Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure that I rise in the House to recognize the leadership that has been shown by Athletes CAN in developing its six point manifesto for sport in Canada.
Athletes CAN is a 10 year old organization representing national team athletes whose mission is to work with partners in leadership, advocacy and education to ensure a fair, responsive and supportive sport system for high performance athletes in Canada.
At its annual forum in Quebec City last month, it further refined its declaration, which was recently announced to the public. The manifesto calls for the federal government to invest in a comprehensive sports development program from playground to podium and beyond, for the provincial and territorial governments to increase sport and physical activity in schools, and for the creation of a national infrastructure program to assist in developing sport and recreational facilities.
The Government of Canada appreciates the dedication of our high performance athletes in their athletic achievements and congratulates them for the leadership that they continue to demonstrate in trying to improve the sport system in Canada.