Canadian Heritage committee  Well, I think the simple answer is that people don't feel safe. People don't feel safe coming forward when they experience maltreatment. I think stories like Kyle Foster's, unfortunately, are very common in Canadian fencing. He is not the only person who has mistreated athletes.

Canadian Heritage committee  I echo the statements of the other witnesses here today, although I think it cannot be understated that with every passing day, more children are placed in those environments. More children are experiencing the same things we have and continue to every single day that a national inquiry is not called and we're not taking action.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes. As I think we've mentioned already about the governance of the Canadian Fencing Federation, they have an immense responsibility here to take accountability for all the past misconduct that's occurred and all the misconduct that has continued. Specifically, I think they need to take accountability for the appointment of Igor Gantsevich as high performance director.

Canadian Heritage committee  I agree, and I echo the statements of the other witnesses who are here today. I would say that action is important, but rash action without understanding the full context of the issue would be a mistake. I think it's imperative that there be a public investigation called as soon as possible.

Canadian Heritage committee  In the case of the Canadian Fencing Federation, it is actually part of policy that they vote on our team. However, if you look at other fencing organizations, like in the United States, for example, they use a ranking system that is objective. If you're looking for those policies, they exist.

Canadian Heritage committee  In our organization, I think it's incredibly important to pay attention to the complexity of the policies, particularly surrounding the reporting of abuse. It's incredibly unclear whether athletes are supposed to go to their provincial organizations, the national organization, OSIC, or selection policy 1 or policy 2.

Canadian Heritage committee  For me, I'm given a sense of protection, knowing that I'm no longer a competitive athlete. The reason I'm sitting here today and not some of our Olympic athletes or athletes who are still competing is that they're still terrified. They're afraid of our high-performance director.

Canadian Heritage committee  Yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  When I left the sport, I was 17 and I was a broken individual. I was in a mental health crisis. I attempted suicide. I was seeing a mental health professional. The difficulty my family has gone through in the years since I left the sport has been immense. It's been five years now, and it will be a part of our lives for years to come.

Canadian Heritage committee  I would say, echoing Ms. Denhollander's statement, that the current leadership has a responsibility to aid in the healing and to take accountability for all accounts of mishandling that have come forward, regardless of whether it is happening now or it happened historically. We need these issues to come forward.

Canadian Heritage committee  Besides the structure and the policy, I think it's incredibly important to pay attention to the broader culture that allows for these individuals to exploit children. I think, in fencing specifically, and in other sports, there is generally a level of tolerance of maltreatment and abuse, because those individuals get results.

Canadian Heritage committee  Thank you. Good morning. I'd like to begin by thanking you all for inviting me here today to speak to you about our little sport, which I think is more often associated with The Princess Bride or Star Wars than with a modern Olympic event. My name is Emily. You may also know me as the unnamed athlete in a recent Reuters article detailing some of my experiences while training under Igor and Victor Gantsevich at Dynamo Fencing Club in Vancouver.