Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Good morning, everyone, and thank you for this opportunity to speak to you this morning. I'll start with a brief statement and then be more than happy to answer any questions you may have.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee supports any initiative that benefits Paralympic athletes, and Bill C-47 benefits Paralympic athletes. Let me explain.
It's no secret that historically Paralympic athletes have not enjoyed the same level of support as Olympic athletes. In fact, up to the 2000 Paralympic Games, Paralympic athletes had to pay out of their own pockets to represent this country. The primary reason for this lack of Paralympic support was lack of corporate sponsorships.
Today, the Canada Paralympic Committee has eight major corporate sponsors. It fully supports and funds Canadians athletes to the Paralympic Games. In addition, the Canadian Paralympic Committee now delivers numerous athlete-support programs between the games.
The Canadian Paralympic Committee has corporate sponsors today because it has successfully cultivated, and grows, the Paralympic brand, a brand that corporate Canada now wants to be associated with and is willing to pay for that association. Integral to that association is the explicit understanding that the Canadian Paralympic Committee will take every measure possible to protect the brand. Bill C-47 has an opportunity to increase that level of brand protection, thereby increasing brand value and financial support from the corporate Canada sector to the Paralympic sports and to the Paralympic athletes.
Another example of how increased corporate Canada financial support is already helping Paralympic athletes is through the Own the Podium program. Through this program, our winter Paralympic athletes are enjoying unprecedented levels of support.
Let me read you an excerpt from an article that appeared in the Edmonton Journal on February 22. This article is an interview with Para-Nordic skier and multi-gold Paralympic medallist Shauna Maria Whyte. Shauna says:
In the past, I had only a few people helping me get to the podium. Now there's like an army, and that's a big help. The support is an amazing feeling.... When an athlete does get on the podium, yes I'm the one who's standing on the podium but it's a team effort getting us there...the team nutritionist, physiotherapist, psychologist, our head coach, my personal coach and all the Canadian taxpayers. That's an awesome feeling for me now, to realize that when I stand on the podium, it's for my country.
Looking forward, the more financially successful the 2010 games are, the more stories like Shauna's will be made possible. This is because the majority of any 2010 games operating-budget surplus will be placed into an amateur sport legacy fund, a fund solely dedicated to supporting athletes and coach development programs. Also, a successful 2010 games will make it easier for the Canadian Paralympic Committee to renew its sponsorships and recruit additional sponsors.
Benefits to Canada's Paralympic athletes--this is why the Canadian Paralympic Committee supports Bill C-47.
Thank you.