Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Gymnastics Canada should be concerned about reassuring parents across the country the sport is safe.
Trudeau answered questions about the federal government’s freeze on Gymnastics Canada funding.
Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge told The Canadian Press on Thursday night that she is suspending funding for the national sports body pending registration with the new sports integrity officer’s office.
St-Onge recently frozen Hockey Canada funding after the national organization handled an alleged sexual assault and an out-of-court settlement.
“I think it’s not even about government accountability because yes, we require that they join the Organization for Integrity in Sport as a condition of full funding,” Trudeau said in Stratford, PEI. “They should be concerned about convincing parents across the country that they’re protecting their children, that they’re an organization that promotes the kind of values, the kind of safe environment that all parents have a right to expect for their children that we do.” want kids to model.”
Trudeau says he’s had many discussions with the sport secretary’s office in recent weeks about several national sport organizations and their failure to meet their responsibilities to “protect our children and our athletes.”
“So we have clearly asked Gymnastics Canada and others for more transparency to commit to accountability measures because yes we must continue to support the sport and there are so many great volunteers across the country who are helping young people to do so.” able to stay healthy and exercise,” he said.
“But we must ensure that we do so in a safe manner and we will continue to ensure that as a government and in cooperation with other government agencies we are pushing for changes that will ensure our children are kept safe.”
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Canadian gymnasts call for an investigation into abusive practices and a toxic culture
Dozens of Canadian gymnasts have signed an open letter calling for an independent investigation into an ongoing toxic culture and abusive practices at Gymnastics Canada. The way elite sports are funded by merit is part of the problem, according to an expert who studies abuse in sport.
St-Onge is asking all national sports organizations to join the new office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), which has been receiving complaints of abuse in sport since June 20.
The minister said Canada is facing a “crisis” in safe sport and that allegations of ill-treatment, sexual abuse or misappropriation of funds have been made against at least eight national sports organizations in her first five months in office.
More than 500 current and former gymnasts have called on Sport Canada to conduct an independent investigation into their sport in the face of numerous allegations of physical, psychological and sexual abuse.
“The number of young children who look up to athletes when they are in challenging situations or when organizations are not properly caring for them has a cascading effect through society. We know we need to do more, and this administration is there to make sure that happens,” Trudeau said.
“But I really want to say thank you to all those parents across the country who have spoken out, spoken out, all those athletes who have stood up bravely, like all these gymnasts who have been like, ‘That had to stop.’ We have to listen. We have to take action. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”
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