Today's budget put a golden financial glow on a memorable week for sport in Canada. The budget has demonstrated a level of support previously unseen by our federal government. Kudos to the many sport leaders and citizens - and our exceptional athletes and coaches - who collaborated in bringing these valuable sport proposals to government and for demonstrating what sport can do when we work together.

In sum, $31m have been allocated annually and on an on-going basis to a range of sport and physical activity priorities:

• $5m to renew the La Releve initiative at Sport Canada that was slated to sunset on March 31st of this year
  
• $3m dedicated to ParticipACTION to promote healthy lifestyles through physical activity and fitness
  
• $1m towards Special Olympics Canada in support of sport for people with an intellectual disability
  
• $17m for programs that support the training and competition of winter and summer elite athletes (as in, the $11m towards Own the Podium winter and to Team Sport initiatives)
  
• $5m to the Canadian Paralympic Committee to build off the coming Games in Vancouver in the years ahead

• that funds still exist in the Recreation Infrastructure Canada program, now entering its second year
  
• that the disbursement quote for charities, foundations, and RCAAAs has been eliminated
  
• the research granting councils (i.e. SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC etc) have seen modest additional funds , totalling $32m
  
• $45m towards making facilities more accessible to people with a disability
  
• Rick Hansen's Foundation also has $9m earmarked for the coming two years
  
• and some top ups to a number of youth programs (internships for youth employment and skills training - i.e. coaching - for youth at risk)
  
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