MONTREAL – The Canadian Olympic Committee is investing $10 million in safer sport initiatives, citing a call from Canada’s Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge.
David Shoemaker, CEO and Secretary General of the Canadian Olympic Committee, made the announcement at the COC’s annual meeting on Saturday.
“Athletes and sports leaders agree that the current situation in our system is unsustainable,” Shoemaker said in a statement. “We all want a safe and accessible system that delivers results on the world stage. To get there, we have to find and implement solutions together.”
Minister St-Onge has said there is a certain sports crisis in Canada and in recent months gymnastics, boxing and bobsleigh and skeleton have written to Sport Canada asking for independent investigations into their sports.
“We must engage the entire sports community in our efforts to create a safer Canadian sports environment,” Minister St-Onge said. “This is a collective problem that requires a collective solution.
“We must continue to work together and build on what has already been done together to ensure our athletes can thrive in a sporting environment free from abuse, harassment, discrimination and mistreatment.”
The COC said it will continue to work with athlete representatives, heads of national sports organizations, Sport Canada, the Coaching Association of Canada, the Office of the Sports Integrity Commissioner and others to identify areas for investment, which may include prevention, education and governance.
“This is an important announcement by the COC and an encouraging step in the right direction for the entire Canadian sports system,” said Rosie MacLennan, two-time Olympic champion in trampolining and chair of the COC’s Athletes’ Committee.
“For athletes to perform at their best, we need a system that is safe, equitable and that puts the mental and physical health of the athletes first,” said MacLennan.
The three-day annual meeting brought together the COC’s leadership, board and heads of national sports organizations and included a series of talks on safe sport, the COC said.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 12, 2022.
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