Question Period Note: Government of Canada responses to Hockey Canada’s actions relating to the sexual assault allegations

The Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure proper accountability with Hockey Canada following their settlement of a sexual assault lawsuit.

• The Government of Canada remains committed to promoting an environment where all Canadians can safely engage in sport.
• Since 2018, our government has worked to ensure safe, welcoming, and inclusive environments for everyone. We require all federally funded sport organizations to take measures to ensure a culture free from harassment, abuse or discrimination of any kind.
• Our government placed conditions on Hockey Canada, including suspending funding until we see their plan to make changes within their organization to reduce the risk of future incidents.

• 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.
• On June 26, 2018, Hockey Canada informed Sport Canada that there was a situation that was sexual in nature, that it had followed up with the authorities and had followed its 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.
• 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 Code). The resulting Code, 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 Code 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.).
• In July 2021, the then Minister of Canadian Heritage announced that the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (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 administers the implementation of the Code and delivers services to federally funded organizations.
• The Minister of Sport has indicated her intent to gradually make it mandatory for all federally funded organizations to use the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner to act as their independent third party to receive and manage allegations of maltreatment.
• On March 30, 2022, the Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes Commission 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 had 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.
• On June 16, 2022, Sport Canada sent a letter to Hockey Canada on behalf of the Minister of Sport to communicate Sport Canada’s next steps regarding the financial contribution with Hockey Canada including the financial audit to confirm no public funds were used in any part of the proceedings, and that the Department of Canadian Heritage would hold all funding decisions until the recommendations on the areas of improvement provided by Hockey Canada’s independent investigator and a plan on how to implement these improvements are shared with Sport Canada.
• On June 20, 2022, Abuse-Free Sport, the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner officially opened its doors.
• On June 20, 2022, representatives from Hockey Canada and Minister St-Onge appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in their study of Hockey Canada’s involvement in alleged sexual assaults committed in 2018.
• On June 22, 2022, the Minister of Sport announced that she would suspend funding to Hockey Canada until the recommendations of the Henein-Hutchison interim report and Hockey Canada’s plan on how to implement these improvements are shared with Sport Canada, and that Hockey Canada becomes a Signatory to the services of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner.
• On July 18, 2022, Sport Canada sent a second letter on behalf of the Minister of Sport to outline the three conditions as described above
• On July 26 and 27, 2022, Minister St-Onge, departmental representatives and other witnesses appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in its study of Hockey Canada’s involvement in an alleged sexual assault committed in 2018.

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