Question Period Card, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
Issue
Following a settlement on allegations on sexual assault, the Government of Canada is requesting a financial audit to be conducted on Hockey Canada
Update
June 3, 2022
Source
Various media articles
Synopsis
After Hockey Canada settled a lawsuit on allegations related to sexual assault by members of Canada’s 2018 world junior hockey, a recipient compliance audit has been ordered to ensure that no Government of Canada funds were used in the settlement.
Recommended response
The Government of Canada remains committed to promoting an environment where all Canadians can safely engage in sport, regardless of age, ability, race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Since 2018, our government has worked to ensure safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for everyone, by requiring all federally funded sport organizations to take measures to ensure a culture free from harassment, abuse or discrimination of any kind.
I have asked for an independent financial audit of Hockey Canada to be conducted to ensure no public funds were used in the lawsuit settlement and I commit to using any other leverage at my disposal to ensure that the sport culture is healthy for all.
Background
Budget 2019 provided $30 million over five years, starting in 2019–20, with $6 million per year ongoing, to enable Canadian sports organizations to promote accessible, ethical, equitable and safe sports.
On June 19, 2018, the following measures were announced to enhance the existing policy framework in these areas: Federally funded sport organizations must: 1-Take all necessary measures to create a workplace free from harassment, abuse or discrimination of any kind; 2-Immediately disclose any incident that could compromise the project or programming to the Minister responsible for sport; 3-Make provisions for access to an independent third party to address harassment and abuse cases; 4-Provide mandatory training on harassment and abuse to their members by April 1, 2020.
During summer 2018, Hockey Canada informed Sport Canada that there was a situation that was sexual in nature and that they have followed up with the authorities and had followed their internal policies and procedures.
In February 2019, during the meeting of federal, provincial, and territorial Ministers responsible for sport, physical activity, and recreation, Ministers endorsed the Red Deer Declaration for the Prevention of Harassment, Abuse and Discrimination in Sport. As part of this declaration, Ministers will develop a collaborative approach to increase awareness, prevention, identifying and reporting, and monitoring to address harassment, abuse, and discrimination in sport. Ministers also agreed to make "safety and integrity in sport" a standing agenda item for future meetings.
In March 2019, the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) launched a pilot project for a helpline for referral and for an investigation unit to extend its expertise and services to offer an independent third-party service to investigate harassment and abuse complaints.
Sport Canada supported the Coaching Association of Canada to host a series of nationwide consultations on the development of a Universal Code of Conduct to address harassment and abuse in Canadian sport. The resulting Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), which includes general principles, definitions of misconduct and prohibited behaviours and an approach to sanctions, was endorsed by the majority of national-level sport organizations and released publicly in December 2019.
The UCCMS covers the areas of 1-Psychological Maltreatment (e.g. verbal acts, non-assaultive physical acts and acts that deny attention or support; 2-Physical Maltreatment (e.g., contact or non-contact behaviours that have the potential to cause physical harm, such as malnutrition); 3-Sexual Maltreatment (e.g., Criminal Code Offences of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, sexual interference, etc.); and 4-Neglect (e.g., not providing an Athlete recovery time and/or treatment for a sport injury, not being aware of and not considering an individual’s physical or intellectual disability, etc.).
The issue of malnutrition is considered in the UCCMS in the area of physical maltreatment, as a non-contact behaviour that has the potential to cause harm. It is also considered under the area of neglect under the behaviour of not considering the welfare of the athlete when prescribing dieting or other weight control methods.
Through a contribution from Sport Canada, the Sport Information Resource Centre contracted an independent analysis of the national and international safe sport landscape and develop recommendations on the most effective means to establish and deliver an independent mechanism for administering the implementation of the UCCMS. The McLaren Report became a key referral piece to guide the next actions required for the implementation of the UCCMS.
Based on the findings of this report, as well as additional input from the sport community, Sport Canada established the essential structure, roles, processes, and services that must be in place to effectively administer the UCCMS and launched a call for applications to identify a Canadian organization that can deliver those essential elements and services for federally funded organizations.
In July 2021, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced that the SDRCC had been selected, based on the recommendations of a committee of representatives of Canadian sport and experts in prevention of abuse, to establish and deliver the independent mechanism which will be called the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner.
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner will administer the implementation of the UCCMS and is expected to be in place and to deliver services to federally funded organizations by Spring 2022 with the imminent nomination of the individual who will fulfill that position.
The Minister of Sport has indicated her intent to gradually make it mandatory for all federally funded organizations to use the SDRCC’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner to act as their independent third party to receive and manage allegations of maltreatment.
In 2022, Canadian athletes from the sports of bobsleigh and gymnastics publicly called attention to what they describe as unsafe and abusive environments in their sport, and demanding change in their respective sport organizations and action from the Government of Canada.
On March 30, 2022, the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes Commission also released a statement calling for actions by the sport community to address the issue and on Sport Canada to expedite the process to launch the independent mechanism and make it mandatory for all organization to use its services.
On April 5, 2022, the SDRCC announced the hiring of Sarah-Ève Pelletier, former national team artistic swimmer, member of the Quebec Bar, and accredited civil mediator, as Canada’s first Sport Integrity Commissioner.
On May 26, 2022 it was reported that Hockey Canada has reached a settlement with a woman who alleged in a lawsuit that she was sexually assaulted by multiple Canadian Hockey League players, including members of Canada’s gold-medal winning 2017-18 World Junior team.
