung, Conservative, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Richards, for sharing your time.

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the panel.

My question is quite short. It's from the standpoint of international competition, especially from emerging economies like South Korea and China. They are rapidly catching up. Over the past few Olympics they have achieved podium status.

Specifically to Speed Skating Canada and Skate Canada, if we look at how they achieved that position, they didn't necessarily have all government funding, and as a matter of fact, a lot of them have come over to Canada to train, or gone to Europe to train.

Perhaps you could share with us how they have done this. How have they done it differently? Is there anything we can learn from their method to achieve their rise?

[Ian Moss]

It's certainly not unique to winter sport. I've worked in a number of summer sports that have a strong Asian connection. Certainly I've seen a very strong corporate connection in Asia. A number of teams or sports are adopted, if you like, by the corporations. Samsung is a good example, from Korea; they're in many.

I think it speaks to what we said earlier, that we have to harness a number of opportunities in Canada. We can't just do the same old, same old, in terms of always relying on government for funding.

We see it happening in Europe, and it's certainly strong in Asia.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much.

Mr. Lapointe, if you have one question....

Ms. Mathyssen, then, you have about a minute plus.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I want to say thank you to Skate Canada for coming to my city of London, Ontario, and recognizing the world-famous Ilderton Skating Club.

Ms. Manley, I remember your skate. I didn't know I could hold my breath for that long. It was just amazing.

We've heard from witnesses that women outperform men. I mean, that's easy, but my question is about the funding. Is it equitable? Is the women's side of things getting the same kind of support as the men's side in terms of the support they need?

[Elizabeth Manley-Theobald]

I can really only speak on behalf of figure skating, but it is equal in our sport. That's because we do have team events that consist of a female and a male together. There wouldn't be the girl without the guy, and there wouldn't be the guy without the girl. So the funding is very equal and very shared, and the responsibility on Skate Canada's part is to treat that equally.

I think that's why, for the first time in many years, we're having the success in all the disciplines—because they're being equally supported.

[Irene Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

That's an excellent point. Thank you for that.