Canadian Paralympic Committee donates $200,000 to support domestic parasport programs

The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) on Thursday announced the recipients of the 2023-34 Paralympic Sport Development Fund grants, $200,000 of which will go to parasport programs and initiatives in Canada.

Eighteen organizations from seven counties will receive grants ranging from $5,000 to $15,000 this year.

Introduced in 2016, the Paralympic Sport Development Fund provides grants for projects that help develop pathways for Canadian Para athletes, including competition and training opportunities, custom equipment purchases, coaching development and recruiting initiatives. Funds can be used to support new programs or expand existing successful initiatives.

The Paralympic Sport Development Fund has awarded more than $1.2 million to parasport organizations in Canada since its inception.

“Congratulations to every recipient of the Paralympic Sport Development Fund and thank you for your incredibly valuable work and leadership,” said Karen O’Neill, CEO of the CPC, in a press release. “At the foundation of a strong, healthy and growing Paralympic sport system is quality programming and opportunities to participate in sport at all levels, just as the beneficiaries provide.

Funding is distributed to organizations at the local, regional and provincial levels, covering a wide range of parasports.

“It has been a challenging few years for many organizations, but these recipients have continued to introduce more people to parasport, help their participants develop their skills and develop their overall programming to best align with the needs of their athletes,” O’ Neil said.

Grant recipients and projects 2023-24:

• Sportsmanship BC
  Boccia – British Columbia: Organize a training camp and competition to improve athlete development.

• Alpine Ontario Alpin
  Para alpine – Ontario: Connect athlete programming year-round and develop long-term interface programming for para-young athletes.

• BC adaptive snow sports
  Para alpine – British Columbia: Provide access to programming and support for three U16 Para athletes and a guide for a visually impaired athlete.

• The Steadward Center for Personal and Physical Performance
  Para Athletics – Alberta: Host a para athletics preseason camp where coaches and athletes from all over Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan and the Territories can come together and learn, and support para athletes to attend a national event.

• Club d’athlétisme du Rouge et Or de l’Université Laval
  Para-athletics – Quebec: Create a structure to house a group of para-athletes in its “Sport-Etude”.

• Active badminton club
  Parabadminton – Manitoba: Create opportunities for para-athletes to train and access competitions and mentorship.

• Ontario Equestrian
  Para equestrian – Ontario: Introduce horseback riding through clinics in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, the second phase of a project that was successful in 2022.

• Edmonton Adaptive Sports Association
  Para Hockey – Alberta: Provide specialized equipment for its try-it events and new players.

• Islanders Sledge Hockey Association
  Para Hockey – Ontario: Purchase equipment for new players to ease recruitment and help with tournament funds for the two teams to give them the opportunity to participate in more events in their area.

• Cross Country Alberta Association
  Para nordic – Alberta: Give their coaches access to online training about the Paralympic world and organize some try-it events during the winter to help with recruitment.

• Pacific sea wolves
  Paraswimming – British Columbia: Allow two Para coaches to visit another organization so they can increase their knowledge, and provide certification access to its coaches so they can improve their skills with Para athletes.

• Table Tennis Saskatchewan
  Para Table Tennis – Saskatchewan: Increase one-on-one coaching opportunities for Para athletes and quality of training by purchasing two robots, and develop a program of clinics/camps for Para athletes and coaches in the Carlysle- areas.

• Ottawa-Carleton Wheelchair Sports Association
  Wheelchair Basketball – Ontario: Purchase four reclining chairs for try-it events to enhance the experience of potential players, which will aid in recruiting.

• CURLSASK
  Wheelchair Curling – Saskatchewan: Increase the number of competitive wheelchair curlers in Saskatchewan by providing access to training camps throughout the year.

• Tryumph Gymnastics Academy
  Wheelchair Fencing – Ontario: Give Para athletes the opportunity to participate in wheelchair fencing, including the purchase of new seats and fencing frames to increase the chances of learning and getting into the sport.

• Ontario Para Network
  Wheelchair Tennis – Ontario: Acquire new wheelchairs and racquets to recruit youth in the Toronto area, including targeting athletes 16 and older to increase the number of participants in the group. The goal is 10-15 Para athletes to allow for more competition and training.

  Parasport New Brunswick
  Multisport – New Brunswick: Provide Para-athletes throughout New Brunswick with access to multi-sport programs and increase Parasport knowledge by providing access to development sessions for all coaches throughout New Brunswick.

  PacificSport Regional Center
  Multisport – British Columbia: Enable junior wheelchair athletes (ages 12-20) to train and participate in sports teams at both recreational and competitive levels.