FAQ
In December 2023, the Government of Canada announced that OSIC and the Abuse-Free Sport Program would be moved out of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to preserve both the independence of the safe sport program and of the SDRCC in its statutory role as an alternative dispute resolution service provider, to best support athletes and those seeking its services, and to further strengthen the integrity of the Canadian sport system. Read the CCES's Resolution on Independence.
The CCES is an independent, national, not-for-profit, multi-sport organization with a vision of fair, safe, accessible, and inclusive sport for everyone. There are no representatives from sport or government on the CCES Board of Directors. It was established as a recommendation of the Dubin Inquiry, which determined that an independent organization was required to administer anti-doping processes for sport in Canada. Since its inception, the CCES has provided independent service to the Canadian sport community and is also trusted by global partners.
Given its current operating structures and regulatory systems, the CCES was well positioned to build and effectively administer the CSSP. What is more, as the CCES is Canada’s leader in sport integrity issues, it is fitting to house the country’s independent safe sport program within this organization. Several other countries have consolidated the management of sport integrity issues in one centralized independent organization, including Sport Integrity Australia, FINCIS (Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports), Swiss Sport Integrity, and New Zealand.
In May 2024, a Government of Canada announcement stated that the CCES will evolve its organizational mandate to encompass all aspects of sport integrity, which is a relatively new concept. A sport integrity agency is an organizational model that sees all integrity issues managed by one organization that is at arm’s length from sport and independent of outside influence.
The CCES currently manages two programs to address major integrity issues, doping and competition manipulation, and the addition of safe sport will make the CCES the central agency for integrity issues in Canada.
The CCES has been engaging in consultations with the sport community since June 2024. A key focus of the consultations is the development of the Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP) Rules that set out how the CCES will independently administer the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Following two rounds of consultation with the sport community and subject matter experts, the rules will be finalized and available for adoption by federally funded sport organizations at the national level in January 2025.
Adoption of the CSSP Rules will take place from January 20 – March 31, 2025. CCES representatives will be in contact with sport organizations on an individual basis in January regarding CSSP adoption contracts and answer any questions. During this time, organizations will sign onto the CSSP Rules while remaining signatories of Abuse-Free Sport until the April 1 deadline.
Regarding participant consent, a mandatory e-learning will be accessible via the same Absorb platform that is used for the Canadian Anti-Doping Program’s educational components. This e-learning is designed to explain the consent form so that the participant understands what they are agreeing to under the terms of the CSSP and the UCCMS. Each participant in your organization who is subject to the CSSP will need to complete the approximately 40-minute e-learning. Once completed, the platform will prompt the participant to sign the consent form.
In December 2023, the Future of Sport in Canada Commission was announced. The Commission was tasked with undertaking an independent and forward-looking review of Canada’s sport system.
The CCES is not connected to the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, though findings from its work may help shape the safe sport mandate and inform the next iteration of the UCCMS. The Commission's consultations provide an opportunity for the sport community to share ideas on the structure required to manage sport integrity issues in Canada. The CCES has met twice with the Commission to discuss several sport integrity concerns, including safe sport.
To contact the CCES about consultation opportunities or the program transition, email [email protected].
Reports of maltreatment should continue to be directed to the OSIC until March 31, 2025. For more information, go to sportintegritycommissioner.ca.
The CCES will not be implementing a cost-sharing model for federally funded sport organizations at the national level required to adopt the CSSP. The CSSP and its entire operations will be fully funded for 2025-2026 through Sport Canada.
The CSSP will apply to the participants of all federally funded sport organizations. Consult Sport Canada’s list of national sport organizations and multisport service organizations to determine whether your organization is included. Sport organizations will inform individual participants that they are subject to the rules and will provide information about their requirements.
A list of defined participants is provided in CSSP Rule 3.
Instances of prohibited behaviour that occur below the national level (e.g., provincial/territorial, university, club or local sport organizations) can be reported through the appropriate mechanism, which should be clearly identified on organizations’ websites . The CCES will provide support and resources to ensure participants are guided to the appropriate reporting mechanism.
The Abuse-Free Sport Helpline will not operate after March 31, 2025. The CCES will have one streamlined entry point for all reports and inquiries as of April 1, 2025. Information and resources will be available to help organizations and participants understand the process and engage with the new reporting system. Support services will also be available for mental health referrals.
A provisional measure is a temporary protective measure imposed by the CCES until a decision about a report has been reached. The CCES may impose provisional measures at any stage after a report has been received, in accordance with Rule 12.2.
A sanction is the imposition of a protective or corrective measure. It may be imposed by the CCES at the end of the investigative process where a determination has been made that a violation of the UCCMS has occurred; or as agreed upon as part of an alternate method of resolution. During a sanction period, the respondent may be ineligible to participate in sport and/or be subject to the imposition of other consequences. The range of possible sanctions is set out in Rule 7 of the UCCMS.
