Adam van Koeverden, Canada’s Secretary of State (Sport), visited the Roustan Sports headquarters in Brantford, Ont. today.
The Secretary of State, who won four Olympic medals in sprint kayak – including gold at Athens 2004 – was enthused to witness the production lines of hockey sticks and, in particular, hand-crafted watercraft paddles.
Grey Owl Paddles, the No. 1 brand in Canada, was purchased by Roustan Sports owner W. Graeme Roustan in 2025.
In addition to a factory tour accompanied by staff and media, van Koeverden and Hamilton-area MP John-Paul Danko also met privately with W. Graeme Roustan and TRUE Sports president Geoff Sarjeant.
The subject of discussions was Canada’s new Productivity Mega Deduction (PMD), one of the most significant changes to the nation’s business tax system in half a century. The new program is designed to drive growth and help Canadian businesses invest in new equipment, adopt new technology and expand operations.
The announcement, echoed in front of Roustan Sports employees in Brantford, is a fit with the company’s growth plans to compete at home and around the world.
“I am proud to be the steward of the last hockey stick factory in Canada, which also produces another iconic Canadian product, the handcrafted paddle,” said W. Graeme Roustan.
“I am confident that our workers, who first started at our facility in 1847, will benefit from the new Productivity Mega Deduction as we continue to utilize state of the art equipment and expertise to expand our facilities across Canada, and our export markets around the world.”
This marked the second visit from a Canadian government leader in just over a month. Toronto Centre MP Evan Solomon, who serves the dual roles of Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, spent over two hours at Roustan Sports on Aug. 31.