Canadian Heritage Committee on Nov. 28th, 2013

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you, Minister.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

—so that we can actually share them within province.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you, Minister.

We're going to move to our last questioner.

Mr. Dykstra for five minutes.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for appearing this morning. I noticed that when Ms. Swords opened her purse there was a hint of green. I know we're both Brock alumni but I do have to congratulate you. Of course, I sit on the Hamilton Tiger-Cats side and we know that you're a big Saskatchewan Roughriders fan. So congratulations, begrudgingly, for the big win on Sunday.

Minister, I wanted to take the same tack as Mr. Richards and return specifically to the estimates. There's a lot of what I think is astounding and great work coming out of the transfers that are happening. I look at the following, for example:

From Canadian Heritage to National Arts Centre Corporation for the 2013 edition of the biennial meeting “Zones théâtrales” whose mandate is to give exposure to Canadian francophone communities’ and Quebec regions’ professional theatre.

I know you spoke a little bit about some of the investments that we've made in music. Perhaps you could speak to some of the investments we're making here and what this investment will actually do for the province of Quebec.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

Thank you very much for the question.

You started off with green and I have to jump in. I don't know if you know this, Mr. Dykstra, but I was born in Saskatoon.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Okay.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

And so, Riders, I'm very proud that they were able to pull it off.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

So I guess on the record then you're saying that the Riders are your favourite team.

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I have my two feet planted squarely in two provinces, so if the Bombers are playing, I'm with the Bombers, and if the Riders are playing, I'm with the Riders. And at the Banjo Bowl I keep my mouth shut.

Back to the estimates. In fact, Zones Théâtrales is a very important program. I come from St. Boniface where we as a Conservative government have contributed to creating a new theatre. Cercle Molière is a new theatre that the Conservative government helped to build in my riding and that theatre takes advantage of participating in Zones Théâtrales.

I know how important it is not only to my community but also to the Fransaskois, to the Franco-Albertans, to all of our francophones and francophiles across the country, because through theatre of course we get to express ourselves in a way that it's hard to do in other settings.

Of course, expressing ourselves in arts and culture is done through theatre, music, books, film, television, but Zones Théâtrales allows theatre groups to get together and do this expression and share in the expression and learn from one another.

Quebec is well represented. They have some of the most amazing artists in theatre. I look forward to seeing some of the plays that will take place and of course I also made the announcement at Zones Théâtrales of some more funding agreements with this government. I'll leave it there but it's a great program. Thanks for asking about it.

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

One of the other transfers to the other organizations was from Canadian Heritage to the Council for the Arts, to support cooperation projects for French-language theatre as well as to ensure Canada's participation in meetings of the Commission internationale du théâtre francophone. I appreciate your response on that, because it is obvious we're focused there.

One of the other transfers that we've made—and it speaks a little bit to the original point we were talking about in terms of football, Mr. Chair—is the amount that Canadian Heritage transferred to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council for research funding to inform policy development related to sport participation. We're doing a study looking at the upcoming Sochi Olympics and our involvement and investment there.

I wonder if you could, perhaps, comment on how this originated and what the purpose of this transfer will mean to those who are researching our participation in sport?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Saint Boniface, MB]

I'm so pleased you mentioned your study, because I've heard wonderful things. I've heard about the testimony by Elizabeth Manley and some of these world-class Canadian athletes. I look forward to seeing the rest of the testimony.

This government has been steadfast in its support of sport. Along with sport, research must be done. Research is imperative to ensuring the safety and the wellness of the athletes who participate. It's important because we need to be able to train them in an effective manner—not only the athletes but also the coaches who participate. We are presently getting ready for the Sochi Olympics, which will, again, be an opportunity for us to showcase the best of Canadian athletes. We invest heavily in our athletes because we are proud of them and the recognition they bring to Canada.

This is a fund that we support very much. It will allow us to do essential research. Things like concussions are, of course, in the news continually. The ability to actually do some research there is important and I'm glad that Health Canada is also embarking...to ensure that we have what we need to protect our athletes.

