CCES Blog: Making Sport Better

Welcome to the CCES blog. We’ll be using this platform to share our views on anything and everything related to ethics in sport – from playground to podium. The CCES uses ethical debate to create an environment for meaningful dialogue around the future of sport. We strive to shape the public consensus of how we should behave when we compete, always recognizing that in a democracy, consensus is dynamic. 

The primary contributors to this blog are the members of the CCES executive team (listed below), with occasional entries from other CCES staff:

Paul Melia, President and Chief Executive Officer
Karri Dawson, Executive Director, Values-Based Sport
Jeremy Luke, Executive Director, Sport Integrity

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EVOLVE: How one organization is tackling culture change

November 25, 2021

Everyone is talking about the need for a shift in the culture of sport to ensure all participants are safe and free from maltreatment. This move toward safer sport is long overdue, but I wonder if it will be enough to maximize all that sport has to offer. Will it ensure sport instills character,...Read more

The Rules of Sport are Failing to Create a Level Playing Field

July 7, 2021

After the last few weeks we’ve had, an outsider could be forgiven for thinking that a core tenet of sport is gatekeeping and exclusion.Read more

Reflections on Sport

October 19, 2020

Many Canadians are thankful for sport! You might think this is a bizarre statement but sport ranks as the second most positive influence in the lives of youth, after family. As parents and caregivers, we seek out sport experiences that will teach our children positive life skills, and instill...Read more

The Decision Against Caster Semenya is Flawed

September 23, 2020

Last week, a Swiss federal tribunal determined that the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that World Athletics’ policy for athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD) is necessary to ensure fair competition in women’s sport does not violate Swiss public policy. This...Read more

Why is Canadian Sport Not Taking Match Manipulation Seriously?

April 23, 2020

By Jeremy Luke, Senior Director, Sport Integrity, CCES

Sport competitions in Canada and around the world have been cancelled, suspended or postponed as we strive to stop the spread of COVID-19. While the Canadian sport community focuses on managing our businesses through the challenging...Read more

Vancouver 2010: A Clean Games

February 12, 2020

As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, much is being written about these Games, their impact on the country, on Canadians and on our sporting system and culture. The Games are widely viewed by Canadians as a tremendous success: they truly...Read more

Let’s Not Eliminate Organized Sport from Public Schools

December 19, 2019

Growing up in a small town, the only opportunity I had to participate in organized sport – be it competitive or intramural – was in public school. Aside from hockey, our town didn’t offer sport leagues or other opportunities. I imagine this remains the case in many small towns throughout Ontario.Read more

NHL Abuse Scandal – Could it be the Tipping Point?

December 10, 2019

Paul Melia, CCES president and CEO, and Allison Forsyth, AthletesCAN – Chair, Athlete Safe Sport Committee

In Canada when the sport of hockey takes centre stage, Canadians tend to sit up and take notice. So too do Canadian politicians, government officials, sport governing body...Read more

Playing With Injury

June 13, 2019

Zdeno Chara playing in the Stanley Cup Finals with his broken jaw wired shut and Kevin Durant coming back from an injury to play in Game 5 of the NBA Championships raises important questions about playing through injuries in sport.Read more

Olympic Athletes Should be Paid!

June 7, 2019

I love the Toronto Raptors. Always have. They have been my team since their inception in 1995. Like all the other diehard Raptors fans, I am thrilled that our team has made it to the NBA finals. Read more

NHL Ignores the Impact of Violence and Concussions

May 3, 2019

It’s a shame... Violence and concussions are two major threats to Canadian Sport. It’s a shame that the National Hockey League (NHL), who arguably has the strongest sport influence on Canadian youth, is absolutely tone deaf when it comes to the impact of these threats on their sport and the...Read more

Canadian Sport at Significant Risk of Match Manipulation

February 12, 2019

Jeremy Luke, Senior Director, Sport Integrity, CCES

Canada is referred to as a global leader in the fight against doping in sport. This recognition is well-deserved given the very significant efforts undertaken following the Ben Johnson scandal in the late 1980s. At that time, Canada...Read more

The Highs and Lows of Sport

January 11, 2019

Doug MacQuarrie, Chief Operating Officer, CCES

Canadians in quarter-final play on the world stage, have experienced the highs and lows of sport in recent weeks. The loss of the Canadian Junior Men’s hockey team to Finland in Vancouver; in New Zealand,...Read more

Making Sense of the Calgary No Vote and the Way Forward

November 30, 2018

Paul Melia, CCES president and CEO

The majority of Calgarians who voted in the recent plebiscite regarding hosting the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games voted No. Like many others who love sport in Canada, I am trying to make sense of this outcome. Here’s my take. 

I don’t...Read more

Why are the Olympic Sponsors Not Speaking Out?

September 21, 2018

Yesterday the WADA Executive Committee, with full support from the Olympic Movement, voted to reinstate the Russian government despite the fact that they have not satisfied the requirements of the WADA-created RUSADA Roadmap to Code Compliance. Rightly so, this decision was met with massive...Read more

There must be consequences for racist behaviour in sport

June 7, 2018

Recently a team of First Nations hockey players claimed they were subject to racist taunts during a hockey tournament in Quebec City. Racist taunts from a coach and spectators as well as opposing players. The tournament was the Coupe Challenge Quebec AAA held May 25-27. The players were 13 and 14...Read more

Global Athlete Forum focuses on the rights of athletes

June 4, 2018

The CCES is pleased to co-host the 1st Global Athlete Forum, along with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). This groundbreaking event has convened more than 150 athlete leaders and stakeholders under the theme ‘the sport we want’. Last night I had the...Read more

The US will allow states to legalize gambling on sports - what does it mean for the rest of us?

May 22, 2018

Last Monday, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision allowing states to legalize gambling on sports. This decision impacts a multi-billion dollar gambling industry. It will affect state revenues and will bring sports gambling out of the shadows and into the mainstream. In...Read more

Think about the kids!

May 14, 2018

I love hockey. What a sport! Nothing better than a good game of hockey – especially playoff hockey. The National Hockey League Playoffs are the games that fans wait to see all year long (although I can certainly do without the beards!). Playoffs is when hockey is played for keeps, where players...Read more

Reluctant Suspension Disheartening for Clean Athletes

February 28, 2018

“In this instance, the IOC has missed a great opportunity to support clean athletes by failing to take clear action to enforce the IOC’s ‘zero tolerance for doping’ policy, to which they often refer,” says Paul Melia, CCES president and CEO. Read more