Feds commit $16M to stamp out abuse in sport, restore parents' trust
Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge says US$16 million in the budget to help stamp out maltreatment and sexual abuse in sport is “just one step” to ensure Canada's athletes feel safe and that their voices will be heard.
The money to establish a safer sports system follows allegations of either maltreatment, sexual abuse or misuse of funds against at least eight national sport organizations.
In an interview with The Canadian Press, St-Onge said a new system that starts this spring will help restore the trust of parents who send their children to sports clubs.
The money will underpin an independent mechanism for Canadian athletes to report maltreatment, abuse and discrimination, and receive advice.
It will also look at allegations of racism in sport, which St-Onge said “is a problem.”
This month several players in a minor hockey league in Gatineau, Que., were suspended after a black player, Anthony Allain-Samake, said he was racially abused.
The team, l'Intrepide de Gatineau, apologized to Allain-Samake and another teammate following incidents on and off the ice including racist gestures and comments from other players.
The minister said her aim is to see sport become “more inclusive, more diverse, more open and more accessible.”
The independent safe sport mechanism implemented by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada will have powers to independently investigate allegations by athletes and refer them to the police if needed.
Federally funded sports organizations, including national teams, will be required to sign up to the program, which includes a helpline.
Other organizations can also sign up if there is not already an independent mechanism in place in their province, St-Onge said.
This would allow adults and young people involved in amateur sports such as hockey, gymnastics, swimming, and track and field to call on the centre for help.
St-Onge said the mechanism, started by her predecessor, should start receiving cases next month.
She said it's “just one step to change the sport culture” adding that “athletes' voices are essential” in the drive to make sports safe.
“I will use every tool at my disposal to make sure that athletes are at the centre of the conversation and the solutions put forward,” she said.
“There is a real sense of urgency in sport in Canada, and there is also a desire in the sport community to be better for athletes and restore trust for every parent who wishes to send their children to sports clubs.”
St-Onge has held two roundtable discussions about the issue of abuse in sport following a barrage of complaints from athletes.
Athletes have come forward alleging maltreatment in rugby, women's soccer, synchronized swimming, bobsled and skeleton, rowing and other sports.
More than 150 current and former gymnasts signed an open letter to Sport Canada calling for an independent investigation into the toxic culture of their sport.
“My goal is to use every ounce of leadership and tools that I have to start changing the sport culture,” the minister said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2022
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
W5 Investigates Heists, arson and a baseball bat brawl: the violent side of clothing donation bins
In part three of a four-part investigation into the seedy underbelly of the lucrative clothing donation bin industry, CTV W5's Jon Woodward and Joseph Loiero look into allegations that the industry is rife with organized crime activity.
Canada will cut its permanent immigration levels by at least 20 per cent
Canada will lower the number of permanent immigrants it allows into the country by at least 20 per cent from its previous target of 500,000, ۴ý confirmed Wednesday.
Montreal's mayor is leaving politics, and she's not alone. Is it the toxic climate for women?
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante announced Wednesday she would not seek a third mandate. Her decision has many talking about the demands of municipal leadership, particularly for women.
The president and CEO of New Brunswick-based Covered Bridge Potato Chips is taking an 'extended leave of absence' after being charged with domestic violence this past weekend.
A memorial is growing outside a Walmart in Halifax after a 19-year-old employee was found dead inside an oven in the store Saturday night.
Trudeau says Liberals 'strong and united' despite caucus dissent
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the Liberal party is 'strong and united,' despite efforts from within his caucus to oust him as leader.
'Canadians can breathe a sigh of relief': Bank of Canada governor on interest rate cut
The Bank of Canada made a sizable cut to its key lending rate Wednesday from 4.25 per cent to 3.75 per cent as the global economy continues to expand. The half percentage point cut is the fourth rate cut in a row by the central bank as inflation dropped from 2.7 per cent in June to 1.6 per cent in September.
A search has started at Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of two victims of a serial killer.
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
Local Spotlight
He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.
A meteor lit up our region's sky last night – with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.
Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.
A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.
A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.
A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.
Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.
Looking for a scare with good intentions this Halloween season? The ghosts and ghouls of Eganville, Ont. invite families to tour the Haunted Walk at Lekbor Manor.
The image of a sleepy Saskatchewan small town with 'not a lot going on' is a well-known anecdote. However, one Saskatchewan company is hoping to change that – and allow communities both on and off the beaten path to share their stories and advertise what they have to offer.