Thank you for asking about it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much, Minister. I'd like to thank you for coming today.

We're going to have to move on to the votes.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Chair, I want to raise a point of privilege.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Okay, Mr. Lapointe, be quick.

[François Lapointe, NDP, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

It doesn't take that much time to vote.

I have a minute question. We don't have the honourable minister very often. It's very specific, and I just need 30 seconds.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

I'm sorry we have to move on Mr. Lapointe.

Thank you very much, Minister.

We will break briefly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

If members could come to the table please, we only have a few moments to go through the actual votes.

Members, I'm going to commence the voting on the supplementary estimates.

Could everyone return to the table, please?

CANADIAN HERITAGE

Department

Vote 1b—Canadian Heritage—Operating expenditures..........$1

Vote 5b—Canadian Heritage—The grants listed in the Estimates and contributions..........$848,588

Canada Council for the Arts

Vote 10b—Payments to the Canada Council for the Arts..........$1

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Vote 50b—Program expenditures..........$1

National Arts Centre Corporation

Vote 65b—Operating expenditures..........$1

National Battlefields Commission

Vote 70b—Program expenditures..........$660,000

(Votes 1b, 5b, 10b, 50b, 65b and 70b agreed to on division)

Shall I report the supplementary estimates to the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[An hon. member]

On division....

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much.

We will suspend briefly to bring in our next panel.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much.

We will reconvene this meeting number six of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Concerning our study on the 2014 Sochi Olympic and Paralympic winter games, we are going to hear from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Graham Fraser, the commissioner, and Carsten Quell, the director of policy and research from the policy and communications branch.

From the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport we have Doug MacQuarrie, the chief operating officer, and Jeremy Luke, director of the Canadian anti-doping program and business operations.

Also, from the Canadian Tire Corporation, we have Duncan Fulton.

We will hear from each of our representatives for eight minutes.

We will start with Mr. Fraser.

[Graham Fraser, Commissioner of Official Languages, Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages]

Mr. Chair, members of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, good morning, bonjour.

I appreciate this opportunity to address the committee on a topic of great interest to all Canadians. Like you, I have certain concerns regarding the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi.

The Olympic Games are always an extraordinary opportunity for Canadians to join together and feel an immense sense of pride in our athletes.

Sporting success on the world stage is never a random occurrence. Rather, success is the result of sacrifices and preparation made over many years by our athletes and their families, our coaches and our sport associations—with the support of federal institutions like Canadian Heritage, as well as the private sector.

For our winter athletes to excel, as they did in Vancouver with 14 gold medals—the most of any country at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, and the most ever for Canada—their focus must be rigid, their training intensive and their performance second to none.

Canadians have always been, and continue to be, inspired by our athletes' Olympic success. As Commissioner of Official Languages, I can take that one step further: I have also been singularly impressed at how bilingual our athletes are. It is amazing to hear an athlete, still panting after winning a medal, give interviews in both official languages.

Our official languages were a key element in the planning and delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games almost four years ago here on Canadian soil. My office's collaborative work with federal institutions and the organizing committee of the Vancouver Games led to a very successful event presented in both official languages, with the unfortunate exception of the cultural component of the opening ceremonies.

The invaluable lessons learned from this experience resulted in the production of a practical guide to promoting official languages for any organization hosting a major sporting event in Canada. We have copies here. This past summer, Canada Games organizers in Sherbrooke used the guide and were clearly successful in promoting both official languages during this national event— proof that we have made great strides.

As far as the Sochi Olympics are concerned, the challenges are quite different. In 2010, it was not until the eve of the games that a decisions was made, making it possible for Canadians across the country to watch television coverage in French on CPAC. We are in a much better position this time around.

I was pleased to hear last year that CBC/Radio-Canada had won the contract to cover the games, ensuring that Canadians will have access to coverage in both official languages. I personally congratulated Hubert Lacroix for this accomplishment.

