Ontario Supporting Athletes in their Quest for Gold

The Ontario government is investing more than $21 million to help athletes and their coaches train in Ontario and continue their quest for gold. Funding will be provided to the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario, Coaches Association of Ontario, and Quest for Gold Program. The announcement was made, on September 10th, by Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, while visiting BMO Field. “This has been a challenging and unprecedented time for Ontario’s amateur athletes and sport sector, but today marks an important step in their recovery,” said Minister MacLeod. “Helping out high-performance athletes return to the podium is part of our government’s commitment to supporting a double bottom line, that drives our economy and strengthens our cultural fabric.” Through the Quest for Gold program, the Ontario government is providing $6.36 million in direct financial assistance to 1,438 high-performance athletes to ensure they can pursue their dreams of excellence at home in Ontario. Quest for Gold athletes receive funding to help offset the costs, due to training and living expenses, which could include rent, costs to attend a training camp, equipment and tuition/education-related expenses. “Quest for Gold has played a major part in my success as a high-performance athlete. Without the support of Quest for Gold, I would not be where I am today.” shared Melanie Hawtin, QFG-funded Wheelchair Basketball athlete, member of the Senior Women’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team, 2016 Paralympic athlete. The government is also providing up to $12.3 million to Canadian Sports Institute Ontario over three years, and up to $3.21 million to the Coaches Association of Ontario over three years to support high-performance athletes and their coaches as they go for gold. “As we gradually reopen the province safely, we are looking forward to the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games and other competitions, as 2021 is shaping up to be a marquee year for amateur sports in Ontario and around the world,” said Minister MacLeod. The Quest for Gold program allows amateur athletes to focus on becoming the best in their sport, and improving Ontario’s and Canada’s standing at international competitions. Supporting athletes from playground to podium is an important part of making Ontario one of the best places to train, compete and play sports.