Canadian Heritage Committee on June 20th, 2022

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you. Can we wrap that up right now, please?

I'm going to go to Adam van Koeverden for three minutes, please.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Minister, for being here with us today to discuss this very difficult but very important matter.

As the previous minister Kirsty Duncan's work has been mentioned a couple of times, I would like to at least make the committee aware of the fact that she convened a working group to combat gender-based violence in Canada a full year prior to this incident. Minister Duncan was and continues to be a strong advocate for this. As a former gymnast, she has lots of lived experience, and she continues to be a wonderful advocate. I say that because I was a member of that working group prior to my time in politics.

We came to Ottawa a number of times. At that time, we established four things. We said there needed to be a universal code of conduct. There needs to be an independent organization to investigate, adjudicate and deal with all of the issues in safe sport. That needs to be mandatory for all national sport organizations, and that system needs to be fully vetted by the federal government.

As a result of the $16 million that you made sure was in this last budget, all four of those things are true.

I wrote my first letter to Sport Canada in 1999. I've urged action from and worked at arm's length with sports ministers in Canada for over 20 years, and I've been parliamentary secretary for sport for almost three.

It's my objective opinion that no previous minister of sport has ever worked harder or responded so swiftly or with more concrete action than you have, Minister. I want to acknowledge that. Obviously, this is my objective opinion as your parliamentary secretary, but I'm so tremendously proud of the work you have done and the work that your team has done. I want to thank you on behalf of the Canadian sports system. This is something that has been asked of this government, and previous governments too, for a really long time.

We are doing a good job, and I would love to provide you with an opportunity to talk about some of the work we've done so recently that it might not even be in the news. It was even just last weekend.

Please, the floor is yours.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 51 seconds, Minister.

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Mr. van Koeverden.

As a former athlete who had some wonderful experiences in sports, whether in swimming or volleyball, I know just how important sport is in people's lives, particularly for young people. I know how formative it is, and just how it shapes human beings and makes us the adults we are today. That's why sexual assaults in sport horrify me so such, and that's what motivates me to make changes. I want to work with key players in the Canadian sports system to break down the culture of silence and ensure that situations like these will no longer occur.

We established a committee of athletes to make sure that theirs is the predominant voice. We announced that as of today, the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner will be able to receive complaints, in keeping with the four objectives you mentioned. We also said that we would…

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Minister. I think your time has ended.

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Thank you, Minister.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

I'll now go to Sébastien Lemire for a minute and a half, then to Peter Julian.

Peter, you are winding up this meeting.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

I'll be speaking, Madam Chair, rather than Mr. Lemire.

As the status of women spokesperson, I am pleased that you spoke about the culture of silence, because it is clearly related to this incident.

In the incident involving Hockey Canada, it was reported that the victim did not make a complaint. This toxic male culture also exists in many other public spheres. Indeed, cases have come up in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Armed Forces. Generally, victims have trouble making a complaint. You've been talking at length about the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, whose mandate is to help victims make a complaint against their assailants in the world of sports.

However, given that there will likely be an increase in the number of cases reported in future, will you be making sure that this office has all the resources needed to deal with the growing number of complaints?

I am the mother of a four-month-old daughter named Naomie. I would really like this little girl to be able to engage in whatever sports she chooses in total safety and to associate with people involved in sports without fear.

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

I fully share your concerns. For children practising a sport today, I'm going to make sure that I can work with the commissioner's office to ensure that it has all the resources required to deal with the complaints. We are expecting a lot of them. In the United States, where a similar case occurred, it took three years to deal with the complaints.

The $16 million in funding from the federal government is specifically intended to ensure that the office has the resources needed to deal with these complaints and break down the culture of silence. It will be a place that not only victims can rely on, but witnesses as well, to report cases of sexual assault or abuse in sport.

It was essential to establish the office because it will help to break the culture of silence and make Canada's sports system healthier

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 13 seconds, Minister. Thank you very much.

I'll go to Peter Julian now, for one and a half minutes.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you, Madam Chair. I am filling in for Peter Julian. Is it okay if I continue with the questions?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Yes, it's fine.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

That's great. Thank you.

I'm happy to be here today. I'm very saddened to hear the stories of those who've been victims of sexual assault in sports, and of their families, of course. It's awful to hear this. It's important for me to be part of this conversation. I'm happy to be here to do so.

I want to ask the minister, in my very short time, about mechanisms in place that allow victims of sexual assault to share their experience and get the help they need in a way that is safe and takes into account their best interests, such as a victim line or any other mechanism that may be in place.

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

My predecessor had introduced a telephone helpline that athletes could call for assistance in finding the right organizations and appropriate services.

The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner will be able to provide services to athletes, steer them the right resources so they can receive assistance and advice, and also see to it that their psychological state is taken into consideration in situations like these.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you. Are there any other mechanisms you can share along these lines, so we can encourage athletes to understand what their rights are and ensure they will not be negatively impacted by coming forward with this information? Is there information they can access about where to go externally so as not to be impacted by a lot of the power dynamics we see in sports?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Through the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, we will be able to ensure that appropriate training is given to Canadian athletes about the difference between what is considered sexual assault and what is considered normal in sport.

We will also ensure that there are sessions on prevention and awareness for coaches and managers, and that these resources be well known and properly used by athletes, whether involving the Office itself or any other resource that can coach them through any situations they are experiencing.

Needless to say, more awareness is required about such matters throughout the Canadian sports system. All stakeholders need to shoulder their responsibilities in this regard. We will be making sure that athletes can speak out so that their needs are fully taken into consideration.

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much, Minister. The time is up.

I want to thank the minister for coming in and for expanding on what the department intends to do and the government intends to do to deal with this problem in the future and to deal with people who have contribution agreements.

I want to thank everybody for being here.

Is the committee in agreement to adjourn the meeting?

[An hon. member]

Yes.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Goodbye, everyone.

Thanks again, Minister, for taking the time to come.

The meeting is adjourned.