Nathan VanderKlippe
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Apr 15/02) - It's too early to attach any specifics to a draft national policy on sports endorsed by ministers from both the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.

But some groups are already reaching for a slice of the pie.

Representatives from every province and territory discussed the Canadian Sport Policy with federal Secretary of State for Amateur Sport Paul DeVillers in Iqaluit April 6 and 7.

A result of a year of consultation with groups and governments across the country, the policy has four goals for Canadian sport: enhanced participation, excellence, capacity and interaction.

Across the country, securing funding for sport will require shifting money from other government priorities like education and health.

"It's a battle," said De-Villers. "But we have to believe that if we can get our populations more physically active they're going to be in better physical health and there are going to be dividends down the road."

Because the policy is still a draft, neither the NWT nor Nunavut has specific plans for its implementation.

"What it means for the NWT will have to be determined by our consultations with the sport partners," said Shaun Dean, manager of policy and planning for the department of Municipal and Community Affairs.

"It's a little premature to say."

The NWT will hold the first of several public consultations on the policy with government and the sports community in Inuvik April 19.

The consultations are meant to give input into what specific actions can result from the policy.

The city of Yellowknife is already eyeing the policy as a potential funding source for the construction of a second pad for its new arena.

"There's some thought that there might be money in there, but we haven't checked that out yet," said Yellowknife Mayor Gord Van Tighem.

However, the policy may never bring with it money from Ottawa.

Currently, Sports Canada has $70 million at its disposal, which is distributed in three envelopes: one for national sports organizations, one for elite athletes and another for hosting international competitions.

That means small Northern communities with no membership in national sports organizations are not currently eligible for federal funding.

DeVillers said he would seek more money from Ottawa. But, he said, "we may be tilting at windmills here as far as that's concerned."

The Canada Sport Policy highlights 22 priorities for the next three years, including increasing the participation of women, persons with a disability and aboriginals, increasing sport and physical activity in schools, improving sport and recreation facilities, implementing an ethics strategy, and enhancing collaboration between sport organizations. A final version will be released May 1.