Canadian Heritage Committee on July 26th, 2022

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Have you discussed a possible appearance before the Canadian Hockey League?

Have you reported to its senior management?

[Danielle Robitaille]

I think I might need the translation. I'm very sorry.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Have you reported to the Canadian Hockey League?

[Danielle Robitaille]

No, I've never presented before the board of the Canadian Hockey League, though I should say that I'm aware that Hockey Canada had communication with the Canadian Hockey League about this incident.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

You've been formally asked to resume your investigation in recent weeks.

Is that correct?

[Danielle Robitaille]

Correct.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

We know that the investigation was suspended because the London Police Service had not completed its investigation. We were obviously waiting for the version of some players.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Does the fact that these people are now concerned about it and are engaging in this investigation change your mandate?

Does that mean that it's restarted, and again, we will have to wait for the findings of the police in the just relaunched investigation before you can properly continue your investigation with the players?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

You have 30 seconds.

[Danielle Robitaille]

I can say that my investigation is moving forward. The London Police Service has not asked me stand down or pause my investigation. I am in contact with counsel for the players, and I expect to be scheduling interviews imminently.

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

Does the fact that the victim—

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much. That's the end of—

[Sébastien Lemire, Bloc, Abitibi—Témiscamingue, QC]

—will co‑operate in this process mean that they will co‑operate in your investigation as well?

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Monsieur Lemire, that's the end of your time, please. Thank you.

I would like to once again repeat that the questions and answers be as concise as possible because we can't keep going over time.

All right, now we have Peter Julian for the NDP.

You have six minutes, Peter.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Thank you, Madame Robitaille. We certainly do appreciate that the questions that we're asking you are very pointed and that this does put you in, sometimes, an awkward position.

I'd like to come back to your testimony about the day of June 19. You stated that in the morning you were speaking with Hockey Canada and that you said at that time in the morning that this should be reported to the police. It is allegations of serious criminal acts, as we all understand.

Did you communicate that in the morning, that it should be reported to the police immediately?

[Danielle Robitaille]

I did communicate it to Mr. Glen McCurdie, and I should say that there was no resistance from Mr. McCurdie in that phone call regarding that legal advice. What he advised me of was that he needed to connect with senior leadership on that question before acting on my advice.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

You may be aware of the testimony that Hockey Canada provided to us last month stating that they reported it to the police between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. that evening.

Are you aware of what happened between the morning when you were offering the advice that it should be reported immediately and Hockey Canada's finally reporting it to the police in the evening?

[Danielle Robitaille]

All I can say is that I am aware that Mr. McCurdie did connect with his colleagues in senior leadership positions at Hockey Canada in that time. In terms of what else occurred internally at Hockey Canada, I cannot assist the committee.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Are you aware of any communications between Hockey Canada and the London police after June 19 and up until February 7, 2019, when the police closed their investigation?

[Danielle Robitaille]

I can advise the members of the committee that I was in somewhat regular contact, as an independent investigator, with the London police regarding the state of the criminal investigation because I was quite anxious to push my investigation forward and wanted to know when they were concluded, so I had contact with the detective leading the investigation.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

On a regular basis.... Is that every few weeks, every month?

[Danielle Robitaille]

It took some time. Initially, I know, there were vacation issues in the summertime at the London Police Service that impacted their timeline. I can't, sitting here, recall exactly the intervals of my check-ins with the detective, but I would say they were regular.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

And Hockey Canada was also speaking with the London police?

[Danielle Robitaille]

I'm not sure. I was conducting my independent investigation.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Okay, thank you.

You mentioned that you had interviews with coaches and staff. How many were interviewed?