Minister Duncan talks about the future of sport in Canada at the symposium The Values Proposition – Strengthening Sport in Canada 

OTTAWA, Ontario, October 16, 2018

Check against delivery. This speech has been translated in accordance with the official languages policy and edited for posting and distribution in accordance with the Government of Canada’s communications policy.

Good afternoon everyone, and what a privilege to be here.

Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we gather today on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg people.

Thank you also to the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and the Public Policy Forum for putting on this important conference regarding values-based sport.

And to all those gathered: the athletes, thank you for inspiring us to dream… the coaches and officials, thank you for being critical parts of the sport system…

 … and the sport organizations, thank you for building the sport system, and working so hard to continually improve it for our athletes.

Sport matters. What you do matters… and I want you to know that sport matters profoundly to me and that I could not be more proud to serve the sport community in Canada.

The way I identify myself is through sport and through research …but sport is where I come from … it is at the very core of who I am.

Let me explain briefly. …My Mom was a phys‑ed teacher and my Dad was asked by six major‑league baseball teams to pitch... As a gymnast, I trained six nights a week for the first decades of my life…

…and that desire to train long hours a day later morphed into training for marathons, triathlons, and just about any race... I love to compete!

But one of my greatest joys always came from coaching—whether tumble bugs in gymnastics…yes, the little wee ones…or coaching diving, trampolining, weightlifting or dance.

I love working with children and youth, and supporting them to achieve their greatest dreams, whether in sport, school, or life.

So let’s talk about the future of sport in Canada, and how we’re going to get there together, in partnership and in cooperation…

How we can be more intentional in the sport system …how values are fundamental to sport, as well as to developing better athletes and better citizens … and how we’re going to put our athletes first – from the playground through to the podium.

My position on Canadian sport is clear: for sport to be a quality experience, it must be values-based.

This is a goal I believe in, and one I know you believe in. That’s why you’re here today.

In 2022, we will launch our next version of Canada’s sport policy. …Together, let’s work for a stronger sport system – one founded on the values of safety, health, equity, diversity, and inclusion …and, of course, fairness, honesty, integrity, respect and responsibility.

So that we have more positive aspects, and fewer negative aspects ... so that we build a better Canada for all…through sport.

Let me begin with the foundation of values-based sport, the very cornerstone on which all else is based: namely safe sport.

From the first week on the job, I made addressing abuse, discrimination, and harassment in sport a priority.

I was lucky growing up to have absolutely amazing coaches.

Day in and day out, they gave up precious family time to train us, to hear about our lives—what was good in school, what was challenging. …They were positive, encouraging, and they always stressed hard work, and not just talent …and they always said the right thing at the right moment.

My coaches were the best parts of my childhood.

But unfortunately, that is not the case for all athletes. … And this past spring, we once again witnessed the devastation of a bad coach and an unsafe sport environment.

I want to thank the enormously courageous women skiers, who were abused by the same coach at the club, provincial, and national levels for coming forward and telling their stories in order to prevent other athletes from suffering their fate.

The coach abused his power, broke trust, and robbed the women of their childhoods and their dreams.

While there are no accurate statistics on sexual exploitation in any nation’s population, there is a growing body of knowledge of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence in sport.

There can be no complicit bystander…

It is our shared responsibility to pay attention, to speak up if we notice something is not quite right, and to act.

It’s important to listen to athletes…And I think it is more than time to look at the “Duty of Care” sport has toward athletes and participants in the Canadian sport system.

This exists in schools, why not in the sport system?

This past June, with the tremendous support of the national sport community, I brought forth a new policy. That in order for federally funded sport organizations to receive funding, they must: take all necessary measures to create a safe and healthy environment; put in place an anti-abuse, discrimination and harassment policy; put in place a third party to address cases of abuse, discrimination and harassment to the Minister; and make training mandatory by April 2020.

Let me be clear: Canadians must have access to safe sport.

