Canadians are all very proud of the Canadian Winter Olympic team on its stellar performance in Sochi, Russia.
Canada’s Olympic athletes earned 10 gold medals, 10 silver medals and five bronze medals.
In our riding, virtually everyone was talking about the high-level of competition in the various sports and we were impressed by the skills of the athletes including those competing in the sports that required gravity-defying manoeuvers and high-risks.
“They provided us with terrific moments in sport that inspired fervent national pride and demonstrated again and again that Canadians can compete with the very best on the world stage and succeed brilliantly,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said.
At the Winter Olympics, Canada was represented by more than 220 athletes competing in 15 winter sport disciplines. More than 2,800 athletes, coaches, and team officials from more than 80 countries participated in these Olympic Games
Our Winter Olympic team went to Sochi to proudly represent our country and perform to the best of their ability. Highlights included: sisters Justine and Chloé Dufour-Lapointe standing on the podium together with gold and silver in the women’s freestyle skiing moguls’ competition; our women’s curling team going undefeated the entire Sochi Winter Games and our men’s curling team won gold medals as well; Alex Bilodeau, Charles Hamelin, Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse repeating gold-medal performances in their respective sports four years after their successes at the Vancouver 2010 Games; Canadian athletes earning medals in newly introduced winter Olympic sports like Dara Howell and Kim Lamarre in women’s ski slope style; Jan Hudec’s bronze medal in alpine skiing men’s Super-G, Canada’s first podium finish in men’s Olympic alpine skiing in 20 years; and the ice poetry of silver medal skaters Patrick Chan, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, to name a few.
The Games were capped off by a superior performance by both our women’s and men’s hockey teams winning gold medals.
Our athletes would be the first to congratulate their supportive family members, team coaches and support staff because they are all working together to ensure our athletes have the chance to be their best. Here at home, we all know of impressive local athletes in our own sports clubs and associations.
These teams and their supportive volunteers are the ones who nurture Canada’s strong sporting networks across the country. Our world-class athletes come from these ranks and they don’t forget the quiet and often unseen contributions and sacrifices made by many people — usually starting with Mom and Dad.
I hope everyone has the opportunity to watch the Paralympic Winter Games. I am pleased to report that Economic Action Plan 2014 proposes additional funding of $10.8 million over four years for Special Olympics Canada. This funding is in addition to the ongoing investment of $1 million per year.
Special Olympics Canada is a national, volunteer-driven organization that provides sport training and competition opportunities for approximately 36,000 athletes of all ages with an intellectual disability. These Olympians always provide truly exciting performances and an emotionally rewarding experience for viewers. Canada will undoubtedly add to our impressive Sochi medal tally.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this or previous columns, you can write to me at 4945 — 50 Street, Camrose, AB, T4V 1P9, phone 780-608-4600, toll-free at 1-800-665-4358, fax 780-608-4603 or email Kevin.Sorenson.C1@parl.gc.ca.
Kevin Sorenson is the Minister of State (Finance) and the member of Parliament for Crowfoot.
— From the Hill