Anchor private-sector sponsorship helping turn Canada’s ‘Playground to Podium’ vision into action
- Capital Power proposes a sponsorship of $5 million in the first year of its planned partnership with Alpine Canada, followed by up to $20 million of additional support over a proposed five-year term.
- The Government of Canada applauds this private-sector investment and is also announcing $2.77 million in supplemental funding for Alpine Canada building on their support to date and bringing Alpine Canada’s total funding for 2026-2027 to $8 million, which includes investments to the Whistler, Panorama and Nakiska national training centres.
- Alpine Canada is inviting additional Canadian winter national sport organizations to join this partnership that delivers system efficiencies putting needed resources behind athletes, coaches, clubs and communities.
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Capital Power (TSX: CPX) and Alpine Canada today announced an MOU for a long-term partnership designed to accelerate Alpine Canada’s transformation and help shape a more accessible, connected and high-performing future for Canadian winter sports.
Capital Power is proposing to invest $5 million in the first year of its partnership with Alpine Canada, providing immediate support to modernize operations and invest in athlete pathways, coaching, national training centres, event hosting, community programming and high-performance initiatives across alpine, para-alpine and ski cross. The goal of the partnership is to make skiing more accessible across regions and abilities, while empowering Canada’s National Ski Team to pursue podium success on the World Cup circuit, at World Championships and at the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. This funding will also eliminate all team fees, allowing athletes to devote their time and focus on ski racing.
Capital Power’s long-term commitment will serve as a private-sector anchor for broader investment in Canadian winter sport. The partnership is designed to grow as other organizations and funding partners come on board, with Capital Power’s potential total support reaching $25 million over the partnership’s initial term, conditioned upon Alpine Canada’s amalgamation with at least one additional national amateur snow discipline coupled with additional incremental government funding. This model is intended to catalyze broader funding and collaboration across Canada’s winter sport system, putting more resources behind athletes, coaches, clubs and communities to better equip Canadian athletes to compete and perform on the world stage.
“Sport has the power to bring Canadians together, inspire young people, build future leaders, strengthen communities, and our country,” said Avik Dey, President & CEO, Capital Power. “We’re proud to back Alpine Canada as it opens skiing to more Canadians, equips athletes and coaches to compete at the highest level and brings partners together to support a more ambitious future for winter sport. We encourage other Canadian winter sport organizations to join this platform, and together, we can amplify snow sports across our nation as we build to the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.”
In April, Prime Minister Mark Carney and Secretary of State (Sport) Adam van Koeverden, identified sport as the ultimate nation-builder, with a $1 billion investment, the largest in the nation’s history, to strengthen Canada’s sport system. The government also provided a call for private industry and National Sports Organizations to work with government to build a modernized sport system that better meets the needs of athletes at all levels and all regions of the country. This partnership with Alpine Canada reflects a broader commitment to strengthening Canada’s sport system and bringing Canadians together through sport.
“Today marks a turning point for Alpine Canada and Canadian ski racing,” said Andrew Baker, incoming President & CEO, Alpine Canada. “Capital Power’s plan for long-term support gives us the capacity to modernize, direct more resources to athlete and coach development and to pursue closer alignment across winter sport. We are inviting organizations that share our ambition to come to the table and help build a system that expands participation and creates the conditions for Canada to be a world-leading winter sport nation with success from the club level to the World Cup tour, to World Championships and to Alps 2030 and beyond.”
“I am very pleased that an immediate and meaningful outcome of this support from Capital Power is the removal of team fees for national and development teams across all Alpine Canada disciplines,” added Timothy Dattels, Chairman of the Board of Alpine Canada. “The board and I have been committed to removing this burden for our athletes and allowing them to focus more fully on their development and performance.”
“Canada’s sport system is at its best when organizations, government and private-sector partners work together around shared goals,” said Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport). “Exploring new ways to collaborate will expand access, make better use of resources and give athletes and coaches the support they need to compete across Canada and on the world stage. It is encouraging to see organizations react quickly and meaningfully to the Spring Economic Update, and I applaud Capital Power and Alpine Canada for their strong leadership and commitment to increasing participation and supporting athlete performance.”
Additional details on the planned partnership and opportunities for other Canadian winter sport organizations to participate will be announced as the initiative develops.
For more information on the Government of Canada’s supplemental funding, please visit: https://www.canada.ca/en/news.html
For more information, please contact:
| Katherine Perron Capital Power (780) 392-5335 kperron@capitalpower.com |
Mark Halliday Alpine Canada (403) 777-3204 mhalliday@alpinecanada.org |
About Capital Power
Capital Power (TSX: CPX) is one of North America’s leading independent power producers, with approximately 12 GW of generation capacity across 35 facilities. Our portfolio includes natural gas, renewables and battery energy storage solutions. We deliver power generation at utility-scale through a flexible and resilient fleet built to meet growing electricity demand. Backed by deep expertise and an investment-grade credit rating, we provide safe, reliable power communities can depend on.
About Alpine Canada
Alpine Canada is the governing body for alpine, para-alpine, and ski cross racing in Canada, as well as for Canadian ski coaches, providing education, certification, insurance, and compliance with the coaching code of conduct. With the support of valued corporate partners and donors, along with the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Coaching Association of Canada, Alpine Canada develops Olympic, Paralympic, World Championship, and World Cup athletes to stimulate visibility, inspiration, and growth in the ski community.
