The Government of Canada, the Canadian Paralympic Committee and the Canadian Olympic Committee double investment in Next Gen athletes 

TORONTO (October 29, 2026) – The Government of Canada, the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), alongside the Paralympic Foundation of Canada (PFC) and the Canadian Olympic Foundation (COF) are pleased to announce that annual funding for the long-standing and impactful Next Gen program will double beginning this year. 

The Government of Canada will increase its investment in Next Gen from $5 million annually to $10 million. Through this unique program, private sector investments will match federal funding dollar-for-dollar to drive more investment in sport. The Next Gen program now represents a total public-private investment of over $20 million annually to support the future of Canadian sport.  

The Next Gen initiative supports Canada’s emerging high-performance athletes who are on the path to future Olympic and Paralympic Games. Next Gen provides access to world-class coaching, training environments, competition opportunities, and sport science expertise, helping more athletes play and stay in sport, to reach their full potential and gain invaluable experience. 

Since the program’s inception in 2017, the Next Gen program has made a tangible impact on Team Canada, including: 

• Support for 4,358 Team Canada athletes on their Olympic journeys and 634 Team Canada athletes on their Paralympic journeys 

• 401 Next Gen athletes have competed at an Olympic Games and 134 Next Gen athletes have competed at a Paralympic Games  

• 74 have won Olympic medals and 44 have won Paralympic medals 

• At the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, 42% of Team Canada athletes benefitted from Next Gen support, resulting in 17 of Team Canada’s 27 medals 

• At the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, 58% of Canadian Paralympic Team athletes benefitted from Next Gen support, including 20 of Canada’s 31 medallists 

• At the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, 62% of Team Canada athletes benefitted from Next Gen support, resulting in 15 of Team Canada’s 21 medals 

• At the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, 65% of Canadian Paralympic Team athletes benefitted from Next Gen support, including 16 of Canada’s 30 medallists 

 This expanded commitment will double the program’s impact, creating an unprecedented opportunity to reach more athletes at a critical stage in their development and strengthen Canada’s pipeline for future Olympic and Paralympic success.  

In November, the Government of Canada will host the Canada Strong Through Sport: The Playground to Podium Summit, where sport, private industry and philanthropic sectors will come together to advance the new era of Canadian sport, with five key objectives: transform, invest, align, participate, and deliver.  

QUOTES 

“Canada’s top athletes are a great source of pride for our entire country, and our government is committed to investing in their success on the world stage. Through this innovative partnership with the private sector, we’re bringing new investment into Canadian sport to support the next generation of Team Canada athletes. Every time an Olympic or Paralympic athlete competes, they wear the maple leaf on their jersey or the Canada name on their back. They represent all of us, and we’re making sure they have what they need, from playground to podium.” 

–       Secretary of State (Sport) Adam van Koeverden, Government of Canada 

“Next Gen funding is undeniably one of the reasons my team has a Paralympic bronze medal. Our team trains apart for a lot of the year; these funds support us being able to practice in our hometowns between competitions and training camps. For athletes working towards the Paralympic Games, this funding helps elevate their training so they’re ready for the next step. A huge thank you to the federal government for their increased support of Next Gen. With this, our busy schedule becomes more seamless, and athletes are increasingly prepared to perform.”  

• Heidi Peters, Paralympian, Sitting Volleyball 

“I am so incredibly grateful for a government and private donors who are choosing to support Canadian athletes. This funding will help break barriers and move Canadian sport to a new level. With this extra support athletes such as myself can now be fully invested in sport by breaking records, being on podiums, and making Canadians proud.” 

• Sophia Jensen, Olympian, Sprint Paddle 

“Next Gen funding is such an important initiative that has made a direct impact on the careers of so many Paralympians. The barriers to access and costs of participating and then excelling in Paralympic sport are often significantly higher than in able-bodied sport, making programs like Next Gen essential. Continued investment is critical to create opportunities for athletes to succeed on the world stage, and this additional funding will allow more athletes to receive the resources they need to achieve their goals, such as coaching, equipment, classification, and competition opportunities. As we look to build a more inclusive and accessible sport system for all Canadians, we welcome this increased investment from the Government of Canada, thank our generous partners and donors who also make the Next Gen program possible, and look forward to continuing discussions on how to sustainably and most effectively invest in the future of Para athletes moving forward.”  

• Catherine Gosselin-Despres, Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Paralympic Committee 

“The Next Gen program is a powerful contributor to the COC’s Team Canada 2035 ambitions, actively enhancing Canada’s high performance pathway and enabling more young people to play and stay in sport. In doing so, Next Gen has made a tangible difference to the success of so many young Canadian athletes, including some of Canada’s most inspiring Olympians. This increased commitment from both the Government of Canada and Canadian Olympic Foundation donors will transform the future of Team Canada, and shape the Canadian sport landscape for years to come.” 

• Jacqueline Ryan, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Foundation and Chief Brand and Commercial Officer of the COC