Budget deficit will not cut Canada’s athlete funding

The government contributes about C$47 million annually to  the ‘Own the Podium’ program to improve athletes’ performance in  both the Summer and Winter Games, but it is also grappling with  how to close a nearly C$56 billion budget deficit.

“This is going to be a tough budget year… but as far as  Own the Podium it has been so successful that we have committed  some time ago to maintaining our funding,” said Gary Lunn,  minister of state for sports.

The new federal budget will be unveiled on March 4, less  than a week after the Vancouver Games end.

The federal government is paying most of the C$900 million  security budget for the Vancouver Games and half of the C$580M  spent on venue construction.