Canadian Heritage Committee on June 8th, 2023

[Thomas Gobeil]

Actually, it's from a sense of duty. I've grown more mature and realized, years after playing in a hockey league, the fervour and emotional intensity with which I pursued my goal. So I did it out of a sense of duty. It's about leaving a legacy for the next players. By verbalizing certain problems I've seen in the league and shortcomings on the part of teams, I want to enable change.

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

Thank you very much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you.

Thank you, Sébastien.

I'll go to Peter Julian.

You have two and a half minutes, please, Peter.

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

Thanks, Madam Chair.

Thank you to our witnesses. You have stepped forward with a lot of courage.

We've had a sports system that has been irresponsible and not responsive to victims for decades. These problems have been swept under the carpet, and your coming forward today, I think, will help us. Certainly all four parties here are wedded to the idea that we need to start taking action and that it can no longer be a situation where sports organizations sometimes act well or sometimes act poorly, but it always happens with impunity and the federal government funding continues to flow to those organizations. That, I think we all agree, has to stop. The tied funding now has to ensure that it is safe for athletes, safe for the public, safe for kids—safe for everybody.

It's going to be a long road for us to get there, but your testimony today has helped us start to form the recommendations that will set us in the right direction.

Mr. Lindsay, I want to ask you the question about Boxing Canada, because you also have a road to take. Boxing Canada had a huge blow to its credibility a year ago. People did courageously step forward. What are the other things that Boxing Canada has to do to re-establish credibility and confidence in the organization?

[Christopher Lindsay]

Boxing Canada is currently updating its strategic plan under the guidance of our board of directors. Along with that updated strategic plan, I, as the lead staff person, will be demanding significantly greater attention from the board to direct key performance indicators. I believe that, like a lot of sport organizations, the board of directors is made up of people who love sport, just like everyone who is here today, but loving sport is different from making sure that we have strong accountability for the heroes we have within our own organizations.

With those stronger KPIs, it will be easier to form operational plans that will be easily evaluated, and everyone involved should be held accountable on Boxing Canada's ability to follow through on the plans it has made.

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

Thank you.

I'd like to thank all of you for coming today and for providing us with your experience. I know it's difficult for you to express it, but it's been very helpful to us. Thanks for your courage in stepping forward.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Peter.

We have three more minutes left until 5:30. Do the Conservatives and the Liberals want to go an extra 10 minutes, or should we end at this round?

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, St. Catharines, ON]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair. It's Chris.

I move that we adjourn.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I want to thank the witnesses for coming and for sharing with us some painful stories. It takes a lot of courage for you to do this, and I want to thank you for being with us today.

As Mr. Bittle said, unless there is someone saying “no”, the meeting is adjourned.

Thank you.