View source for Canadian Olympic Committee

{{Short description|National Olympic committee in Canada}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=June 2023}}
{{more citations needed|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox National Olympic Committee
| title = Canadian Olympic Committee
| logo = Canadian Olympic Committee logo.svg
| country = Canada
| code = CAN
| created = 1904
| recognized = 1907
| association = PASO
| headquarters = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]], Canada
| president = [[Tricia Smith]]
| website = [https://www.olympic.ca www.olympic.ca]
}}
{{1976 Summer Olympics}}
{{1988 Winter Olympics}}
{{2010 Winter Olympics}}

The '''Canadian Olympic Committee''' ('''COC'''; {{langx|fr|Comité olympique canadien}}), also known as '''Team Canada''', is a private [[nonprofit organization]] that represents Canada at the [[International Olympic Committee]]. It is also a member of the [[Pan American Sports Organization]].

==History==
Canadian athletes first competed at the Olympic Games at [[1900 Summer Olympics|Paris 1900]] followed by [[1904 Summer Olympics|St. Louis 1904]], it was not until 1907 that the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) officially recognized a [[National Olympic Committee]] (NOC) for Canada. The next year, Colonel [[John Hanbury-Williams]] was recognized as the chairman of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) for the [[1908 Summer Olympics]] in London. Hanbury-Williams became Canada's first IOC member in 1911.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The COC was established to select athletes for the 1908 Summer Olympics, when the Canadian Amateur Athletic Union and the Amateur Athletic Federation of Canada had unsettled differences.<ref>Keyes, Mary Eleanor (1964), p. 86</ref> [[J. Howard Crocker]] was appointed manager of the national team for [[Canada at the 1908 Summer Olympics]], which was first national team organized.<ref>Keyes, Mary Eleanor (1964), pp. 87–88</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.uwo.ca/olympic/activities/crocker.html|title=John Howard Crocker Olympic Studies Lecture|year=2022|website=[[University of Western Ontario]]|access-date=January 28, 2023|archive-date=May 28, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230528185243/https://www.uwo.ca/olympic/activities/crocker.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Dr. Crocker Saw Canadian Victories| last=Sargent| first=Skip| date=December 6, 1956| newspaper=[[Brantford Expositor]]| page=8| url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-expositor-crocker-1956/122827520/| access-date=May 28, 2023| archive-date=April 17, 2023| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417143147/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-expositor-crocker-1956/122827520/| url-status=live}}</ref>

After another Canadian Olympic Committee was created with the purpose of organizing a team for the [[1912 Summer Olympics]] in Stockholm, it was reported that the IOC wanted permanent NOCs. In 1913, the [[Amateur Athletic Union of Canada]] (AAU of C) created the Canadian Olympic Association with James Merrick as chairman, a position he held until 1921 when he succeeded Hanbury-Williams as IOC member.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

At the 1922 AAU of C general meeting, J. Howard Crocker motioned to establish a standing COC, instead of forming a temporary committee prior to each Olympic Games. The permanent COC was to collaborate with provincial organizations to secure funding, chose athletes to represent Canada, and oversee travel and accommodations for the athletes. [[Patrick J. Mulqueen]] was elected president, while Crocker served as the secretary, and [[Fred Marples]] as the treasurer.<ref>Keyes, Mary Eleanor (1964), pp. 98–110</ref> During early years of fundraising, Marples felt that it was the duty of all Canadian citizens to ensure the strongest possible national team was sent the Olympics, and urged contributions from individuals, organizations, and provincial governments.<ref>{{cite news| title=Committee Faced With Hard Task of Locating $25,000| last=Boreham| first=Bruce| date=April 26, 1924| newspaper=[[The Winnipeg Tribune]]| page=14| url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-apr-26-1924-2538186/}}</ref>

The COC asked athletic clubs across Canada to arrange competitions to celebrate the 60th anniversary of [[Canadian Confederation]], using the events as trials for the national championships in Toronto in August 1927, and as a selection process of athletes for [[Canada at the 1928 Summer Olympics]].<ref>{{cite news| title=Provincial Olympic Trials Will be Held This Summer| agency=[[The Canadian Press]]| date=June 6, 1927| newspaper=[[Winnipeg Free Press]]| page=19| url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-jun-06-1927-3801371/}}</ref>

In November 1936, the AAU of C discussed multiple resolutions for reorganizing the COC. After Crocker and Mulqueen motioned to dissolve the current COC, the AAU of C agreed to establish a special committee to prepare for the next Olympic Games, including the president, secretary, one representative from each AAU of C branch, and one representative from each allied sports governing body in Canada.<ref>{{cite news| title=A.A.U. of C. Official Report Defends Action of Olympic Committee| last=Edwards| first=Charles| author-link=Charles Edwards (journalist)| agency=The Canadian Press| date=November 20, 1936| newspaper=Winnipeg Free Press| page=16| url=https://newspaperarchive.com/sports-clipping-nov-20-1936-3738363/}}</ref>

