HALIFAX, March 26, 2008 - The Honourable Helena Guergis, Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and International Trade) (Sport) and the Honourable Barry Barnet, Nova Scotia's Minister of Health Promotion and Protection, today announced a bilateral agreement between the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia that reaffirmed federal and provincial support for increasing sport participation and enhancing opportunities for Aboriginal people to participate in sport.
The Government of Canada's contribution of $165,000, along with $180,000 from Nova Scotia, will support Aboriginal sport in the province over the next three years. This amount is in addition to investments worth $1.3 million over the last six years to support sport participation in Nova Scotia.
"These bilateral agreements will help increase sport participation in the province," said Secretary of State Guergis. "They will support initiatives that encourage children, young people, and Aboriginal people in Nova Scotia to increase their participation in sport and to be more physically active."
"The Province of Nova Scotia is working to make sport and recreation activities more available and accessible to our Aboriginal communities," said Minister Barnet. "This agreement not only brings a greater focus on Aboriginal participation in sport; it also provides specific funding to ensure we accomplish our goal of healthier and more active First Nation communities."
The funding will assist the provincial government in delivering projects that include community sport, young people, and coaching development.
The Government of Canada is the single largest investor in Canada's sport system, supporting participation and excellence from the playground to the podium. The Government of Canada's investment in the Canadian sport system will grow to an all-time high of over $164 million annually once the Budget 2008 commitment is fully implemented. This provides funding for initiatives to support our high-performance athletes and to promote sport participation among all Canadians.
Information:
Blair MacLean
Director of Communications and Parliamentary Affairs
Office of the Honourable
Helena Guergis, P.C., M.P.
Secretary of State (Foreign Affairs and
International Trade) (Sport)
613 995-1293
Donald Boulanger
A/Chief,
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819 994-9101
