October 17, 2004 – CODA has a new partner supporting its vision to create the
nation’s first Canadian Centre of Sport Excellence. The Canadian Olympic
Committee gave its full endorsement to the project planned for southern
Alberta, CODA announced on Wednesday.

Combining existing facilities from the 1988 Olympic Winter Games, with
much-needed new ones, the Calgary area offers an ideal location, and an
immediate cost-effective solution to launch a national initiative in
support of Olympic athletes, while working with the Canadian Sport
Centre-Calgary, University of Calgary, Talisman Centre and numerous
national sport organizations that are headquartered in the region.

“The Canadian Olympic Committee sees the development of facility-based
sport institutes across Canada as a pillar in its strategy to provide
better support for the country’s high-performance athletes,” said Chris
Rudge, chief executive officer, Canadian Olympic Committee, during a media
conference prior to CODA’s 2004 Annual General Meeting. “We believe the
combination of support, research and facilities essential to a world-class
sport institute already exists in the Calgary area, and this project is
crucial to finally permitting Canadian athletes to compete on a level
playing field with athletes from leading sport countries.”

A number of Canada’s Olympic medallists stood alongside Rudge to
collectively voice their support for the first Canadian Centre of Sport
Excellence, which is modeled after other world-leading complexes in
Australia and the United States. Athletes backing CODA president John Mills
and Rudge included: Beckie Scott (cross-country skiing); Kyle Shewfelt
(gymnastics); Pierre Leuders (bobsleigh); Clara Hughes (speed skating); and
Deidra Dionne (freestyle skiing). Canada’s newest Olympic heroes were also
joined by Adam van Koeverden (kayak) via telephone in Toronto.

Once completed, the Centre will offer Canada’s athletes both short- and
long-term access to high-quality nutrition, accommodation, coaching,
bio-medical, psychological and research services in combination with
advanced training facilities, access to education and state-of-the-art
equipment.

“In sports, only hundredths of a second separate first from 30th – there is
no room for error and our athletes need to be fully prepared to compete,”
said Beckie Scott, a gold medallist at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
“Right now we are making do with what we have, but this Centre will propel
dozens of more Canadian athletes to international and Olympic podiums in
the future.”

Since first announcing its project, CODA has consistently said other
Centres must also be developed across the country. The Canadian Olympic
Committee also supports the position that this concept must be rolled out
to other major centres in Canada, including Vancouver/Victoria, Toronto and
Montreal, along with athlete centres in other regions to best support
high-performance athletes across the country.

“Canada’s athletes, coaches and sport organizations have told us what they
need to be number one,” said John Mills, president, CODA. “Canadian
athletes deserve the opportunity to do their best at the Olympics and this
plan gives them the much-needed resources to compete and win against the
world’s best. CODA is committed to urging governments, the corporate sector
and Canadians >from coast-to-coast to support development of this project.”

The first Centre, integral to Canada’s goal of becoming a leading Olympic
nation by 2010, will directly benefit more than 1,000 elite athletes,
engaged in both short- and long-term training. It will also present
increased recreational opportunities. Athletes across Canada, and CODA,
have officially launched a national call to action for financial support to
speed development. On-going funding to support making Canada a dominant
sport country would be provided by CODA, the country’s largest private
funder of winter sport development.

“This Centre is so relevant. If we don’t act now, Canada is going to fall
behind and lose Olympic medals rather than increase our numbers in the
future,” said Deidra Dionne, an Olympic bronze medallist in freestyle
skiing, who spends more than six months a year training in the United
States. “These systems work, and if we want to win, Canada has to make the
investment.”

During its Annual General Meeting, CODA also praised the
Alberta government for its contribution of more than $16 million to
modernize the Canmore Nordic Centre, outlined future planning, and
celebrated the successes of recently added facilities to Canada Olympic
Park including the Calgary Gymnastics Centre and National Ice House, which
has developed our sliding sport athletes into an international power.