A Budget for a Golden Year
Today's budget put a golden financial glow on a memorable week for sport in Canada. The budget has demonstrated a level of support previously unseen by our federal government. Kudos to the many sport leaders and citizens - and our exceptional athletes and coaches - who collaborated in bringing these valuable sport proposals to government and for demonstrating what sport can do when we work together. March 4th, 2010

A scandal of minuscule proportions
It was their Olympic Moment - and, in an accidental way, mine. Never for a moment of any kind - Olympic or professional - did I think of it as a story other than a charming and endearing tale. Perhaps I should resign in disgrace from the profession of journalism. As it happened, I was one of the very few actual witnesses to the postgame, on-ice celebration by the Canadian women's hockey team last Thursday. You will know it as the "booze and cigars" scandal that shook the Canadian Olympic moment to the very core. March 1, 2010

Vancouver bids a reluctant farewell
Two weeks ago, Vancouver was the scene of nervous anticipation, a mixture of the possible and the unknowable. Yesterday, this city, if not the entire country, seemed suddenly transformed: confident, unabashedly proud, revelling in the certainty of achievement. Last night's closing ceremonies were about more than a glitzy gala, and the chance to celebrate Canadian athletes' record medal haul. February 28, 2010

Joannie Rochette to carry flag at Olympic closing ceremonies
This wasn’t the Olympic story that Joannie Rochette wanted to write. But if there can be a fitting end to a bittersweet Games for the 24-year-old figure skater from Ile-Dupas, Que., carrying Canada’s flag into the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver Games is it — the perfect tribute to a courageous athlete who has lifted so many. February 28, 2010

Canadians Support Increased Public Investment In Own The Podium Initiatives For Our Athletes
3 out of 4 Canadians feel that the Own the Podium initiative was worthwhile despite not placing #1 in total medal count
As the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games come to a close, a poll conducted by Angus Reid on behalf of the Sport Matters Group indicates that a very strong majority of Canadians (72%) support an increased public investment of $22 million for a program like Own the Podium. February 27, 2010

Canadians are proud of athletes who 'play like girls'
So far Canada's women have dominated the medal count at the 2010 Winter Games. This sort of excellence, particularly as it is in the media spotlight, will encourage more girls to get involved in sports. Athletes like Clara Hughes have inspired more than one young woman with her medal winning performances in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. Now we have a whole new generation of outstanding women athletes to be role models for young women and girls. February 26, 2010

Silver for Canada's Women Curlers
Canada's Cheryl Bernard ran out of extra-end magic in the women's curling gold medal final on Friday. Bernard gave up a steal of one in the extra frame and dropped a 7-6 decision to defending Olympic champion Anette Norberg of Sweden. Bernard had a chance to run Sweden out of rocks in the 10th end but her final take-out jammed, allowing Norberg to force an extra end with a hit-and-stick for a deuce. February 26, 2010

Rochette holds nothing back to come up bronze
Shaken by the sudden death of her mother, Joannie Rochette opted to turn herself into "an ice cube" and persist in her bid for Olympic figure-skating glory, come what may, to ensure she would never regret her decision. The bronze-medal winner told a packed news conference Friday she isolated herself from the media and others while she privately grieved for her 55-year-old mother. February 26, 2010

Canada's women win third straight hockey gold medal
Home-ice pressure? No problem. The Canadian women's hockey team has embraced a nation's desire for hockey gold and it has delivered just that. Led by an 18-year-old scoring phenom and a goalie most considered the sure No.3 just a few months ago, Canada skated to a confident 2-0 win over its rivals from the United States, and seized its third straight Olympic gold medal. February 25, 2010

Own the podium? Canada's women still might
As I watched Canada's spectacular medal haul Wednesday -- one gold, two silvers and one bronze, the most yet in a single day -- I was struck by something else: all four medals were won by women. Indeed, it made me think that most of the Canadian athletes I've seen up on the podium so far have been female athletes, a quick look at our medal count shows I'm not wrong: 11 of our 15 medals have been won by women. February 24, 2010

