Canadian Heritage Committee on June 5th, 2023

Evidence of meeting #85 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 swimming.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Hockey Canada’s Involvement in Alleged Sexual Assaults Committed in 2018

Committee Business

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Kristen Worley Former Elite Athlete and Advocate, As an Individual

Jessica Gaertner Advocate, My Voice, My Choice

Kelly Favro Co-Founder, My Voice, My Choice, As an Individual

Rebecca Khoury Founder, The Spirit of Trust

Suzanne Paulins Acting Chief Executive Officer, Swimming Canada

Clerk of the Committee Geneviève Desjardins

12:45 p.m.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Swimming Canada

Suzanne Paulins

Thank you for the question, Mr. Chair.

Swimming Canada is constantly looking at our procedures with regard to international travel. We have several teams travelling this summer to Fukuoka, Japan, as well as to Israel later in the summer—a junior team. Our para team will be in Great Britain.

We're constantly forward looking to those sites and how we create procedures that will protect the swimmers in that environment.

As an example, with the competition coming up in Israel and the uncertainty of the climate and the travel, we're in constant contact with World Aquatics and looking for their safety plans, their plans that are in place for the sport to compete there and to compete there safely.

12:45 p.m.

NDP

Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Thank you.

I'll follow up with a question on gender and the spectrum of gender.

Are there different protocols when athletes go out to international competition in regard to their gender and safety?

12:45 p.m.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Swimming Canada

Suzanne Paulins

Mr. Chair, I'm sorry, but I'm not sure that I understand the question.

12:45 p.m.

NDP

Bonita Zarrillo NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

If Swimming Canada is preparing to take athletes overseas for competition, there must be protocols in place to keep the athletes safe. Is there a different protocol for men, women, trans or non-binary athletes?

12:45 p.m.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Swimming Canada

Suzanne Paulins

Mr. Chair, not that I'm explicitly aware of at this time.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh

Thank you very much, Ms. Paulins.

Good luck to you.

Swimming, of course, is the marquee sport in any summer Olympics. That's not taking away from the athletics people. There's athletics also, and track and field, but with swimming, we've done so well there.

Good luck to you and good luck to your organization.

Thank you for coming here and sharing the stories of safe sport with Swimming Canada.

Thank you.

12:45 p.m.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, Swimming Canada

Suzanne Paulins

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

12:45 p.m.

Conservative

The Vice-Chair Conservative Kevin Waugh

Thank you.

We're going to do some public business, if you don't mind. We don't need to go in camera. We have at least 10 minutes and we could go overtime, if you wish. There are a couple of things I'd like to bring up.

I was here last Thursday when Mr. Julian brought up June 9—which is this Friday—as an extra meeting. There was some confusion around the table on whether it was in fact adopted.

Mr. Bittle, I just spoke to you. There was some confusion about adding an additional meeting that the previous chair, Ms. Fry, brought forward last Thursday.

Go ahead.

12:45 p.m.

Liberal

Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON

Thanks so much, Mr. Chair.

My understanding—I could be wrong—was that it was in case it was needed. That's especially with relation to Judge Aquilina, who I believe has requested to come on the 19th.

We're content to give that meeting up. My understanding, in conversation with our whip's office, is that there are other committees that could use it more than us. We still have enough time with the rest of the meetings to conclude our study.