Thank you very much for the opportunity to speak to you regarding the very important topic of safety in sport.
My name is Wendy Smith. I'm the newly selected chair of the board of directors for Gymnastics Canada.
GymCan is fully committed to providing a safe sport environment that is inclusive and free from maltreatment, discrimination and potential harm for all of our community—most importantly athletes, but also including coaches, judges, administrators and volunteers. Providing a safe experience is viewed not as an option but a necessity to ensure a positive environment for the growth of athletes and other participants.
To that end, GymCan has made a number of changes in the past several years to address safe sport matters in a more coordinated and transparent manner. Specifically, GymCan has worked with our provincial and territorial organizations to update and align all safe sport policies and procedures. We've implemented a reciprocity agreement across the country to ensure that all member provincial and territorial gymnastics associations are reporting and sharing information related to the outcome of safe sport complaints. This includes the publication of a suspended or expelled members list.
We've collectively worked with other sports leaders, the SDRCC and Sport Canada toward the implementation of independent case management systems across the country. We've worked together with our provincial and territorial partners on safe sport education initiatives at all levels of the sport.
At the national level, GymCan has signed on to the OSIC abuse-free sport agreement, which provides for a nationally coordinated and fully independent complaint management process. We've identified a full-time staff role dedicated to leading safe sport programming. We've hired Dr. Kacey Neely, who is an individual with significant experience and knowledge in the area of safe sport, to fulfill this role. Dr. Neely has a proven ability in the improvement of safe practices and safe environments.
We've initiated meetings and educational webinars for all national-level participants, which focus on a greater awareness of a safe and welcoming sporting environment. This education is ongoing and is being expanded to include administrators and officials.
We've continued to update our policies and procedures as they relate to the implementation of all safe sport programming, including case management. We've signed on to the true sport movement, which promotes fairness, inclusion, excellence and fun in all sporting activities.
We've worked closely with the Coaching Association of Canada in updating our coach education materials to properly reflect the latest safe sport research and methodologies. We've engaged the McLaren group to provide an independent review and a cultural review road map for gymnastics. We've reviewed and structured our internal practices, from hiring to evaluations to relationship with the community.
We have implemented many of Minister St-Onge's recently announced measures for accountability—specifically but not limited to board diversity, term limits, athlete inclusion and financial transparency.
GymCan is dedicated to separating the past from the future to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. In addition to the previously mentioned actions, GymCan is recruiting a new board that is designed for changing the future, with an emphasis on change management, communications and strategy and with the intent to support both the sport and the business of gymnastics. We're in the process of hiring a new CEO with experience in strategic change and a demonstrated ability in implementing cultural change. We're embarking on addressing the McLaren group's report recommendations.
Finally, GymCan would welcome a public inquiry into safe sport practices in Canada. At the current time, national sports organizations are undergoing significant change to address safe sport practices and culture. However, these changes are happening largely in silos, with little shared experience among the sports. A national public inquiry would help to align sports organizations and leverage learnings and effective policies to hasten the improvement of all sports environments.
Thank you once again for the opportunity to address this committee.