Following a number of complaints about the toxic culture within several Canadian sports the government has announced a series of reforms to ensure safe sport practises.
Individuals who have been sanctioned will appear on a register and NGB’s will be required to have at least one athlete on their board by April 2025 to continue receiving government funding. Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge said “Athletes must have a greater voice at all levels of decision making. The concrete measures I have announced today are part of a long-term shift to turn the tide on a much-needed culture change in sport.”
The reforms also state that non-disclosure agreements or non-disparaging clauses cannot be used to prevent athletes and other sport participants from disclosing any mistreatment they have experienced or witnessed.
However, Global Athlete said the reforms fall well short of what is required. “The measures put forward by the Minister are not the foundations upon which safe sport in Canada can be built. Without understanding the depths of the human rights issue at hand, the injection of funding will not adequately address the problems.”
