Athletics Canada
Encyclopedia
Athletics Canada or AC is the national governing body
of athletics in Canada
, which includes track and field
, cross-country running and road running
. Its purpose is the pursuit of leadership, development and competition that ensures world-level performance in athletics. The association believes in physical health and fitness, individual excellence and personal growth, individual development beyond sport, as well as inclusiveness and integrity. Track and field is a sport for people of all ages and abilities.
The AC is a member of the IAAF
, IOC
, IPC
, EAA, NACAC, JDFL, CP-ISRA, CGF, ISBA, FISU and WADA
.
(1880) has been in existence for a longer period of time. New Zealand
followed in 1887 and the U.S.A. in 1888.
Following preliminary meetings on April 11, 1884, where the athletics associations of Quebec
and Ontario
sent some 50 representatives to meet at the Toronto Fencing Club, the principal business was to ratify a constitution for the newly formed Canadian Amateur Athletics Association, the forerunner of Athletics Canada.
A mere seventeen years had passed since Sir John A. MacDonald and the Fathers of Confederation had established the political entity of the Dominion of Canada, but these athletics planners already had a considerable tradition upon which to draw.
The first championships were held in Montreal
on September 27 of that year, and 20 years later, Étienne Desmarteau
would win the first Olympic gold medal for Canada. George Orton
, a Canadian, had won an Olympic gold in 1900, but he was competing at these second Games in Paris
on an invitation from the United States
.
From 1909 until the fall of 1967, the organization was known as the Canadian Track and Field Association (C.T.F.A.). However, it operated under the umbrella of the A.A.U. of C. (Amateur Athletic Union of Canada). In 1968, the IAAF officially recognized the C.T.F.A as an autonomous group and not part of the A.A.U. of C. The A.A.U. of C subsequently dissolved itself in the early 1970`s as all national federations in the different sports went their own ways.
On June 17, 1990, at the annual general meeting of the C.T.F.A., a motion was adopted to change the name to Athletics Canada. The Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs of the Government of Canada accepted this name change officially on April 12, 1991.
Over the past decade, Athletics Canada has welcomed under its umbrella the high performance athletes for four disability groups: wheelchair athletes joined the association in 1997 with blind, cerebral palsy, amputee athletes following in 2002.
Inclusion of these disability groups was a natural step given that the focus of the association broadened to include the delivery of similar services to all track and field high performance athletes. In the current structure, provincial disability organizations report to their respective national associations - the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, the Canadian Blind Sports Association, and the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association - while Athletics Canada works directly with the national offices of each disability group.
Sport governing body
A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function. Sport governing bodies come in various forms, and have a variety of regulatory functions. Examples of this can include disciplinary action for rule infractions and deciding on rule changes in the sport...
of athletics in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, which includes track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, cross-country running and road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
. Its purpose is the pursuit of leadership, development and competition that ensures world-level performance in athletics. The association believes in physical health and fitness, individual excellence and personal growth, individual development beyond sport, as well as inclusiveness and integrity. Track and field is a sport for people of all ages and abilities.
The AC is a member of the IAAF
International Association of Athletics Federations
The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body for the sport of athletics. It was founded in 1912 at its first congress in Stockholm, Sweden by representatives from 17 national athletics federations as the International Amateur Athletics Federation...
, IOC
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
, IPC
International Paralympic Committee
The International Paralympic Committee is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and functions as the international federation for nine sports...
, EAA, NACAC, JDFL, CP-ISRA, CGF, ISBA, FISU and WADA
World Anti-Doping Agency
The World Anti-Doping Agency , , is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee . It was set up on November 10, 1999 in Lausanne, Switzerland, as a result of what was called the "Declaration of Lausanne", to promote, coordinate and...
.
History
The sport governing body for track and field in Canada, which is now called Athletics Canada, was established in 1884. It is one of the oldest affiliated bodies with the International Association of Athletics Federations (I.A.A.F.). Only the association of Great BritainUK Athletics
UK Athletics is the governing body for the sport of athletics in the United Kingdom. It is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials....
