SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Sport in Canada

I have such fond memories of the man in motion.

Honourable senators, today I’d like to use my time to update you on the playground to the podium and back. Summer began full on with the FIFA World Cup, which has left a legacy we continue to learn about to this day. During the summer, I also saw playground structures installed in parks that were cutting edge, inclusive, safe and welcoming. Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities partnered to bring equipment to parks, waterfronts and recreation areas across Canada.

I was overjoyed to see our daughter’s childhood park, Hespeler Optimist Park, in Cambridge, Ontario, turned into a multi-sport facility. This space includes a full basketball court and a second court that accommodates pickleball, tennis and volleyball. The focus on fun, trying new activities, feeling welcome and ensuring inclusion was so great to see in action. The laughs, the smiles, watching people helping people — that is a community.

As we move along the sports pathway today, I am overjoyed to share a first on the international sports stage. Dakar, Senegal, is hosting the first-ever Olympic competition on the African continent. Team Canada has 28 athletes competing in the Summer Youth Olympic Games, which run until November 13. Off the field of play, our athletes will spend time learning about the cultures of their host and the 207 delegations that are present.

If you are looking for a quick and happy clip, search for Canada’s welcome in the opening ceremonies. As our athletes entered the opening ceremonies, local Dakar youth chanted, over and over, “Canada, Canada, Canada.” It was a beautiful moment and a beautiful reminder of the esteem in which the Maple Leaf is held across the world.

While the games continue, closer to us, two very significant celebrations took place in Ottawa last night. On the Hill, Mr. Rick Hansen was here. He’s a tremendous Canadian icon. His new documentary, Man in Motion: The Rick Hansen Story, was released first at the Toronto International Film Festival and then shared here on the Hill last night. It was a wonderful evening and a wonderful celebration.

Across the river at the Canadian Museum of History, the seventieth annual Order of Sport Awards were held. This year, we celebrated three trailblazers who have contributed to reshaping the landscape of sport in Canada: the 1990 Women’s World Championship hockey team; Chief Dr. Wilton Littlechild for his second order; and Jay Triano, a basketball hero of mine, whom I first watched play when we were both in Grade 13.

The Community Champion Award is a new national recognition program created in partnership with Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities and Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. It’s time to finally spotlight the often unsung heroes in Canadian sport: grassroots coaches and sports builders who make sport possible at the community level for children and youth. Legacy awards were bestowed to Larry Tanenbaum, the Southern family, the Canada Games Council and Special Olympics Canada.

Finally, senators, your work was included as part of this celebration. Nineteen senators contributed to the sport as a nation-builder inquiry that was in the Senate last spring. This was bound into a beautiful booklet. On Tuesday and Wednesday nights, we presented your inquiry book to all 22 award recipients. Your stories are valuable, and we continue to share them where possible.

Thank you. Meegwetch.