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| It’s simple. Leading-edge athletic facilities help our elite athletes reach the podium; creating positive role models who inspire communities across Canada and encourage participation in sport – especially for young Canadians. |
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Sport
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Close to 2,000 athletes currently train at WinSport Canada facilities using more than 100,000 athlete training days annually.
In the 2008/2009 winter season, WinSport Canada hosted 48 provincial, national and World Cup events. In the 2009/2010 winter season, Alberta will host seven World Cup winter sport events.
Completion of the Athletic and Ice Complex (AIC) will enable WinSport Canada to host even more national and international events supporting national sport organizations and athletes in a way never before done in Canada.
Nine national winter sport organizations and eight provincial winter sport organizations use WinSport Canada facilities. Just as athletes need role models, so do organizations. Under the AIC roof, sport organizations will be able to communicate more frequently and share ideas together. |
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Recreation
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Recreational sport is vitally important to our youth, our communities and our country’s overall heath and wellness. Increasing physical activity levels by 10% would save Canadians over $150 million annually in direct health care costs. 1
In the 2008/2009 winter season, WinSport Canada hosted more than 25 sport recreation events ranging from grassroots events for kids to major international events such as the first-ever Burton Canadian Open for snowboarding.
Canada Olympic Park (COP) is the only ski and snowboard school in North America that offers streamlined instructional programming from beginner lessons to training programs for World Cup level athletes.
Each winter season more than 55 winter programs are offered for all ages and skill levels.
Like all WinSport Canada facilities, the Athletic and Ice Complex will be a community resource for recreational use by the public. Minor hockey leagues, ringette, figure skating, lacrosse and soccer teams will have access to the North American size rinks; the public will be able to access the sport development facility; and spectators will be welcomed to the national and international events attracted to the new facility. |
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Youth
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Getting youth involved in sport is not about pushing them towards the Olympic Games. However, World Cup, Olympic and Paralympic levels of sport are important because they produce inspirational role models for our youth to emulate.
Canadians rank sport as the second most positive influence in the lives of youth, after family.1 More than 80% of Canadians believe that promoting positive values in youth should be a priority for sport in Canada and 92% of Canadians believe that community sport can have a positive influence in the lives of youth. 1
When children get involved in sport:
- they learn positive values and life skills;
- they pursue healthier lifestyles;
- their exposure to risk behaviour is minimized; and
- academic achievement is enhanced. 1
Our objective is to create opportunities for generations to come – to be inspired to get involved in sport and have the facilities they need to discover sport, develop skill, or propel themselves toward the podium. |
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Tourism & Economy
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WinSport Canada’s Canada Olympic Park is truly a year-round urban sport and tourism destination. With more than one million visitors annually, COP is one of Alberta’s largest attractions outside of the Rocky Mountains.
COP has created jobs, promoted Calgary internationally and extended the number of days visitors spend in Calgary.
Existing tourism and school group programs bring over 400,000 tourists and 50,000 students annually to Canada Olympic Park.
With the completion of the Athletic and Ice Complex, operational expenditures for WinSport Canada will increase to $35 million per year. This steady flow will produce an income impact of $41.7 million in Calgary and $51.6 million in Alberta. 2
In addition, a large complement of employment will be created by these expenditures in both Calgary and Alberta. Close to 1,000 jobs will be sustained in Alberta, of which more than 800 will be in Calgary. 2
1 The True Sport Report, 2008
2 Econometric Research Limited, Economic Impact Report of Canada Olympic Park, 2006 |
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