Good morning. My name is Bart Given. On behalf of Sport B.C., thank you for the opportunity to submit our comments as part of the federal pre-budget consultation.
Sport B.C. represents the 67 provincial sport organizations that make organized sport a reality on the fields and rinks and in the gyms around B.C. every day, and the approximately 700,000 citizens enrolled in their clubs.
The year 2010 was a cornerstone year for sport in Canada and in British Columbia. The Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, with their inspirational performances and record-breaking Canadian medal haul, demonstrated to everyone the powerful impact of sport. Communities across our nation banded together in ways we have never seen to support these athletes. The successes of these games stand as a testament to what can be accomplished through the collaborative efforts of not only dedicated community and corporate teams but also all levels of government.
Earlier this spring the federal government committed to sport with further investment in the Own the Podium program to build on this success. Because of the raised profile of sport, we anticipate an unprecedented interest in sport participation over the next few years. With the Own the Podium program providing athletes the opportunity to hone their skills at the elite level, what can be done to help our athletes get there? How can we develop the amateur sport sector to ensure that physical, emotional, and social benefits of sport are enjoyed by all?
All athletes, coaches, and officials have to begin their journey somewhere. In Canada, provincial sport organizations are the backbone of amateur sport and, together with their clubs and associations, bring sport to life across the country. Continued investment in this strong infrastructure of organizations, volunteers, and the 700,000 participants will have a multi-faceted impact on the lives of British Columbians, and not just in building future champions. It's an investment in our health, physical literacy, and early childhood education. It is a key driver of social inclusion and community building.
That there is value in sport is not merely subjective opinion but proven fact. Continued collaboration with government will ensure that these long-term benefits are felt by all.
Three-time Olympic alpine skier Emily Brydon knows first-hand how important support is for children looking to participate in sport at a local level. Brydon, who grew up in the Kootenay region of B.C., received a KidSport grant as a young athlete to cover her registration fees before becoming a ten-time Canadian champion and nine-time world cup medallist. Now retired, she is lending support to the program to ensure the next generation of athletes have the same opportunities. In her words,
KidSport gave me the opportunity to continue striving for success in the ski world.... It allowed me to help my parents pay for the cost of sport and playing, and in turn is an important factor for being where I am today.... Not only is the funding crucial to help offset the costs of sports but also it inspires kids to do and be more. When you are rewarded for your success it solidifies your own belief in your dreams and goals.
Brydon is one of over 250,000 athletes KidSport has supported across Canada since it was established by Sport B.C. in 1993. Sport B.C. also works closely with our provincial sport organizations to deliver sport development programs in first nations communities every year. According to Aboriginal Sport Circle, aboriginal barriers to sport participation include access to facilities and programs as well as the cost of participation. Through coaching clinics and skills camps, we work with communities to develop the infrastructure to create a lasting legacy of sport for children who otherwise would not have the opportunity to learn.
With both programs, regardless of whether the children we support turn into top-tier athletes like Emily or doctors, firefighters, or politicians, we aim to open the door to these opportunities for children across the province. This idea encompasses Sport B.C.'s core belief that everyone is an athlete. Everyone, from the child lacing up skates for the first time to the 90-year-old setting world records on the track, deserves the opportunity to participate.
In the years leading up to the games, Sport B.C. worked collaboratively with other B.C. sport organizations through the B.C. Sport Alliance to detail this very vision: an amateur sports system for British Columbia that can be accessed by everyone, is inherently sustainable, and can be a central instrument to better the lives of British Columbians in an accountable, measurable way.
This vision has been worked on in close consultation with B.C.'s Ministry of Healthy Living and Sport, and we urge you to capture the opportunity Vancouver 2010 presented to us by providing the necessary funding capacity to allow the vision to be executed in the years to come. We have led the world in demonstrating how to prepare to host the Olympic Games. Help us now lead the world in showing how to leverage the benefits of the games long after the Olympic flame has gone out.
Thank you.