While many initially balk at violence prevention programs aimed at boys and men, these programs reduce the likelihood of abuse and improve the chances of bystanders intervening on behalf of victims.
In 2023, the House of Commons’ heritage committee passed a motion directing Hockey Canada to hand over a report from an investigation into allegations of sexual assault involving members of the 2018 world junior team.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Five world junior hockey players are facing sexual assault charges stemming from a 2018 incident. Research has shown that rape myths and social status can affect jurors’ perceptions in high-profile cases.
Five hockey players have been granted leaves of absence from their teams and are facing charges related to an alleged sexual assault.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jesse Johnston
Hockey Canada has a new board and CEO, but it won’t make a difference unless the systemic issues are addressed through our sport leadership and governance structures.
Nike has made it clear that its support of Hockey Canada is contingent on the organization behaving in a transparent and accountable manner.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The recent measures announced by the sport minister are a step in the right direction. But Canada needs an independent commission to monitor and prevent abuse in sport.
Efforts are underway to clean up sport in Canada, but if sporting bodies and athletes want to prevent abuse from occurring, we must re-engineer the structures, policies and practices that lead to abuse in the first place.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Athletes often recount how, at the very least, sport built their character and at the very most, saved their lives. But currently, Canadian sport itself needs rebuilding.
Only when the full extent of the wrongdoing has been identified can real progress be made.
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The lack of government action in response to allegations of sexual abuse in Canadian sport contrasts with the response to previous scandals and highlights the racial and gender inequalities at play.
Different forms of abuse are quite common in organized sports.
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A sports culture that does not tolerate abuse of any kind needs to be cultivated to ensure that the benefits of participating in sports are achieved.
A Hockey Canada document is reviewed by a member of Parliament during a House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage looking into safe sport in Canada on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 4, 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Transparency in financial disclosure is a crucial part of ethical, responsible governance. Unless Hockey Canada prioritizes financial transparency, any attempts at reform will fall short.
Culture change is more multifaceted than recent conversations about Hockey Canada might suggest. It’s a complex process, not a readily packaged product or an easily revised strategic plan.
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There have been calls for a culture change at Hockey Canada in the wake of sexual abuse allegations. But what does that mean? And how do organizations change their culture?
In the wake of sexual abuse allegations, Hockey Canada acknowledged it failed to “end the culture of toxic behavior” but grossly misunderstood and miscalculated the depth and breadth of the problem.
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Sexual abuse allegations in Canadian hockey reveal the toxic masculinity that has permeated across sport culture.
The Canadian women’s hockey team has received little financial support from Hockey Canada despite winning several international competitions.
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Canadian women’s and para hockey have long been woefully underfunded. Management changes at Hockey Canada are an opportunity to correct the unequal way the game is supported.
The government should invest in chess to foster more Canadian success at international competitions.
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Chess affords young people a host of interdisciplinary skills, Canada should invest in teaching them how to play it.
Andrea Skinner, Interim Chair of the Board of Directors, Hockey Canada appeared as a witness at a House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa on Oct. 4, 2022. Skinner resigned on Oct. 8.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
The future of Hockey Canada as an organization is uncertain as its board of directors resigns. However, any future steps must ensure the accountability of the board and the safety of all players.
Oversight may not be glamorous work, but if sport in Canada is to regain trust this work is critical.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Hockey Canada’s mishandling of sexual assault allegations is symbolic of the lack of accountability in sporting bodies. The government must rebuild trust in sports with proper oversight.
There’s a void of responsible leadership at Hockey Canada and other scandal-plagued organizations. Governments can’t fix those systemic problems.
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Eric Champagne, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa and Alex Beraskow, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa
Good board governance starts with understanding the mandate and role of the board and then follows through with structure, robust processes and practices.
Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) is an important first step, but for meaningful change to take place the federal government must embrace an independent, third-party judicial inquiry.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
The federal government has created a Sport Integrity Commissioner to help athletes dealing with abuse. But for change to be meaningful, third-party investigators must be part of the process.
Hockey Canada officials appear at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa in July 2022, as it looked into how Hockey Canada handled allegations of sexual assault and a subsequent lawsuit.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
Parliamentary committees do substantive work. But their focus should be government, not external entities.
Parliamentary hearings into Hockey Canada’s handling of sexual assault allegations against the 2018 world junior team left more questions than answers.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh
Hockey Canada has fallen short of its mission to ‘Lead, Develop and Promote Positive Hockey Experiences’ in its handling of sexual violence perpetrated by and against Hockey Canada players.
Professeur agrégé, École d'études politique, Directeur, Centre d'études en gouvernance / Associate professor, School of Political Studies, Director, Centre on Governance, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa