Sport Matters Group  – Prime Minister Trudeau announced several changes to cabinet at a ceremony hosted today at Rideau Hall. Of interest to the sport community is the naming of Kent Hehr as Minister of Sport and Persons with a Disability.

“We congratulate Mr. Hehr on his appointment to this very important role and we are looking forward to engaging with him on issues that will impact the sport community moving forward” commented Lindsay (Hugenholtz) Sherk, Senior Leader of the Sport Matters Group.

Kent J. Hehr was born and raised in Calgary. He took an early interest in sports, especially hockey, in hopes of becoming a phys-ed teacher. In 1989-90 he played with the Calgary Canucks and helped win the Alberta Junior Hockey League Championship. In October 1991, while riding in a friend’s car, Kent was hit by a drive-by shooter. The injury left him paralyzed.

Kent studied at the University of Calgary, and received a Bachelor of Canadian Studies followed by a Bachelor of Law in 2001. He practiced law at a prestigious national firm and became an active community leader, working with the United Way and heading the Alberta branch of the Canadian Paraplegic Association. He was the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Calgary-Buffalo from 2008 to 2015. In 2015, he was successful in a run to become the Member of Parliament for Calgary Centre. After the 2015 election he was appointed to the role of Minister of Veterans’ Affairs.

The Prime Minister thanked retiring Minister Judy Foote for her public service, and made the following additional changes:

• Carolyn Bennett, currently Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs, becomes Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs.
• Jane Philpott, currently Minister of Health, becomes Minister of Indigenous Services.
• Carla Qualtrough, currently Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, becomes Minister of Public Services and Procurement.
• Ginette Petitpas Taylor, currently Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, becomes Minister of Health.
• Seamus O’Regan, becomes Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence.

Sport Matters Group congratulates Minister Carla Qualtrough on her appointment as Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Minister Qualtrough worked closely with the sport community to advance several priorities, most notably a review of Sport Canada’s targeted excellence approach, an increase in funding for the Athlete Assistance Program, and new funding for the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.

For a full list of cabinet members click here .

 

About Sport Matters Group

The Sport Matters Group (SMG) is a voluntary group of leaders from the sport, physical activity and recreation sector who have come together to talk about the important contribution that sport makes to society and to collaborate in advancing values-based, ethical sport, physical activity and recreation public policy in a non-partisan way. The SMG community includes over 85 National, Provincial and Multisport Organizations, as well as physical activity, recreation and sport tourism organizations.

For more information, please contact:

Lindsay (Hugenholtz) Sherk, Senior Leader

Sport Matters Group

C (613) 266-9200

lindsay@sportmatters.ca

www.sportmatters.ca