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Introduction

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Background to the Future of Sport in Canada Commission

Canada is a nation deeply passionate about sport. Sport is embedded in the history and fabric of our country.

Sport has occupied an integral place in Canada for centuries. Indigenous Peoples were practising sport long before settlers arrived in Canada. Their sports and games were deeply rooted in their lives, spirituality, and worldviews, designed not only for fun and competition but also to teach life skills.Footnote 1 Over generations, immigrants have brought new sports and games to the country. Sharing sporting traditions and embracing new sports have contributed to a rich and diverse sport culture in Canada.

Millions of Canadians participate in and are inspired by sport across the country, whether it is sports days in schools, by watching emerging athletes on playing fields, driving children and their teammates to tournaments in neighbouring communities, cheering on Team Canada at world championships, or watching with pride as the Canadian flag is paraded into the opening ceremony of Olympic and Paralympic Games.Footnote 2

Sport and physical activity are important for individual health, but also for the health and well-being of our communities. We discovered that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the social isolation and limited opportunities for sport, particularly engagement in collaborative and team sport, took a toll on the fabric of neighbourhoods, schools and communities. While numerous sport organizations did commendable work during the pandemic to sustain sporting activities as much as possible, the challenges were significant.

Although sport and physical activity contribute to physical, mental and community well-being, as well as the cultural and economic strength of Canada, they are not isolated from systemic challenges. These include physical, emotional, economic and sexual abuse, sexism, racism, bigotry and homophobia. These broader societal issues have left their mark on the Canadian sporting community, just as they have in sporting communities across the world and society in general.

Virtually no sport in Canada, or internationally, has been immune from issues of maltreatment and abuse. Failures of governance, structural inadequacies, and the inadequate oversight over the sport system have all contributed to a failure to recognize and respond to the abuses that have come to light.

In 1990, the Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Use of Drugs and Banned Practices Intended to Increase Athletic Performance, led by the late Chief Justice Charles Dubin, examined the events surrounding Ben Johnson at the Olympic Games Seoul 1988. This incident sent shockwaves through the Canadian sport system.Footnote 3

The Dubin Report, as it is referred to in the sport community, emphasized in its first recommendation that government funding ought to be based on:

Justice Dubin recommended that “those responsible for administering federal funds ensure that: (a) individuals and organizations in receipt of government funding meet the ethical standards as well as performance standards for funding […] [and] (c) that those involved in the health, care and training of athletes are qualified to be so ethically as well as technically.”Footnote 5 He further recommended “that those responsible for administering government funds consider in making funding decisions: (a) the extent to which a sport organization has made its programs accessible to the broader community [...].”Footnote 6

The challenges we face today suggest that the extensive warnings of the Dubin Report have been ignored. Renewed public concerns about sport have contributed to the pressures leading to the creation of this Commission.

Indeed, there have been, unfortunately, many further examples of abuse and maltreatment in sport. Such problems have persisted in many sport settings. Recent movements addressing violence against youth, women, Indigenous people and racialized people, have fostered an environment in which those who have been abused and maltreated are now increasingly breaking their silence and holding public institutions accountable. A similar sentiment was present throughout the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Sadly, we learned that in some cases, the media were the only ones willing to listen to victims and survivors and bring their stories to light.

Leading up to the establishment of the Commission, several other major reports and investigations were undertaken or released regarding allegations of maltreatment and abuse in Canadian sport. Among others:

As a nation in which hockey is one of the national sports,Footnote 17 the revelations in that sport deeply affected Canadians and, in 2022, triggered reviews by two parliamentary Standing Committees in relation to safe sport:

The work of both parliamentary committees and their subsequent reports reflected increasing public concern regarding aberrant behaviours in many sport settings. There was also a growing awareness of systemic issues within sport, including “calls for broad reform of the Canadian sport system, with an emphasis on reform that better protects children and holds sport leaders and organizations to account.”Footnote 20

In this context, the Government of Canada announced the creation of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission in December 2023 and named the Commissioner and Special Advisors on May 9, 2024.

The Commission has examined the above-mentioned reports carefully. We will refer to past recommendations throughout this report, as many of those have not been implemented and deserve reconsideration.

