Province helping local athletes go for gold

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith
News Release

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NIPISSING - Ontario is supporting high performance athletes and coaches by investing an additional $10 million in its Quest for Gold program, Nipissing MPP Monique Smith announced today on behalf of Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best. This brings the government’s total investment in the program to over $42 million since 2006.

Benefits from Quest for Gold include:

• access to high-performance coaching,
• enhanced competitive opportunities, and
• increased training opportunities.

Today’s announcement provides $46,424 in direct financial assistance provided to athletes and coaches from North Bay, Callander and Powassan, through Ontario’s Quest for Gold program in 2008-09.

Supporting Ontario’s athletes is an important part of the government’s plan to build sport in Ontario, and improve the performance and number of Ontario athletes competing and succeeding at the national and international level.

“These funds provide athletes in our community with more opportunities to train, compete, and achieve their goals,” said Smith, MPP for Nipissing. “Our athletes help inspire a culture of sport development, and active, healthy living in this community.”

“The McGuinty government is committed to supporting Ontario athletes, who are role models, and inspire all of us to lead healthy, active lives. Ontario’s Quest for Gold program ensures that our athletes have every opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Margarett Best, Minister of Health Promotion.

“This funding will help with my training and getting extra equipment,” said Callander’s Jordan Mino, a Sledge Hockey athlete. “It will help me to exceed in my sport and grow as an athlete.”

Details of local funding are as follows:

Mike Whitney, North Bay
Alpine Skiing – Paralympic
$7106

David Nighbor, North Bay
Cross Country Skiing
$6000

Steve Omishcl, North Bay (Pictured)
Freestyle Skiing
$6000

Cameron Culbert, North Bay
Ski Cross
$6000

Jordan Mino, Callander
Sledge Hockey
$7106

Courtney Simkins, North Bay
Weightlifting
$3553

Kayla Turner, North Bay
Weightlifting
$7106

A.J. Wendover, Powassan
Weightlifting
$3553

TOTAL
$46,424

QUICK FACTS

• Over 8,000 high-performance athletes have benefited either directly or indirectly from the Quest for Gold program since January 2006.

• The Quest for Gold program will have provided over $42 million to support Ontario’s athletes and coaches by the end of 2009-10. This includes an additional $2.5 million to Own the Podium, a national program to help Canada’s winter athletes reach the podium at the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Vancouver.

• Ontario also invested an additional $701,300 in the Road to Excellence program that helped Canada’s summer athletes finish in the top 14 in total medal standings at the 2008 Olympic Summer Games in Beijing.

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