Evidence of meeting #40 for Canadian Heritage in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was investigation.
A video is available from Parliament.
12:50 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
The financial reports we receive pertain to the organization's funding and how that money is allocated.
I'm not sure which transfers you're referring to, but the financial reports usually lay out event revenues and expenditures.
12:50 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Can you tell whether public funds were transferred to the Canadian Hockey League's account?
12:50 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
I can't answer that.
I don't have that information with me.
12:50 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
I've taken note of it, Madam Chair.
12:50 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Can you tell us more about Ms. Mulligan's mandate? Does she have the authority to comment on the events that were reported in the email referred to by the Conservative member?
12:50 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
As I explained, the senior program analyst's role was to ensure that the requirements had been met. She received that information from Hockey Canada. That is basically what she would have known about the events that occurred in June 2018.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
What steps did you take when you found out that this information had just been reported? What did you do?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
Are you talking about 2018?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
When we learned that the lawsuit had been settled, we immediately wanted to find out whether public funds had been used, so we initiated the audit, which is within the minister's authority. We took steps immediately to find out whether public money had been used to settle the case.
12:55 p.m.
Bloc
Sébastien Lemire Bloc Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC
Other cases of abuse have received media attention in the past few days, particularly in the case of Gymnastics Canada. Your department reacted by freezing the organization's funding until an investigation had been conducted.
Is that the response we should come to expect should allegations of abuse emerge involving any of the sport federations going forward?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
It's very hard to answer that question at this time.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Mr. Lemire, I don't think we have the time to answer that question.
We will go to Peter Julian for two and a half minutes. Thank you.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
How many national sports organizations over the last 25 years—since we put in place these policies to counter sexual abuse—have seen their funding suspended, up until the end of last year?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
I don't have that information.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
Yes.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
From the moment when Sheldon Kennedy sadly shared his experience and these policies were supposed to be put into place to protect victims and to stop them from being further victims, it would be useful for this committee to know how many times Sport Canada has actually stepped up and said to an organization, “You are not meeting your obligations.”
We are certainly hearing from organizations from more than almost a dozen different sports, where, as CBC has reported, people have raised concerns about sexual abuse. These things should be concerning to all of us.
I want to address the answer by the minister to my question last month just prior to this committee's meeting. I asked how many complaints had been reported to Sport Canada that are criminal in nature, and the response was, “Sport Canada does not have the capacity or expertise to determine whether incidents disclosed to it are of a criminal nature or not.”
We would all agree that gang sexual assault is criminal in nature. We would all agree that child sexual abuse is criminal in nature. Is that information kept in any way separate, so that when those statistics are reported, these allegations of serious criminal activity are actually reported as well to the minister?
12:55 p.m.
Senior Director, Programs, Sport Canada Branch, Department of Canadian Heritage
The information that goes into the tracking document indicates whether the incident was reported to police—if known—but Sport Canada does not determine whether the incident is of a criminal nature or not.
12:55 p.m.
NDP
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
But we all know what is a criminal activity or not, and what I'm understanding is that, unless a police report is filed, there is no distinction made. I find that unfortunate.
We have been functioning on an honour system, I think, with sports organizations, and it's not working. Things need to change.
Madam Chair, if you want me to ask more questions, I certainly will.
12:55 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Peter, no. I think we are finding that we don't have room in a one-hour questioning session to do the last two Conservative and Liberal members. We have to go with one round, ending now with you, because we are now at 9:59. Sorry, I'm talking about Vancouver time. We're now at 12:59 Ottawa time. We need to start with the minister in one minute, so we do not have room for the last two questioners.
Maybe we'll note that we cannot do this in a one-hour session; we don't have time for doing this. You may want to decide who's going to ask questions amongst yourselves when we get to the minister.
Thank you very much to the officials from Sport Canada for coming in today and answering our questions.
I'm going to suspend the meeting so that we being the last hour, which is with Minister St-Onge and her officials. Thank you.
1 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
I call this meeting to order. We are currently studying the case of Hockey Canada's involvement in alleged sexual assaults committed in 2018.
