February 11, 2009 (Ottawa, ON) – The True Sport Foundation (TSF) today announced the finalists for the 36th Canadian Sport Awards (CSA), the ultimate recognition event for excellence in Canadian sport. The annual awards program promotes sporting excellence across Canada, and reminds Canadians how sport lifts the human spirit. It is a tribute to the hard work, the dedication and the victories of our country’s finest athletes.

“The response to this year’s call for nominations was excellent,” says Victor Lachance, Executive Director of the True Sport Foundation. “We are thrilled with the enthusiasm and support shown by Canada’s sporting community. This is particularly exciting in the lead up to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

The Canadian Sport Awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at Ottawa’s National Gallery of Canada. This who’s who of the sporting world is the year’s best opportunity to honour our amateur athletes. A limited number of tickets to the awards ceremony/dinner are available for $120 each through Program Director Robin Turnbull at rtevent@sympatico.ca. Passes will be available for accredited media.

Following the awards ceremony, on Wednesday, February 25, Canadian Sport Award nominees and recipients will visit two Ottawa schools where these role models will engage with students, sharing success stories and challenges and advancing the benefits of values-driven sport in Canada.

The sport community was invited to nominate athletes and persons for Junior Athlete of the Year, Corporate Excellence Award, Leadership in Sport Award, Volunteer Achievement Award and the popular Spirit of Sport Story of the Year. The TSF will rank the three finalists in the Athlete Performance Awards from the top eight results published by Sport Canada.

CSA 2008 Finalists

The Athletic Performance Awards recognize outstanding athletic performance. Finalists include:

Male Athlete of the Year
– Jeffrey Buttle – Figure Skating
– Eric Lamaze – Equestrian
– Adam Van Koeverden – Canoeing

Female Athlete of the Year
– Kristina Groves – Speed Skating
– Carol Huynh – Wrestling
– Chantal Petitclerc – Athletics

Junior Athlete of the Year
– Alex Harvey – Cross Country
– Sarah Reid – Skeleton
– Matthew Swanston – Swimming

Team of the Year
– Curling: Men’s World Championship (K. Martin)
– Curling: Women’s World Championship (J. Jones)
– Wheelchair Basketball: Paralympics (P. Anderson)

Partners of the Year
– Rowing: Beijing Olympics Gold Medal: M Eights (M8+) – (Wetzel/Light/Rutledge/Seiterle/Howard/Kreek/Hamilton/Price/Byrnes)
– Rowing: Beijing Olympics Silver Medal: M Pairs (M2-) – (D.Calder/S.Frandsen)
– Figure Skating: World Championship: Ice Dance – (T.Virtue, S.Moir)

The Leadership Awards recognize and celebrate an individual’s outstanding contribution to the betterment of sport. Finalists include:

Leadership in Sport Award
– Chantal Petitclerc
– Jane Roos
– Kevin Sullivan

Volunteer Achievement
– Philip Clark
РAlain Maill̩
– Larry Smith

The Corporate Excellence Award recognizes and celebrates a corporation who provides outstanding support to Canadian sport. Finalists include:
– Forzani Group
– Mitsubishi
– Speedo

The Spirit of Sport Story of the Year category recognizes and celebrates Canadian heroes who, in the pursuit of sporting excellence, have demonstrated values such as fairness, inclusion, perseverance, sportsmanship, respect for others, and a true love of sport. Finalists include:

– Blythe Hartley
– Men’s Eight (M8+)
– Kyle Shewfelt