In 1937, the organization was renamed the Canadian Olympic Association (COA), but remained within the AAU of C.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} In 1948, the COC executive was enlarged to have representation from all provinces in Canada. The Canadian Olympic Association replaced the COC by 1952, as a body independent of the AAU of C.<ref>Keyes, Mary Eleanor (1964), pp. 100–101</ref>

Team Canada has competed at every edition of the Games of the Olympiad since then, with the exception of [[1980 Summer Olympics]] in Moscow. Team Canada has competed at every edition of the [[Winter Olympic Games]], beginning with the first at [[1924 Winter Olympics]] in Chamonix. Team Canada has participated at every edition of the [[Youth Olympic Games]], beginning with the first at [[2010 Summer Youth Olympics]] in Singapore. Team Canada has competed at every edition of the Pan American Games, with the exception of the first at Buenos Aires 1951 because, at the time, countries of the Commonwealth did not participate in the Pan American Sports Congress.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

[[File:Canadian Olympic Committee flag.svg|thumb|left|Flag of the Canadian Olympic Committee]]
In April 2002, the organization was once again renamed the Canadian Olympic Committee, bringing it in line with most other NOCs and making the acronym the same in English and French.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

On May 29, 2009, the COC and [[Barbados Olympic Association]] signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation between both bodies. Under the deal, the president of the Canadian Olympic Committee remarked that "Signing this Memorandum of Understanding helps us work even more closely with our colleagues in Barbados to improve sport development for both [[List of Eastern Caribbean people#Athletes 3|Barbadian]] and [[List of Canadian sports personalities|Canadian athletes]] and coaches".{{citation needed|date=June 2023}}

The deal covers a pledge of both national Olympic committees to develop stronger partnerships between sport federations of Canada and Barbados with athlete development an area of focus. This includes the free exchange of coaches, officials, trainers, judges, experts and scientists for participation in seminars, courses and counselling.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/June2009/04/c3313.html |title=COC Signs Memorandum of Understanding with Barbados Olympic Association  |access-date=2009-06-11 |date=2009-06-04 |work=CNW Group Ltd. }}</ref>

In December 2014, the COC partnered with [[Egale Canada]] and the international [[You Can Play]] foundation, announcing a program to combat [[homophobia]] in sport by addressing [[LGBT]] issues as part of its mandate.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/more-sports/canadian-olympic-committee-partners-with-leading-lgbtq-organizations-to-promote-equality-in-sport/article21883678/| title=Canadian Olympic Committee partners with leading LGBTQ organizations to promote equality in sport| agency=The Canadian Press| newspaper=[[The Globe and Mail]]| location=Toronto| date=December 2, 2014}}</ref>

==List of presidents==
* [[John Hanbury-Williams]], 1907–1911
* James Merrick, 1911–1921
* Patrick J. Mulqueen, 1922–1946
* Andrew Sidney Dawes, 1946–1953
* [[Kenneth Farmer]], 1953–1961
* [[James Worrall]], 1961–1968
* Howard Radford, 1968–1969
* [[Harold Wright (athlete)|Harold Wright]], 1969–1977
* [[Dick Pound]], 1977–1982
* [[Roger Jackson (rower)|Roger Jackson]], 1982–1990
* Carol Ann Letheren, 1990–1994
* Wayne Hellquist, 1994
* [[William J. Warren]], 1994–2001
* [[Michael A. Chambers]], 2001–2010
* [[Marcel Aubut]], 2010–2015
* [[Tricia Smith]], 2015–present

==See also==
* [[Canada at the Olympics]]
* [[Canadian Paralympic Committee]]
* [[Commonwealth Sport Canada]]
* [[Canada at the Commonwealth Games]]
* [[Canada at the Pan American Games]]

==Sources==
* {{cite thesis| last=Keyes| first=Mary Eleanor| title=John Howard Crocker LL. D., 1870–1959| publisher=[[University of Western Ontario]]| date=October 1964| location=London, Ontario| oclc=61578234}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last1=Pound |first1=Richard W. |title=Inside the Olympics: a behind-the-scenes look at the politics, the scandals, and the glory of the games |year=2004 |publisher=J. Wiley & Sons Canada |location=Etobicoke, Ont. |isbn=978-0-470-83454-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/insideolympicsbe0000poun |url-access=registration}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|https://www.olympic.ca/}}

{{PASO}}
{{Sports governing bodies of Canada}}
{{Association of National Olympic Committees}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sports governing bodies in Canada|Olympics]]
[[Category:National Olympic Committees]]
[[Category:Canada at the Olympics]]
[[Category:Organizations based in Toronto]]
[[Category:Sports organizations established in 1904]]
[[Category:1904 establishments in Ontario]]