A new dawn for Canadian sport
Calgary 1988 proved to be a turning point for Canadian sport both on and off the field of play, and at all levels, from grassroots to the elite. The Games led to an increase in the number of people taking up sport and becoming more physically active. They also contributed to the city’s long-established culture of volunteering, bolstering the civic pride of its residents and helping to restore their “Can Do!” mentality.
Though winter sports had long been popular in the country, only a few Canadians had brought international and Olympic medals home prior to Calgary 1988. Taking full advantage of the new and improved Olympic facilities and research centres, increased investment, and developments in sports medicine brought about by Calgary 1988, the nation’s skiers, skaters, snowboarders and bobsledders began to excel. When the Olympic Winter Games returned to Canada, at Vancouver 2010, the national team topped the medal table for the first time in the country’s history.
Calgarians also benefitted from the new transport and urban infrastructure projects triggered and accelerated by the Games – projects that cemented Calgary’s status as a major North American city and boosted the development of nearby Canmore. These included improvements to the local road and rail networks and the building of the Olympic Plaza, which remains a popular meeting place for the city’s residents today.
SPORTING EXCELLENCE AT EVERY LEVEL
Thousands of people of all ages and backgrounds have been introduced to ice and snow sports thanks to summer camps, school programmes, ski and snowboard lessons, and a host of other activities organised by WinSport. Founded in 1956 with the specific aim of bringing the Olympic Winter Games to Calgary, WinSport has invested over CAD 230 million back into high-performance and grassroots sport since 1988.
Backed by over 300 volunteers, the organisation is very active at grassroots/community level, and encourages people to remain physically active for life. It also operates a number of sporting venues and facilities across the city and region, used by recreational and elite athletes alike.
RAISING CANADA’S GAME
At the last three Olympic Winter Games, some 61 of Canada’s 80 medals were won by athletes who have trained or competed at WinSport’s facilities. The facilities also host over a thousand events annually.
Canada’s elite athletes have also improved their performance levels thanks in part to the Canadian Sport Institute (CSI)’s seven centres, the first of which opened in Calgary in 1994. Athletes enrolled in the centre have won 421 world championship, Olympic and Paralympic medals, 143 of them gold.
Through CSI Calgary, athletes make effective use of the venues, facilities, expertise and culture of sporting excellence that the XV Olympic Winter Games brought to the city. As well as drawing on CSI expertise in areas such as biomechanics, performance analysis and nutrition, they have also benefitted from its life services, counselling, injury rehabilitation programmes and sports science solutions.
FULFILLING THE DREAMS OF YOUNG ATHLETES
Over the years, more than 3,000 young Canadian athletes and their coaches have received CAD 12 million in funding through the Fuelling Athlete and Coaching Excellence (FACE) programme, which has helped them pursue their careers and post-career development. Every year, 55 talented young athletes who are not yet eligible for government funding are chosen to receive financial support from FACE.
The country’s elite student athletes can achieve excellence in both their academic and athletic careers through the National Sport School, at Canada Olympic Park. Many of them have kicked on to attain Olympic success thanks to the school’s supportive and innovative learning and training programmes.
THE BEST IN SPORTS MEDICINE
Open to members of the public and elite and recreational athletes, the University of Calgary Sport Medicine Centre is a world-leading pioneer in its field and provides a wide range of education, research and patient care services.
The centre’s multidisciplinary team of health professionals offers services that range from athletic and massage therapy to nutrition and physiotherapy. Its experts teach physicians, therapists and surgeons across Canada and the world and engage in research that continues to take sports medicine forward. Over the years, the centre has also developed a number of specialised clinics that deliver high-quality care to patients with specific injuries.