If Canada wants podiums, Ottawa must rebuild the places where sport begins

Canada has no long‑term federal strategy for sport and recreation infrastructure, the physical backbone that makes participation possible and high performance sustainable.

Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden. The federal government shapes the national sport landscape, and it must lead as a strategic enabler, investor, and convenor, write Mathieu Fleury and Milena M. Parent. The Hill Times photograph by Andrew Meade

Opinion

BY MATHIEU FLEURY, MILENA M. PARENT

March 23, 2026

As the applause from the Milano‑Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games fades, Canada is left with a message it cannot ignore. Our Olympians brought home 21 medals and our Paralympians 15—inspiring but also worrisome results. What mattered even more than the med...

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