Last year's event included 43 schools and reached 14,000 people, so it has been a significant boost for the programme, which aims to raise awareness of Paralympic athletes and promote the opportunities available in parasport.

"Paralympic Schools Week is a game-changing initiative that teaches students to dream big while communicating the importance of inclusion in sport," said Stephanie Prefontaine from Suncor Energy, owner of the Petro-Canada brand which sponsors the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams.

London 2012 wheelchair basketball gold medallist Richard Peter visited schoolchildren as part of the Paralympic Sports Week

"We are thrilled to see communities across Canada share in our support of this wonderful programme."

The programme featured the first-ever Paralympic Schools Week athlete tour in Iqaluit, Nunavut, as well as the inaugural Paralympic Schools Day at the Clarence-Rockland YMCA in Ontario and the first  Paralympic Schools Week athlete tour.

Resource packs were also distributed to 100 schools with the aim of raising the profile of Paralympic sports and athletes.

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