Ottawa, ON (November 4, 2010) – The Canadian Paralympic Committee is pleased to welcome Karate Canada, Parasport Nova Scotia, and Powerchair Football Canada to its Membership program, bringing its total Membership from 43 organizations to 46.

“As the Canadian Paralympic Committee works to become the world’s leading Paralympic nation, it is encouraging to see more organizations and sports become interested in joining the Paralympic Movement,” said Henry Storgaard, Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Paralympic Committee. “Karate Canada, Parasport Nova Scotia, and Powerchair Football Canada have signed on at a very significant time for us and we look forward to continuing to grow our relationships with these organizations and their respective sports and programming.”

About our new Affiliate Members:

• Karate Canada is dedicated to promoting, organizing, regulating, and popularizing the sport of karate all over Canada, as well as protecting the physical and emotional health of athletes. In 2010, Karate Canada created an AWAD (Athletes-with-a-disability) Committee with the specific purpose of investigating, developing, and implementing Karate Canada’s national program for the integration of athletes with a disability into Karate programs and events, including the competition structure.
• Established in February 2010, Parasport Nova Scotia’s mission is to develop, support, and promote programs and events that enable individuals with physical disabilities to fulfill their potential through sport. Parasport Nova Scotia works with Provincial Sport Organizations and their members to develop programs, leadership expertise, and competitive structures appropriate for long term athlete development for athletes with physical disabilities. Parasport Nova Scotia is committed to exploring the potential opportunities around staging Nova Scotia Parasport Games.
• Powerchair Football Canada works both nationally and internationally in the development of power soccer, providing sport and recreation opportunities to those who have high level physical disabilities and utilize a powerchair for daily living. In 2010, the International Paralympic Committee announced that powerchair football was one of seven sports under consideration for inclusion on the 2016 Paralympic Summer Games program.
  
  

The Canadian Paralympic Committee’s Membership program is comprised of Active and Affiliate categories; all three new Members are Affiliate Members.  Active Membership is open to any National Sport Organization for Athletes with a Disability or National Sport Organization representing a sport on the Paralympic Games program. Affiliate Membership is open to a provincial/territorial multi-sport organization representing a variety of sport groups for those with a disability, or any organization in Canada whose primary purposes are compatible with the Canadian Paralympic Committee’s goals of promoting awareness of sport programming for people with a disability (this includes sports for athletes with a disability not played at the Paralympic level).

As a recognized Member of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, organizations receive  benefits including; coordination, organization, and financial subsidization of the Member’s athletes, coaches and support staff to the Paralympic and Parapan American Games; domestic partnership building and best practice sharing for sport development; enhanced profile for greater corporate and Canadian public awareness; and, access to Canadian Paralympic Committee resources and staff expertise. 

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is pleased to welcome these new Members and looks forward to working with them to inspire all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee

The Canadian Paralympic Committee is a non-profit, private organization with 46 member sports organizations dedicated to strengthening the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Paralympic Committee’s vision is to be the world’s leading Paralympic nation. Its mission is to lead the development of a sustainable Paralympic sport system in Canada to enable athletes to reach the podium at the Paralympic Games. By supporting Canadian Paralympic athletes and promoting their success, the Canadian Paralympic Committee inspires all Canadians with a disability to get involved in sport through programs delivered by its member organizations. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

For more information, please contact:

For more information about the Canadian Paralympic Committee's membership program, please contact: