Mr. Speaker, as a proud life member of the Belleville Bulldogs rugby club, I know first-hand the value of amateur sport in building confidence, discipline and strong communities. That is why I welcome the spring economic update's generational investment in Canadian sport: $755 million over five years and $118 million going forward to strengthen sport funding across Canada.
In my recent meeting with representatives from Swimming Canada, they were thrilled with this commitment. CEO Suzanne Paulins called it a meaningful step that will create lasting opportunities for athletes, coaches and communities across Canada. For Swimming Canada, this funding can help restore and expand initiatives for Olympic funding and Paralympic athletes and address one of the biggest barriers local swim clubs face: access to facilities.
This is truly smart public investment: stronger grassroots sport funding and stronger high-performance pathways from playground to podium.