A reminder of the Commission’s mandate

The Commission’s mandate, as provided in its Terms of Reference, is two-fold. The Commission is tasked to review the sport system and make recommendations on concrete and effective actions to:

The Terms of Reference expressly provide that, “while the Preliminary and Final Reports will contain recommendations for the Government of Canada, they may be of assistance to all governments and sport participants to use in both joint and independent efforts to improve sport systems in Canada.”Footnote 22

To achieve the objectives of its mandate, the Commission is required, as part of its activities, to:

The Commission is also able to draw on existing literature and reports to guide its work. The Terms of Reference also require the Commission to engage and seek input from provinces and territories in order to foster collaboration and constructive engagement from the outset of its work.Footnote 24

In fulfilling its mandate and conducting its activities, the Commission was, and continues to be, guided by the following principles:

The Commission is to conduct an examination and review of the sport system. It is not within the Commission’s mandate to make any findings of misconduct or liability, or to determine whether individuals or organizations are civilly or criminally responsible.Footnote 26 The Commission is also required to ensure that its conduct and activities do not jeopardize any legal proceedings.Footnote 27

The Commission’s procedures and methods

The Commission acted expeditiously to establish trauma-informed processes and procedures. These were designed to support difficult and painful conversations about maltreatment and abuse. We also developed mechanisms to facilitate the participation of a wide range of Canadians, from within the physical activity and sport communities and beyond, who have personal experiences of abuse and maltreatment.

To ensure our work was trauma-informed, a specific guide on trauma-informed practices was developed for the Commission’s activities. The Commission also participated in training on trauma-informed engagement processes. Mental health support staff were made available to victims and survivors before, during, and after any meetings or other engagements. Individuals were also welcome to bring their own support person to the meetings. Commission staff were available to answer questions and address individual concerns before and after each meeting.

The Commission made available a variety of modes of communication and engagement for all participants, including those who may have found the experience of telling their stories challenging or painful. The Commission provided opportunities for in-camera sessions as part of its engagement opportunities. These sessions were designed to provide a safe forum for participants to freely share their experiences and express their opinions. They allowed participants to meet with the Commission confidentially and without certain information being recorded in any form. These processes enabled substantial and significant participation by many, within environments which were sensitive, supportive and built on trust.

In September 2024, in accordance with its Terms of Reference, the Commission launched its public online submission portal. It facilitated input from athletes, parents, coaches, officials, administrators, academics, victims and survivors, and members of the public interested in contributing to our examination of approaches to improving safe sport and the sport system as a whole in Canada. The portal allowed individuals and organizations to request a meeting or submit information in writing, and to indicate their willingness to participate in a public online survey.

The Commission undertook a robust set of engagements. At the time of writing this report, it had conducted more than 450 meetings (more than 80 of which were in-camera) with more than 825 individuals. Some of these meetings took place during the Commission’s cross-country discussions and roundtables, which were held in 12 cities across 8 provinces and territories.

The Commission engaged with many individuals and groups knowledgeable about safe sport and the structure of sport and physical activity in Canada. This helped us better understand the issues, challenges and opportunities. We met, engaged with and learned from a diverse cross section of Canadians, including Black, Indigenous and People of Colour, people with disabilities and those of the 2SLGBTQI+ community, all offering different perspectives. Our meetings included, but were not limited to, current and former athletes at all levels, parents and guardians, coaches, referees, officials, victims and survivors of maltreatment and abuse, academics, administrators, and public officials. We welcomed the opportunities for open, frank and rich discussions with a broad range of engaged and interested individuals and organizations.

At the time of writing this report, the Commission has had the opportunity to speak with representatives from all 13 provincial and territorial governments, as well as representatives from 2 federal departments and organizations. In addition, the Commission has met with a wide variety of organizations across all levels of the sport system, including national, provincial and territorial sport organizations, along with multisport service organizations. We heard from athlete and advocacy organizations, as well as grassroots and community groups.

We met with people who spoke to us in their individual capacity, whether as an athlete, coach, parent, sport administrator, official or referee (among others). Many who met with the Commission held multiple roles in the Canadian sport system. This demonstrates not only the complexity of the sport system — which will be discussed further under Chapter 3 — but also the depth of involvement and breadth of connectivity that exists.

The Commission also met with over 40 academics from a variety of disciplines such as kinesiology, psychology, medicine, engineering, sociology, law and Indigenous studies.

