A few days ago, The Press published a dossier highlighting the injustice suffered by Canadian Paralympic medalists.
Posted at 8:00 a.m.
Indeed, unlike Olympic medalists, Paralympic medalists do not receive any financial reward. Canada’s Sports Minister, Pascale St-Onge, said she was “available” and said she wanted to tackle the problem.
During a telephone interview, the Minister admitted that the current situation was certainly unfair and that we had to focus on it.
“This is an issue that concerns me greatly and on which I wish to work in partnership with the Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC). We had discussions a few months ago and we will certainly have some after the Beijing Games, ”she said from the outset.
This was also confirmed by Karen O’Neill, Chief Executive of the CPC, in the context of the file which was previously discussed. Even if light discussions had indeed been started, she regretted that no one had ensured closer follow-up on the subject.
The Canadian Olympic Foundation rewards its athletes with a bank of funds obtained from the private sector. The problem is that the Canadian Paralympic Foundation is not fortunate enough to be able to count on so much support from private donors.
Thus, his pockets are less deep. For the moment, the government has never wanted to become financially involved in the performance bonus file, but Mme St-Onge hopes everyone can find common ground.
“I believe our Paralympians deserve the same rewards and treatment as Olympic athletes. That’s why I’m very interested in working on the file in partnership with the private sector or with the Paralympic Committee to find solutions with them. »
The pattern of Canadian Olympic and Paralympic funding is quite clear. Committees and foundations are separate entities that work separately, and that’s where part of the problem lies, according to many speakers. This is why the government could help cement this system which, in the end, works for the same cause. The current disparity between the different actors does not help to solve the problem and the government could very well lend its support to realign everyone in the same direction, explains the minister.
“I am really available and interested in looking for solutions and seeing how the government could be an actor in this file and serve as a catalyst to bring a little more equity between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. »
“An agent of change”
The member for Brome-Missisquoi is aware that the system is not perfect.
Nevertheless, since we can do better, there is, according to her, a great opportunity to change things and move forward. She says most sports federations in the country have specific programs to best support athletes with disabilities.
Except that she believes there is still a long way to go and she is ready to contribute to change.
Without giving a specific deadline or deadline, Mme St-Onge confirmed that there would be discussions on the subject with the various partners. She wants her government to be “an agent of change in this quest for fairness”.
It remains to be seen now if the problem can be fixed before the next Paralympic Games in 2024, in Paris.