I want you to know the work to make sport safer continues…I want to thank Lorraine Lafrenière and Ahmed El-Awadi for co-chairing the NSO -MSO  task force on safe sport— they are doing great work, and I know their work will make a big difference across the country.

I also want you to know that I talked to all provincial and territorial ministers except Quebec’s – and I’m looking forward to speaking with the new Minister of that province very soon.

The feedback I’ve received has been very positive. They all want to work together to do more, and to move quickly.

We must put our youth and athletes first – they must be at the centre of everything we do: we must have athlete-centred sport … because athletes are people first, and they are not commodities, they are not chattel.

Every young person should have access to quality, safe sport. I don’t need to make the case to this group that physical activity is tied to better academic performance, creativity, problem‑solving, productivity and mental health.

But in my community of Etobicoke North, and in many communities like mine, our kids cannot afford to play organized sports…There is a collective effort to buy bus tickets to get talented athletes to practice and to donate sport equipment. And parents working two or three jobs pool money to buy gym time so their children can play soccer.

Together, we need to ensure that Canadians develop core competencies – aerobic exercise, flexibility, strength, etc. – and that children can see themselves improving and succeeding.

There is still a considerable amount of work to do to ensure girls, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, newcomers and members of the LGBTQ2 community have access to quality, values-based, safe sport.

Our government has invested a historic $30 million toward supporting women and girls, and sport initiatives…and we have set a goal of achieving gender equity in sport by 2035.

…Let me be clear, I hope to see real progress long before then.

I have set up the very first gender equity working group. The blue-ribbon panel includes academic and basketball coach Guylaine Demers … former Olympian and academic Bruce Kidd…Lorraine Lafrenière, head of the Coaching Association of Canada … as well as Waneek Horn-Miller, Hailey Wickenheiser…and John Herdman.

I wanted a group that would come forward with real recommendations and who would push me hard to do more — we don’t need another report to describe a well-known problem.

The working group is tackling everything from increasing participation … getting more girls and women in coaching and in leadership positions …ending abuse in sport …to more research. And I thank them for their tremendous work!

The year 2026 offers us a huge opportunity. …We’ve got FIFA, and for the first time, we’re bringing the Men’s World Cup to Canada!

Now let’s hope we can bring back the Winter Olympics to Calgary – I know we’re all looking forward to the results of the November 13 plebiscite.

With Calgary, we have the opportunity to champion our athletes right here at home … to showcase our country on the world stage … to advance reconciliation … and to achieve gender equity in sport.

…and to treat the Olympic and Paralympic Games equally… with equal media coverage!

We have the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to the anti-doping movement and clean sport. …Like you, I was deeply concerned by the decision to re-instate RUSADA.

The future of the sport system rests with our athletes…who dedicate their lives to competition and to the pursuit of excellence — and who promote healthy sport.

I want you to know that I will be working hard with international colleagues to protect athletes’ health and the welfare of the sport system, and advance Canada’s position regarding clean sport.

I know each and every one of you accepts the challenge of continuing to build values-based sport in Canada.

It is important we act now.

Because challenges to sport are real – whether abuse, bullying, discrimination, doping, match fixing, and the list goes on.

I’m sure everyone here saw Beckie Scott’s interview with the BBC last week. It takes a lot of courage to come forward like that.

Beckie has made strong contributions to the anti‑doping movement.

It concerns me to learn about any report where athletes’ voices are not taken seriously or are attempted to be silenced.

The values we hold strongly in society – safety, health, equity, diversity, inclusion…fairness, honesty, integrity, respect, and responsibility – must be intentionally brought into the sport system.

I want you to know that I share your commitment to values-based sport.

And I am grateful for this symposium and your engagement on this issue.

I look forward to continuing our work together.

My colleagues, friends, thank you again for the kind invitation to be here, and thank you all for your contributions to sport in Canada, and I look forward to working with you to build a fairer, more inclusive, safer sport system.

Thank you.