As stated in Rule 3.4, if the alleged conduct reported was prohibited by the relevant sport organization’s policies and procedures in place at the time, it constitutes Prohibited Behaviour under the UCCMS and would be subject to the CSSP Rules.
There will not be a titled ‘DSO’ within the CSSP organizational structure. However, a person(s) appointed by the CCES will consider and determine the appropriate provisional measure(s) and/or sanction(s) as required.
The CCES has been working with Sport Canada and the SDRCC to ensure a smooth wind down of the Abuse-Free Sport Program, including the OSIC. The OSIC’s operations will be extended to support the resolution of as many cases as possible with the goal of minimizing disruption for sport participants, especially victims and survivors of maltreatment. OSIC’s operations will begin winding down on February 1, 2025 and the office will be officially closed as of August 1, 2025.
Reports submitted to the OSIC during February and March 2025 will be reviewed to see if immediate action through provisional measures is warranted but no investigations will take place. Reports not requiring immediate action will be held until April 1, 2025, when those reports will be shared, with the consent of the parties, with the CCES to see if they qualify under the CSSP. Complainants will also have the option to wait and submit their report directly with the CCES on or after April 1, 2025.
If any cases submitted to OSIC before February 1, 2025 are still unresolved on July 31, 2025, OSIC will advise parties that the cases cannot be resolved by OSIC and, with the consent of the parties, the CCES will determine their eligibility under the CSSP.
OSIC will continue to provide support services for sport participants, including victims and survivors, such as the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline, Mental Health Support Program, and Legal Aid Program until March 31, 2025.
For a detailed timeline, please see the UPDATE: Wind-down of Abuse-Free Sport Program section on the Canadian Safe Sport Program page.
No, the CCES won’t offer a fee-for-service option for sport organizations in the first phase of operations. There is a possibility that this service will be introduced in the future, but the priority for 2025 is to onboard federally funded sport organizations.
Sport Environment Assessments will not be included in the first phase of operations. This service may be provided in the future under the CSSP. The initial priority is the intake, assessment, and management of reports and follow-up with the participants and respondents.
The CCES will comply with applicable privacy and data protection laws with respect to the collection, use, disclosure, and handling of all personal information or personal data as it pertains to the CSSP Rules and the UCCMS. In addition, a CSSP-specific privacy policy has been developed.
The CCES has extensive experience with the management of personal information and data through its anti-doping programs.
In accordance with the UCCMS Section 8, the CCES will maintain a searchable public database (or registry) of respondents whose eligibility to participate in sport has in some way been restricted, along with summary information on the UCCMS/CSSP violation (without identifying the reporting person and/or impacted person) and the restrictions imposed. The registry will include only those who are subject to the CSSP Rules and will not include minors. As set out in Rule 3 the CSSP Rules apply to all participants in federally funded sport organizations. Other registries and codes of conduct may apply to cover sport at other levels.
Initially, the CSSP will apply only at the federal level when it comes into effect in April 2025. We believe it is imperative that there is alignment throughout the sport system, and it is possible that other levels will be subject to the CSSP Rules in the future.
The rules will include the option for a participant consent via the registration process that will be applicable for national-level events that include participants who are not normally captured by the CSSP Rules. This will alleviate some of the administrative challenges for events that are open to many classes of athletes and participants.
Yes, all participants who fall under the jurisdiction of the CSSP Rules are required to complete e-learning and the associated participant consent form by April 1, 2025. Sport organizations should begin distributing information about education requirements to relevant participants in January 2025.
For more information about online learning, please visit the safe sport education webpage.
The board adoption process must be complete prior to April 1, 2025. This can be done via a regular board meeting, by email, or during an ad hoc board meeting.
The CCES is an independent organization with no representation from sport or government on its Board of Directors. Given the existing broad mandate of the CCES and its current operating structures and systems, it’s both efficient and effective to evolve the structure of the CCES to manage safe sport as well.
Several countries have consolidated the management of sport integrity issues in one centralized independent organization, like the CCES plans do to, including Sport Integrity Australia, FINCIS (Finnish Center for Integrity in Sports), Swiss Sport Integrity, and New Zealand.
The CCES was established as a recommendation of the Dubin Inquiry, which determined that an independent organization was required to administer anti-doping processes for sport in Canada. Since its inception, the CCES has provided independent service to the Canadian sport community and is trusted by global partners and clients.
The CCES will review its operations to ensure processes that maximize independence are in place and will engage experts in governance to recommend additional steps the CCES should take to conduct this work with the appropriate independence.
Feedback from the sport community will provide insight that will help the CCES develop a safe sport program that meets the needs of the Canadian sport system. Information about the consultation process will be available soon.
Read the CCES's Resolution on Independence.
The SDRCC established the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner and the Abuse-Free Sport Program, and the CCES plans to build upon the work done by SDRCC to date and learn from their challenges.
If you have suggestions to share, please participate in the consultation process in the fall of 2024.