National sport groups get long-sought funding

The federal government is setting aside $660 million over the next five years for national sport organizations that have faced mounting deficits for years.

Today's spring economic update promises $110 million annually after that to boost funding for national sport organizations that had remained largely static for two decades. The $660 million is part of a broader $755 million package that also includes $50 million to host events and $45 million for high-performance athlete support.”

Following this year's Olympics in Milano-Cortina, which saw Canada's weakest Winter Games medal count since 2002, the Canadian Olympic Committee issued an urgent plea for increased funding.

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees lobbied unsuccessfully for a $144-million increase in annual core funding for national sport organizations in the 2025 budget.

Ottawa has indicated it wants national sport organizations to spread the new money across all levels of sport and not to reserve it just for high-level athletes in international competition.

Ottawa also says the money is meant to build up a strong and safe sport system, following a call from the Future of Sport in Canada Commission for funding to allow all national sport organizations to hire their own safe sport officers.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published April 28, 2026.

— With files from Donna Spencer in Toronto.

By Nick Murray | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.