Present is the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport, and from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Isabelle Mondou, deputy minister.
Now we will begin with the minister.
Thank you, Minister, for taking the time to come. I know it's been very difficult for you with all of the things going on. I would ask you to begin your presentation. Go ahead for six minutes, please.
July 26th, 2022 / 1 p.m.
Brome—Missisquoi Québec
Liberal
Pascale St-Onge LiberalMinister of Sport
Madam Chair, members of the committee, good afternoon.
I want to begin by acknowledging the athletes and safety in sport activists who are here today.
Just over a month ago, I appeared before the committee to express my deep indignation and help shed light on this sordid affair.
What we learned on May 26 was not only shocking, but also symptomatic of a deeper social issue. I'm talking about the culture of silence and the downplaying of sexual violence against women.
I still wholly share the anger felt by all Canadians, especially Canadian families, who rightfully want to see Hockey Canada held to account in order to bring about real change. I have to tell you, our confidence in Hockey Canada and its leadership is at an all-time low.
Since Hockey Canada officials appeared before the committee on June 20, we have learned of more troubling allegations. An allegation of rape dating back to 2003 came to light, as did the existence of a dedicated fund to settle sexual misconduct cases.
Above all, these revelations illustrate a deeply entrenched toxic culture, one that allows individuals to act with impunity. What damning information is going to come out next week or next month? I don't know the answer to that, but I do know it's what everyone following this affair is wondering.
We are expecting a lot of Hockey Canada's leaders. They have a long road ahead to win back our trust. Simply put, they must get it right.
In the days after Hockey Canada's appearance before the committee, I made the decision to freeze the organization's funding and impose new conditions. They include having to participate in a financial audit to determine whether public funds were used for the out-of-court settlement, as well as disclosing the recommendations made by the law firm Henein Hutchison LLP and the action plan to implement those recommendations. Lastly, I directed the organization to speed up efforts to become a signatory to the program administered by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner.
I did that because the testimony of the Hockey Canada officials was anything but reassuring. I realized that they failed to grasp how serious the situation was, and they needed to understand that this was a tipping point.
A few weeks ago, of course, Hockey Canada publicly committed to take action and, yesterday, released its action plan. That is clearly a step in the right direction. The organization's leadership has to do more than state its intentions, however. In the coming weeks and months, it must show that every effort is being made to bring about real culture change.
I hope what we are seeing is not an exercise in public relations meant to clean up the organization's image. That would be simply unacceptable.
Hockey Canada should not underestimate the work ahead. The organization's board and management leaders have a moral responsibility to reflect on the role they should play in what comes next. They must ask themselves if they are the right people to effect culture change.
Is this group of leaders adequately equipped to carry out a system-wide change? Is there enough diversity in decision-making roles to drive change? Are there enough women in significant leadership positions within Hockey Canada to provide needed perspectives on sexual violence and its impact?
Hockey Canada should be asked all of these questions. The nature of their answers will determine the credibility of the organization and the level of seriousness that they propose to take in their next steps.
Hockey Canada must also take the situation as an opportunity to make a fundamental shift on the underlying violence in the sport, including in issues such as racism, concussions and fighting on the ice. Canadians expect Hockey Canada to behave differently, and this requires leadership capable of doing so.
Hockey Canada, the whole country is watching.
The world junior hockey championship is taking place next month.
I have a message for those young players and the people around them: what allegedly happened in 2003 and 2018 no longer goes. I want to take this opportunity, here and now, to make that clear.
As Minister of Sport, I encourage you to push yourself and strive for excellence, not only on the ice, but also off the ice.
Young players from all over the country will be watching and looking to you as their inspiration in the game. Entire families and communities with a passion for hockey will be there to support and encourage you. Make them proud. Be the role models they deserve. Above all, give the public, and especially women, what they expect from you: respect.
Members of the committee and Madam Chair, thank you for your attention.
1:10 p.m.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Hedy Fry
Thank you very much, Minister, for your very passionate statement.
Now we're going to the question and answer period. The first round is for six minutes, and we'll begin with the Conservatives.
Go ahead, Richard Martel, for six minutes, please.