Canadian team heads to Paris in effort to keep WADA in Montreal

A Canadian delegation heading to Europe will present a strong case for keeping the World AntiDoping Agency headquarters in Montreal, federal and provincial cabinet ministers said Friday.

Transport Minister Marc Garneau, along with Quebec International Relations Minister Christine St-Pierre and groups representing the city, are part of a delegation heading to Paris to meet with WADA’s executive committee over the weekend.

The delegation will make a presentation to the executive committee on Sunday.

That committee will recommend whether WADA should remain in Montreal beyond its current commitment, which ends in 2021.

Garneau told reporters Friday the goal of the trip is to convince the officials meeting in Europe that Montreal’s hosting duties should be extended until at least 2031.

“We’re going to present all the arguments that the agency should remain in Montreal because it’s working extremely well,” he said in Montreal.

He said Canada’s strong reputation in the anti-doping world, as well as Montreal’s well-trained personnel and proximity to research universities are all strong arguments for keeping WADA where it is.

Part of the mission will involve countering the arguments of other cities who would like to host the prestigious agency.

Speaking in Quebec City earlier Friday, St-Pierre said some people have suggested there should be an open bidding process to determine the next location. She told reporters other cities have expressed an interest, including Lausanne, Switzerland, where the International Olympic Committee is based.

Despite the competition, StPierre said she’s confident the delegation’s arguments will win over the committee.

“Canada’s reputation is exemplary,” she said. “We’re arriving there very confident and we’re going to show a united front.”

Montreal was chosen as the site of WADA’s headquarters in 2001.

In 2009, the federal and provincial governments extended the agreement with WADA for the 2011 to 2021 period, the Quebec government said in a statement.

The Montreal office employs about 85 people, St-Pierre said.

The director of the WADA-accredited laboratory in Montreal says the upcoming presentation is “part of the normal process” for determining the agency’s headquarters.

Christiane Ayotte said some European officials may suggest that Montreal is an inconvenient location because it’s so far from Europe and the IOC.

The Canadian delegation, on the other hand, is expected to argue the advantages of keeping a certain distance between the two bodies to ensure the independence of the anti-doping process.