Budget bumps up monthly money for top athletes

OTTAWA — Canada’s athletes will see a raise in their monthly cheque.

The country’s top athletes receive money from Sport Canada via the Athletes Assistance Program to help pay for groceries, housing and utilities.

It’s known as “carding” money and it’s been a maximum of $1,500 a month for a senior card since 2004.

The federal government committed in Wednesday’s budget to pump an extra $5 million a year into the Athletes Assistance Program for the next five years, which is an 18 per cent increase.

Tuition money and other grants also come out of the AAP. But if the 18 per cent increase is applied strictly to carding, that’s $270 more per month for a senior carded athlete.

About 2,000 athletes who compete in Olympic and Paralympic sport, and who rank in the top 16 in the world or who are deemed to have the potential to get there, receive carding money. A first-year senior card or development card has been $900 per month, which will also increase.