The Commission received over 1000 written documents, including 200 reports and academic articles. This information was further complemented by the Commission’s research activities, which involved a broad range of analyses of the Canadian sport system and those of other jurisdictions. The Commission set up an Academic Guidance Panel composed of experts in Canadian sport history, sport governance and globalization, disability and sport, Indigenous sport, and the intersection of race, gender, class and sport. As part of its mandate, the Academic Guidance Panel provides guidance on the Commission’s areas of research and identifies relevant existing studies.

Scope of this Preliminary Report

The Report is divided in two parts: the Sport System and Safe Sport, which reflect the two focus areas of the Commission’s mandate. In each part, we begin by describing some of the current players and frameworks in place. We then examine specific topics and formulate preliminary recommendations.

We will first address the Canadian Sport System, because understanding its structure and key stakeholders is essential to appreciating the basis for the preliminary findings and recommendations contained in this Preliminary Report. Moreover, there is an undeniable connection between a healthy and robust sport system and the creation of sport environments that promote safety and well-being.

This Preliminary Report reflects information gathered by the Commission through engagement activities, written submissions, and research. As this report highlights, it is time to explore new and innovative approaches to address the layers of deficiencies within the Canadian sport system, including those that relate to safe sport. The preliminary recommendations are intended to stimulate discussion and encourage broader thinking.

The Commission’s examination of the Canadian sport system revealed its complexity and its innumerable challenges and issues. Seeing as not all of these concerns could be addressed in this Preliminary Report, the Commission chose to focus on a subset of these issues for the time being. It is therefore important to note that, if an issue is not addressed in this Preliminary Report, it does not mean that it was not brought up during the Commission’s activities or that it is less important.

We have not examined issues which might be seen as lying exclusively within the professional sport environment, although we recognize that there may be overlap between high-performance sport and professional sport.

We begin by exploring the significance of sport to Canadians and its vital role in promoting physical and mental health, and in shaping Canada’s social, cultural and economic landscape.

Terminology

The Commission recognizes that language carries history, impact and weight. Language can cause harm or confuse when used or interpreted incorrectly.

In this Report, where we say “We were told,” “We were advised,” “We were informed,” or other variations, we refer to the information provided to us by participants during our engagement activities.

To protect the confidentiality of our conversations and communications, and as outlined in the Commission’s Terms of Reference,Footnote 28 we have not included any information in this Preliminary Report that might identify specific individuals or organizations (including specific sport organizations or provincial or territorial governments). In accordance with our Terms of Reference, we have only included such information if it had already been established through legal proceedings or admission, or publicly disclosed by the individual or organization.

Although we use in this report the expression “Indigenous people” to refer to a group of people who identify as Indigenous, when no reference is being made to a specific distinct society, and, the expression “Indigenous Peoples” to refer to a collective term that refers to First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples in Canada, we recognize that the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis People each have unique perspectives and interests, which are fundamental to our understanding of their perspectives for the purpose of our work and reconciliation.

We have chosen to use the term “victim and survivor” to respect individual preferences. Some people we spoke with prefer “victim,” others prefer “survivor” and some identify with both. This approach reflects everyone’s preference without identifying individual choices. For some, the term “survivor” emphasizes resilience and reclaims the experience from the abuser who aimed to victimize them. The term “victim” is often used by institutions, such as in legal and medical contexts. Some individuals feel this term better holds the person who hurt them accountable and better describes how they feel about their experience.

In addition, we refer to both sport and physical activity. These terms are used together in the governing federal legislation, the Physical Activity and Sport Act.Footnote 29 Our engagement activities have underlined how interconnected sport and physical activity are. However, sport generally involves more than just physical activity. It is organized, involves rules, training, goals, and can be played individually or as a team, either informally or in a regulated setting.

Throughout this Report, we use the terms “community sport,” “local sport,” and “grassroots sport” interchangeably to refer to organized sport that is local and community-based.Footnote 30

Acknowledgments

Our Review would not have been possible without the contributions of the many participants to our engagement process, who generously, and in some cases courageously, shared with us their knowledge, experiences and insights. We are very grateful to all of them.

The work of this Commission would not have been possible without the efforts and unwavering commitment of a small yet incredibly dedicated team of individuals who worked tirelessly.

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2025-08-28