(1880) has been in existence for a longer period of time. New Zealand
Athletics New Zealand
Athletics New Zealand is the national organisation for athletics in New Zealand. This includes responsibility for Track and field, cross country running, road running and racewalking....
followed in 1887 and the U.S.A. in 1888.
Following preliminary meetings on April 11, 1884, where the athletics associations of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
sent some 50 representatives to meet at the Toronto Fencing Club, the principal business was to ratify a constitution for the newly formed Canadian Amateur Athletics Association, the forerunner of Athletics Canada.
A mere seventeen years had passed since Sir John A. MacDonald and the Fathers of Confederation had established the political entity of the Dominion of Canada, but these athletics planners already had a considerable tradition upon which to draw.
The first championships were held in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
on September 27 of that year, and 20 years later, Étienne Desmarteau
Etienne Desmarteau
Competitor for CanadaÉtienne Desmarteau was a Canadian athlete, winner of the weight throwing event at the 1904 Summer Olympics...
would win the first Olympic gold medal for Canada. George Orton
George Orton
George Washington Orton was a Canadian middle-distance runner. In 1900, he became the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal.-Biography:...
, a Canadian, had won an Olympic gold in 1900, but he was competing at these second Games in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on an invitation from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
From 1909 until the fall of 1967, the organization was known as the Canadian Track and Field Association (C.T.F.A.). However, it operated under the umbrella of the A.A.U. of C. (Amateur Athletic Union of Canada). In 1968, the IAAF officially recognized the C.T.F.A as an autonomous group and not part of the A.A.U. of C. The A.A.U. of C subsequently dissolved itself in the early 1970`s as all national federations in the different sports went their own ways.
On June 17, 1990, at the annual general meeting of the C.T.F.A., a motion was adopted to change the name to Athletics Canada. The Department of Consumer and Corporate Affairs of the Government of Canada accepted this name change officially on April 12, 1991.
Over the past decade, Athletics Canada has welcomed under its umbrella the high performance athletes for four disability groups: wheelchair athletes joined the association in 1997 with blind, cerebral palsy, amputee athletes following in 2002.
Inclusion of these disability groups was a natural step given that the focus of the association broadened to include the delivery of similar services to all track and field high performance athletes. In the current structure, provincial disability organizations report to their respective national associations - the Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association, the Canadian Blind Sports Association, and the Canadian Cerebral Palsy Sports Association - while Athletics Canada works directly with the national offices of each disability group.
Provincial governing bodies
| Province | Federation |
|---|---|
 British Columbia |
British Columbia Athletics Association – http://www.bcathletics.org |
 Alberta |
Athletics Alberta Athletics Alberta Athletics Alberta, legally registered as Athletics Alberta Association, is the Provincial Sports Organization responsible for the promotion, coordination and organization of track and field, cross-country and road running in Alberta... – http://www.athleticsalberta.com |
 Saskatchewan |
Saskatchewan Athletics Association – http://ww2.link.ca/saskathletics |
 Manitoba |
Athletics Manitoba – http://www.athleticsmanitoba.com |
 Ontario |
Ontario Track and Field Association Ontario Track and Field Association The Ontario Track and Field Association is the governing body of track and field in Ontario.... – http://www.otfa.ca |
 Quebec |
Quebec Athletics Federation (Fédération Québécoise d'Athlétisme) - http://www.athletisme.qc.ca |
 New Brunswick |
Athletics New Brunswick – http://www.anb.ca |
 Nova Scotia |
Athletics Nova Scotia - http://www.athleticsnovascotia.ca |
 Newfoundland and Labrador |
Newfoundland and Labrador Athletics Association – http://www.nlaa.ca |
 Yukon |
Athletics Yukon - http://www.athleticsyukon.ca |
 Prince Edward Island |
Prince Edward Island Athletics Association – http://www.edu.pe.ca/peisaa |