As you know, English and French are the official languages of the International Olympic Committee. Earlier this year, the Francophonie named historian and Russia specialist Hélène Carrère d'Encausse as Grand Témoin de la Francophonie for the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Sochi. It will be her job to observe, both before and during the games, how successful Russia has been in fulfilling the requirements of the International Olympic Committee. I wish Russia the very best in meeting the challenges of hosting a successful event.

Of course, commenting on the country's ability to provide services in English and French is well beyond my mandate. The one area of concern for Canada will be to ensure that our athletes can obtain the services they require in both official languages from their sport associations and from the Canadian Olympic Committee. My expectation is that this will be the case.

When our athletes are many miles from home and challenging themselves in highly competitive, suspense-filled environments, perhaps the most challenging moments of their lives, we must ensure that they have the information they need, the support they require, and the last-minute coaching advice they can count on.

Although some of our sport associations have had language challenges in the past, challenges that were documented in a study by my predecessor, Dyane Adam, I've had no indication that there are particular issues for any of our athletes set to compete in Sochi.

I think that the Olympic and Paralympic Games are a remarkable opportunity for all Canadians, no matter what language we speak, to celebrate not only our athletic achievements but also the linguistic duality that enriches our country in so many ways. I look forward to watching the performance of our tremendous athletes as they make Canada proud in Sochi.

In closing, Mr. Chair, I thank you and your colleagues for the opportunity to appear before the committee this morning.

I would be pleased to answer any questions you may have.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Thank you very much, Mr. Fraser.

We'll now move to Mr. MacQuarrie.

[Doug MacQuarrie, Chief Operating Officer, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Members and associate members of the standing committee, ladies and gentlemen, bonjour, good morning.

My name is Doug MacQuarrie. I am the Chief Operating Officer of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.

With me is my colleague, Mr. Jeremy Luke, director of the Canadian anti-doping program and business development. Jeremy also served for four years as director of anti-doping for the Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

On behalf of the centre, I'd like to thank you for the opportunity to describe our efforts to support the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic teams as they prepare for the Sochi games.

The CCES works to protect the integrity of sport. We collaborate with others to activate a values-based and principle-driven sport system throughout Canada, and we advocate for sport in Canada that is fair, safe, and open to everyone.

I know you would agree that clean sport is an objective we all share. None of us wants to see a Canadian athlete receive a medal on a Friday, only to see it taken away on Saturday. We lived that once. We do not want to live it again.

We believe most elite Canadian athletes train and compete clean, but they, as well as most Canadians, look to the government and the sport community to maintain a level playing field, to stay abreast of doping tactics, and to stop the cheaters.

In the time available, we'd like to cover five key areas: one, recent events that are shaping our anti-doping work; two, contemporary approaches to tackling the doping problem with Canada's high-performance athletes; three, specific CCES actions related to this committee's interest in the Sochi games; four, some doping risks facing Canadian Olympians and Paralympians; and five, opportunities for enhanced federal government involvement.

Concerning recent events shaping our work, since the fall of 2012, the Lance Armstrong scandal has exposed the truth about the most sophisticated doping conspiracy ever seen in sport. Its tentacles and further revelations by other professional cyclists continue to unfold. Several Canadians have been implicated, such as Michael Barry and Ryder Hesjedal.

Meanwhile, the Australian Crime Commission carried out a 12-month investigation and produced a detailed report titled Organized Crime and Drug Use in Sport. The report reveals widespread doping, match-fixing, and the growing involvement of organized crime throughout many levels of sport in Australia.

Closer to home, Canada Border Services Agency data reveal that steroids are the second most-often confiscated drug at our borders. At the Quebec border, steroids are the number one most confiscated drug. Our own research with Canadian elite athletes suggests that 16% have personal knowledge of doping. These facts prompted us to reach out to the Minister of State for Sport, the Canadian Olympic Committee and the Canadian Paralympic Committee for additional financial support to help bolster our national anti-doping efforts. On November 5 , the Government of Canada, and for the first time ever, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee came together and agreed to provide an additional $800,000 to be invested in the Canadian anti-doping program. The amount represents a one-time increment of $400,000 from the Government of Canada, and another $400,000 spread over the next three years from the COC, and a one-time contribution of $10,000 from the CPC.

