Evidence of meeting #51 for Status of Women in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was athletes.
A video is available from Parliament.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
I think there is more than one must. The minister has definitely talked about the work she is doing on thinking about what the appropriate inquiry would be. In the meantime, and I think she said it in her opening remarks, other things need to take place. We all have to do it in parallel, because it's too important and too urgent.
She's doing a reform of her funding because she can. That's a tool she can use to change the culture. She won't wait. She will do it.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Fantastic.
We're going to move to Dominique Vien for five minutes.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Hello, ladies. Hello again, Ms. Mondou.
With all the horror stories we have heard, to your knowledge, are there any parents who said they want to take their children out of team sports? If not, have you seen a drop in registrations?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
That is a very good question. We should probably try to find the answer to that. I have heard of some cases, but I do not have any hard data.
In hockey, for instance, some parents have publicly stated in newspapers that they were seriously considering withdrawing their children from their team or, in some cases, not signing them up for a team.
Emmanuelle Sajous Assistant Deputy Minister, Sport, Major Events and Commemorations, Department of Canadian Heritage
I would like to add that there has indeed been a drop in registrations in sports, but that was during the COVID-19 pandemic. So it is hard to say whether that was due to COVID-19 or the current situation. That is something we are looking at now.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
My colleagues pointed out that you are in the process of developing a new policy. The topic of training has been raised, for instance. I think it should be a red flag if a trainer asks parents not to be in the room where children are training.
Could you not send directives to sport organizations now to say that things are unacceptable, that they will no longer be accepted, and that they will have to take certain steps from now on, such as no longer preventing parents from being in training rooms?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
We will examine all the committee's recommendations. As the minister said, some of these things are local matters...
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
So I understand that this has not been done so far.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
No, that has not been done to date.
It should also be noted that the clubs in question are sometimes local clubs, and, in theory, we have no power, unlike the federations. Still, that doesn't stop us from sending messages at the national level, which can then be forwarded to the provinces.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
I am really having a hard time figuring out the responsibilities of each party, provincial or federal.
Ms. Mondou, will you be accompanying the minister next week?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
Yes, absolutely.
If you'd like, Madam Chair, I can try to untangle the responsibilities of the federal and provincial governments.
At the federal level, we financially support athletes who compete at the Olympics or Paralympics, or the Canada Games.
The provinces, on the other hand, handle sports played at the local club and at the provincial level.
So it's important, as the minister was saying, for all levels to work together, because sports as a whole are not just the top of the pyramid, they are the entire pyramid.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
I can tell you that I know what an important role deputy ministers play in the lives of ministers.
As a deputy minister, what roles have you played with your fellow provincial and territorial deputy ministers?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
That's a very good question.
I had an opportunity to work with Ms. Duncan in 2019. It was at that time that we began to push very hard for our provincial colleagues to comply with the Red Deer declaration, working with expert committees and athlete committees. In doing so, we wanted to ensure that the provinces were also doing their part.
It is understood that coaches who do unacceptable things end up going to the least regulated province or region. So we need good rules everywhere. That's why the minister is still working hard, with my support and that of other deputy ministers.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Do you call them constantly? Do you ensure a close follow-up?
February 13th, 2023 / 12:30 p.m.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
Yes, we call them constantly. I spoke to them about two weeks ago, and we will be meeting again soon in Prince Edward Island. We are talking regularly to keep the file moving forward.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
You can also act as a catalyst to get things moving.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
So I assume that you strongly and unequivocally recommend that a registry of coaches be implemented.
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
Everyone agrees that this information must be available. What we are working on is a way to do it as effectively and quickly as possible.
Conservative
Dominique Vien Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
In closing, the clubs you were telling us about that are not your responsibility seem to be in a desert where young people and their parents have no leverage to file complaints.
People know they can go to the police station, but what are you saying to your provincial counterparts about putting in place a mechanism that would make it possible to file complaints?
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Karen Vecchio
Your time is up, Dominique. We will now be switching over to Sonia, who is online.
Sonia, you have the floor for five minutes.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Thank you, Madam Chair.
Thank you to all the officials.
I just want to make a comment. Yesterday I met Olympic champion and six-time world champion Cassie Campbell. She reminded me that yes, there are systemic issues. In order to get positive impact from supports, we need to build ourselves safer places so that all experiences can have those benefits.
We heard our minister. My first question is to the officials.
Can you explain to us what powers Sport Canada has and what exactly can be done when there are wrongdoings?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
There are different measures that the minister talked about. One of them is obviously the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner and the importance of having a place for athletes to go and be able to be heard. Another is for concrete action and sanctions to be taken against the coaches and against the organization. It's whatever needs to be done. I think that's really important.
To follow up with regard to the provinces, it's important that these mechanisms exist across the country, because the reality otherwise is that they will come at federal level and that OSIC will not be able to provide the support the athlete needs. We don't want that. We don't want any athlete to be turned around.
That's why it's so important to have the provinces either join OSIC or operate their own mechanism, as did Quebec and New Brunswick. There can be no gap across the country that leaves even one athlete without a place to make a complaint and feel that they can be safe and be supported both from a mental health point of view and from a trauma-informed point of view.
I hope that addresses your question.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Thank you.
As a follow-up question, we know it will be mandatory for a nationally funded organization to sign up with the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. Can you expand on the impact that will have in terms of transparency?
Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian Heritage
The first thing is that now we won't need to ask what an organization has or what kind of code they apply or what the rules are that they should abide by, because now the rules will be the same for all national organizations. They will have to abide by the same set of rules and they will be judged and held accountable under the same set of rules. That's point number one.
Point number two is that the minister said that if they don't sign with OSIC, the funding from Sport Canada will be cut.
Point number three is that when OSIC makes recommendations, the organization will implement these recommendations. If they don't, that will be reflected in the funding that they receive. Their funding could be cut if they are not implementing the recommendations that are needed to improve the organization.