'Devastating' funding crisis in Canadian sport is reaching a breaking point

In an ideal world, Canadian luger Caitlin Nash would be peaking in time for the 2030 Olympics.

But Nash fears she may not even get the chance to compete.

“I'm at a point where financially I can't sustain this lifestyle for that long,” Nash, 23, told CBC Sports. “I think it's pretty devastating to have that decision kind of being played out for me and it's not my decision. That's not, obviously, how I would want my career to end.

“I think if things don't change, we will see a lot of people retire after this quad across a lot of different sports in Canada.”

For 20 years, core funding for sport from the federal government has not increased — even though inflation has caused prices to rise by more than 50 per cent. According to the Bank of Canada, an item that would have cost $100 in 2005 would now cost $153.50. But that problem is two decades old.

In recent months, some national sport organizations (NSOs) have been informed that their funding is set to be slashed by the federal government. Total spending might remain the same, but there are many more mouths to feed now than there were in 2005.

Every year, the problem grows. And as the problem grows, the responsibilities of the financial burden get shifted down through the system. Not only do many NSOs struggle to operate efficiently — they struggle to operate at all. Thus, costs are increased across the board, from senior national athlete team fees to youth registration.

Nash, for example, will pay $25,000 in team fees for this Olympic season. On top of that, she will have to pay out of pocket to attend events from Lake Placid, N.Y., to Lillehammer, Norway.

Last season, she said her fee was $20,000, and it included everything.

“This year, to qualify for the Olympics, we need to go to all of the races that we can. And so that's why to make up a little bit of that deficit, more of the cost is falling onto the athletes,” Nash said.

Nash and her fellow lugers are not the only athletes suffering this fate. At Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton (BCS), team fees have risen from $2,000 in 2022 to $25,000 this season.

Originally slated to be $30,000, BCS was able to slash $5,000 per athlete thanks to some newfound corporate sponsorship and donation dollars.

The increase from 2022 also comes with additional inclusions such as travel and accommodations for World Cup stops in Europe. However, in the past, some bobsleigh pilots have shouldered that cost for their crew. Now, that’s no longer tenable.

Brakemen like Cesar De Guzman, whose pilot used to pay for travel, could be facing a major increase.