Hon. Rodger Cuzner: Honourable senators, I am excited to stand today — and far less surprised than yesterday, might I add — to celebrate Tuesday’s investment of $755 million to help grow and strengthen the Canadian sports system.

The interventions made by several colleagues during our recent Senate inquiry on physical activity and sport shared a common theme: Sport can have a measurable positive impact on the physical, mental and emotional health of Canadians. Although, as a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan, I might say that sport can also be spiritually damaging.

Honourable senators, if we want to grow the number of Canadians taking part in sport, I believe the federal government has a role to play. Year-over-year statistics show an annual increase in participation rates of 2.5% to 3.5%, and I note that, even after the establishment of the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit in 2007, there was no discernible jump. There was, however, one year when a significant spike was noted, and that was in 2003. Experts point to the fact that the year prior, in 2002, the Canadian women’s hockey team won the Olympic gold medal in Salt Lake City.

Young girls from across the country were inspired by the play of Cassie Campbell, Hayley Wickenheiser and Jennifer Botterill, to name a few. The spunky Canadian squad defeated the host, Team USA, by a score of 3-2 and, in doing so, ignited a belief that young Canadian girls could now compete in a game at the international level that had long been thought of as being in the male domain.

Having these national role models seemed to motivate both young girls and their parents to make their way to rinks and engage in their new passion. This is probably nothing new. I am certain Senators Deacon, Petitclerc and McBean impacted many young women during their days of competition.

Senators, the recent announcement of $755 million over five years will drive local community infrastructure, support coaches and leadership development and provide support for high-performance athletes, yielding both opportunities and greater performance outcomes.

Organizations like the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee referred to Tuesday’s announcement as a generational investment, one that provides an opportunity to rebuild a modern, aligned and well-supported system, ensuring that more resources flow directly to athletes from grassroots to high performance.

Colleagues, sport is a powerful force for building national pride, acting as a unifying element that transcends cultural, geographic and social boundaries to create a shared sense of identity.

Senators, I believe there could not be a better time to invest in sport, build the necessary infrastructure and support our athletes.

Thank you. Meegwetch.