Canadian women lead the charge
In less than four hours on Wednesday, Day 13 of the 2010 Winter Games, Canadian athletes celebrated their first multi-medal day in Vancouver as female athletes used their long blades on two separate speedskating ovals and an icy serpentine bobsled track to secure one gold, two silver and one bronze. February 25, 2010

Canada finishes 1-2 in women's bobsleigh
Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse led a one-two punch for Canada in women's bobsleigh, winning gold on Wednesday at the Whistler Sliding Centre. Helen Upperton and Shelley-Ann Brown picked up the silver medal in the Canada 2 sled. February 24, 2010

Canada takes silver in women's 3,000m relay
The Canadian women's short-track relay team made it six medals in six Olympic appearances, Wednesday, as Jessica Gregg, Kalyna Roberge, Marianne St-Gelais and Tania Vicent took the silver medal in the women's 3,000m relay. February 24, 2010

Hughes skates to bronze in 5,000m
Clara Hughes skated the final race of her illustrious Olympic career in style, finishing with the bronze medal in the 5,000-metres race at the Richmond Olympic Oval. Hughes skated a time of 6 minutes 55.73 seconds to shatter the track record by over two seconds, set by Martina Sablikova in March, 2009. February 24, 2010

McIvor takes gold in ski cross
Canadian racer Ashleigh McIvor has won the Olympic gold medal in ski cross at Cypress Mountain. McIvor, the reigning world champion, took the lead in each heat going into the final and beat out Norway's Hedda Bernsten. "This is the most amazing thing, this is the most amazing moment of my entire life," McIvor said immediately following the race. February 23, 2010

Virtue and Moir make history with ice dance gold
It seems that Canadian ice dancers in the past could have used a loonie buried at centre ice when it came to the Olympics. Not Monday night. It wasn't about luck. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, dazzled the judges and carved out a little history for themselves by becoming the first Canadians - and the first North Americans - to win an Olympic gold medal in ice dancing. February 23, 2010

Groves makes it a silver Sunday in Richmond
Kristina Groves won her second medal of these Winter Olympic Games, capturing silver in the ladies 1,500-metres race on Sunday. Dutchwoman Ireen Wust took home the gold medal while Martina Sablikova of the Czech Republic claimed bronze. February 21, 2010

Nesbitt is golden
Christine Nesbitt has captured gold in the ladies 1,000-meters speed skating event. Annette Gerritsen of the Netherlands took home the silver medal, while Laurine Van Riessn of the Netherlands won the bronze. February 18, 2010

St-Gelais skates to silver - on her 20th birthday
It was the best birthday present Marianne St-Gelais of Roberval, Que., could have given herself: Silver. On her 20th birthday on Wednesday, St-Gelais finished second in the women's 500m short track speed-skating final behind China's Wang Meng. February 17, 2010

Groves grabs bronze in 3,000m
Canadian Kristina Groves has won a bronze medal for Canada. The Ottawa native placed third in the Ladies 3,000-metre event at the Richmond Oval on Saturday. The Czech Republic's Martina Sablikova took the gold medal, while Germany's Stephanie Beckert won the silver in the seven-and-a-half lap race. February 14, 2010

Heil earns Canada's first medal
Jenn Heil won Canada's first medal of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games but it wasn't the colour she had in mind. Heil was in first place with only Hannah Kearney of the United States to go. But Kearney surpassed Heil's score to win gold. Heil, a 27-year-old from Spruce Grove, Alta., had been defending her 2006 Olympic gold medal. February 13th, 2010

Gender Testing Hangs Before the Games as a Muddled and Vexing Mess
At closed meetings in Miami on Sunday and Monday, medical specialists and representatives of the International Olympic Committee will tackle one of the most vexing questions in sports: What test should be used to determine whether an athlete competes as a man or a woman? Or should there be any official testing at all? January 15, 2010

CAAWS disappointed at decision on Women’s Ski Jumping in the 2010 Winter Olympics
“While we were hopeful that the BC Supreme Court would rule in favour of the ski jumpers, we knew it was going to be a difficult decision. It’s disappointing that in this day and age we are still fighting this battle in Canada, where we have such a strong reputation for gender equity,” said CAAWS chair, Nicole Smith of New Maryland, New Brunswick.