As for our contemporary anti-doping efforts, the additional funding will enable us to increase our work in a number of key areas. We will increase our anti-doping education efforts to ensure all athletes fully understand their rights and responsibilities under the World Anti-Doping Code.

We will expand our intelligence-gathering initiatives and conduct more investigations into the supply and distribution side of doping in Canada. We will include more athletes in our whereabouts program, a system that allows us to locate athletes throughout the year and around the clock for unannounced testing.

We will increase our athlete biological passport program, a system that develops a unique blood profile for each athlete, enabling the monitoring of blood for deviations that signal doping. We will be carrying out more testing in urine and blood—not more random testing, but more tests guided by the intelligence we gather.

We gather information from many different sources and we are already seeing results from a newly launched anonymous report-doping hotlline. This tool allows athletes, coaches, training personnel and others to share sensitive information they may have about doping.

With the above approach we can test the right athlete, at the right place, at the right time, for the right substance.

On our specific actions related to the Sochi games, the CCES continues to play an important role in assisting the Canadian teams to prepare for Sochi. We maintain close contact with and provide regular briefs to the chief medical officer and others with the COC and CPC with respect to Olympic and Paralympic anti-doping programs.

Our e-learning platform is available to all athletes and support personnel with specific information regarding the IOC and IPC anti-doping rules. Our on-line drug reference database is available to help athletes know what is permitted and what is not. Our athlete services team is available to assist athletes who require a therapeutic use exemption, or have other anti-doping-related questions.

We have exchanged information with the COC and are confident that their tangible efforts to keep Canadian athletes safe and secure while in Russia are on target. We will ensure each Olympic and Paralympic athlete is tested at least once in the four months immediately preceding both games.

Finally, during both games, CCES staff will be available remotely to help the COC and the CPC staff to navigate the anti-doping rules and procedures.

It should also be noted that the CCES has provided ongoing consulting to the Sochi organizing committee over the past two years, based on our experiences in Vancouver. As such, we have influenced the very nature of the Sochi anti-doping program. With these new and expanded initiatives in place, we can be more confident that athletes representing us are clean.

Regardless of these important preparations, there will continue to be doping risks to our athletes due to ongoing concerns, such as supplement contamination, which continues to be a very significant risk. Athletes who consume supplements—and our research suggests a majority do—face a real risk of inadvertent doping due to limited federal regulation and lax industry standards. Regrettably, we experience a dearth of cooperation from Canadian law enforcement. This is largely due to an overly restrictive regulatory environment and scarce resources. For example, none of the intelligence gathered at our borders related to the confiscation of steroids is being shared with our organization.

Finally, for a small window of time, NHL hockey players don a Canadian jersey and compete for the country. When they do, they leave their relatively lax and insular environment insofar as anti-doping regulations are concerned, and enter a much more restrictive and highly regulated anti-doping environment, both during the pre-games and the games period.

Can we guarantee that a Canadian athlete won't get caught doping at a major international competition in the future? No, we can't, but if it should happen, we know we're doing everything we can to prevent it, notwithstanding the risks.

While we are focused on preparing the athletes for the Sochi games, let's not forget that once the flame is extinguished and our athletes come home, our work in anti-doping continues and our athletes' desire for clean sport remains. World championships and other major games occur in most sports on an annual basis, therefore, our investment in clean sport must be sustainable.

Canada has demonstrated a commitment to eradicate doping in sport. In 2005, the federal government became the second signatory to the UNESCO International Convention against Doping in Sport. This convention entered into force in 2007. The need to back our commitment with continued, and even increased, action has never been greater. We are highly regarded globally in the fight against doping, and Canada has a tremendous opportunity to lead other nations toward more rigorous anti-doping programs.

[The Chair, Conservative, Gord Brown]

Mr. MacQuarrie, I'm going to have to cut you off there, but you will have an opportunity to expand on this in the questioning.