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Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Monday, April 20, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
By The Canadian Press

Federal government gives $6.22 million over next two years to athletes’ mental health

Apr 24, 2026 | 4:55 PM

OTTAWA —

The federal government will supply $6.22 million over the next two years for athletes’ mental health.

Secretary of Sport Adam van Koeverden made the announcement Friday in Ottawa.

The money comes out of $16 million to support the well-being of athletes and coaches already announced March 20.

That funding announcement came four days before the Future of Sport in Canada Commission released its final report.

One of the report’s conclusions was an underfunded sport system is an unsafe sport system.

The money announced Friday will be split between the country’s seven sport institutes ($3 million), the Canadian Olympic Committee ($2.92 million) and the Canadian Paralympic Committee ($300,000) over the next two years.

Its stated purpose is to prevent and address maltreatment in sport by strengthening the mental health of Olympic and Paralympic athletes and their coaches.

“By investing in athletes and the people and programs that support them, we are helping to create a high-performance sport environment where athletes and coaches can thrive and succeed,” van Koeverden said in a statement.

“This investment reflects our government’s commitment to strengthening the sport system. When athletes have the support they need, they can focus on what they do best.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press