Media Releases

Ottawa – July 4, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Scott Lieph, a softball athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on March 22, 2022, revealed the presence of mesterolone and oxandrolone, two prohibited anabolic agents.

Ottawa – June 27, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Zeyad El-Karsh, a weightlifting athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on April 9, 2022, revealed the presence of SARM LGD-4033 (a prohibited anabolic agent) and tamoxifen (a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator).

Ottawa – June 10, 2022 – While recognizing a number of threats to the legitimacy and credibility of the anti-doping community, a dedicated group of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) have proposed the adoption of a ‘Declaration of Guiding Principles for the Future of Anti-Doping’ with a view to ensuring quality and leadership in the movement for doping-free sport.

Ottawa – May 30, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Donovan Burgmaier, a U SPORTS football athlete affiliated with the University of Alberta, received an additional three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on October 30, 2021, revealed the presence of dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a prohibited anabolic agent.

Ottawa – May 13, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Jessica Pietrzyk, a powerlifting athlete, received a four-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on February 12, 2022, revealed the presence of methandienone (a prohibited anabolic agent) and methylphenidate (a prohibited specified stimulant).

Ottawa – May 5, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is excited to share its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. The plan outlines a clear and bold path for the organization over the next five fiscal years and reflects feedback gathered through extensive consultations with our sport community partners. Endorsed by the CCES Board of Directors, the plan is underpinned by a set of corporate commitments that put athletes at the forefront.

Ottawa – April 25, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Cody Sheppard, a powerlifting athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on February 12, 2022, revealed the presence of GW501516, a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulators.

Ottawa – March 30, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and Sport Law are proud to announce the launch of Governance Essentials – a comprehensive new e-learning course designed to enhance the knowledge of Directors who volunteer on Boards. The three-hour self-directed course offers new and current Directors the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and feel more confident in their role as fiduciaries of a sport organization.

Ottawa – March 28, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Donovan Burgmaier, a football athlete, received a sanction of three years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete admitted to using dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a prohibited anabolic agent, in 2016 and 2017.

Ottawa – March 3, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has completed its pre-Games testing program for the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. This achievement marks the second successful round of pre-Games testing this year, all while managing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ottawa – February 14, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Darren Gagnon-Maltais, a powerlifting athlete, received a sanction of four years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during an out-of-competition doping control on August 1, 2021, revealed the presence and use of SARM LGD-4033, a prohibited anabolic agent.

Ottawa – February 1, 2022 -- A major research report issued today suggests that community sport has the power to deliver unprecedented benefits across Canadian society.

Ottawa – January 13, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Alexis Stevens, a U SPORTS soccer athlete affiliated with the Université de Montréal, received a sanction of three years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on October 29, 2021, revealed the presence and use of GW501516, a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator.

(Ottawa, Ontario – August 30, 2021) -- The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that it is no longer the anti-doping service provider for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The...

(Ottawa, Ontario – March 25, 2021) – With interest in the activities of the Governance Review Working Group of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and a desire to see continued reform, National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADO) leaders recently gathered for a virtual meeting.

(Ottawa, Ontario – January 21, 2021) – Recognized as a world leader in anti-doping, Canada has further strengthened its commitment to clean and ethical sport by implementing the new 2021 Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP).

11 November 2020: Athlete representatives from 14 countries join forces with 14 leading National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) to collectively call on meaningful reform at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As individual organizations, we have repeatedly submitted formal proposals for change. Now we speak collectively to elevate our call for more independence, transparency, and accountability at WADA. And we reaffirm the need to strengthen human rights and eliminate conflicts of interest in the anti-doping system.

(Ottawa, Ontario – October 6, 2020) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is pleased to announce a new agreement with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). As part of this new partnership, the CCES will oversee various areas of the IPF’s anti-doping program including its compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, athlete whereabouts program management, global test coordination and results management.

(Ottawa, Ontario – September 3, 2020) – In a two-part virtual meeting held this week to mark four years since The Copenhagen Declaration was published in the wake of the McLaren Report detailing Russia state-sponsored doping, international anti-doping leaders renewed their hope and support for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to go “further and faster with meaningful anti-doping reform.”

(Ottawa, Ontario – June 23, 2020) – The CCES steadfastly supports freedom of expression for every participant in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and calls upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to amend Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.

(Ottawa, Ontario – April 22, 2020) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and British Columbia Artistic Swimming (BCAS) are proud to announce an innovative partnership project focused on shifting the culture of artistic swimming in the province of B.C. The project aims to create a healthier space for children and youth to grow up, for people to swim, work, and volunteer, and one that is collaborative, inclusive, and self-reflective.

(Ottawa, Ontario – April 20, 2020) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Derek Plug, a bobsleigh athlete, received an eight-year sanction for a second anti-doping rule...

(Ottawa, Ontario – November 20, 2019) – The international network of anti-doping organizations that powers Global DRO has welcomed Drug-Free Sport New Zealand as the latest licensee of the free platform, which allows all athletes to easily search the status of ingredients prohibited under the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List at any time. The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) welcomes New Zealand as the seventh country on the platform.

(Ottawa, Ontario – October 2, 2019) – A two-day symposium in April came to fruition today with the publication of a White Paper outlining five recommendations for a Canadian response to the threat of match manipulation.

Anti-Doping Leaders are encouraged by Minister Witold Bańka’s commitment to clean sport and strengthening the voice of athletes as well as his recognition of the important role of NADOs in the fight to protect athlete’s right to fair play.

(Ottawa, Ontario and Lausanne, Switzerland – May 28, 2019) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the International Testing Agency (ITA) are pleased to announce that they have entered into a collaboration agreement intended to optimize their respective anti-doping programs through test planning, coordination, sample collection and information sharing, including intelligence and investigations.

(Ottawa, Ontario – May 2, 2019) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women in Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) and AthletesCAN are voicing their continued concern with the International Association of Athletics Federations’ (IAAF) Eligibility Regulations for the Female Classification that pertains to female athletes with differences of sex development (DSD).

(Ottawa, Ontario – April 25, 2019) – Sport integrity experts are united behind a mission to protect sport and athletes from the risks involved with match manipulation and sport gambling following a ground-breaking two-day symposium in Toronto, Ontario, April 24-25.

(Ottawa, Ontario – March 21, 2019) – Canadian sports face integrity risks based on the betting exposure of their competitions and the amounts wagered on each game, according to data just released by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). Sportradar Integrity Services estimates that betting exposure totals almost $20 billion CAD annually, with the most popular Canadian-based events among bettors attracting as much as $40 million CAD in wagers per game globally. And based on the current regulatory climate, many Canadian sports can expect to see wagering increase.

(Ottawa, Ontario – March 11, 2019) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) shares the following joint statement developed by national anti-doping organization leaders in advance of the World...