(Ottawa, Ontario – June 20, 2019) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has been asked by Sport Canada to lead the development of a Draft Universal Safe Sport Code to protect athletes and prevent prohibited misconduct in Canadian sport.
The national sport organization (NSO) Safe Sport Working Group announced seven core components and related consensus statements to guide the development of a universal code of conduct for Canadian sport following a landmark National Safe Sport Summit in May, hosted by the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC).
To develop the Draft Universal Safe Sport Code, the CCES will lead a multi-step consultation process that will include the following:
- Consultation with independent experts during the initial drafting. Experts include athletes, trauma victims, academics, legal advisors, investigation experts, U.S. Center for SafeSport and Canadian Centre for Child Protection.
- Initial draft to be complete by June 21, 2019
- Partner Review: June 24 to 29, 2019. The initial draft will be available for review by Sport Canada, AthletesCAN, Federal, Provincial and Territorial Working Group, CAC and the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada.
- Sport community consultation: July 8 to 19, 2019. There will be an opportunity for the sport community to review and comment on the Draft Code. The priority for this review is to ensure the draft appropriately reflects the NSO Safe Sport Working Group outcomes (listed below). During this review window, the CCES will also offer webinars and host meetings as needed.
- Sport community endorsement: July 29 to August 9, 2019. After feedback on the Draft Code has been considered and incorporated, endorsement of the Code will be pursued from the sport community.
The Sport Information Resource Centre (SIRC), one of Canada’s most trusted sport resources, will facilitate the sport community consultation and endorsement processes. This includes collecting, collating and analyzing stakeholder comments and managing the endorsement process.
For additional information about the Draft Universal Safe Sport Code, please contact the CCES.
Additional Information
The core components and consensus statements developed by the NSO Safe Sport Working Group are as follows:
- Federal / Provincial / Jurisdiction: Collaborate with federal, provincial, and territorial governments to create a harmonized approach to a universal program.
- Education and Awareness: Build on and develop robust, approved education and training programs to be deployed at all levels and roles in sport. Develop awareness among Canadians that change is happening.
- Financial Resources: Identify new funding and dedicate it to the implementation of safe sport initiatives in all jurisdictions.
- Harmonized Code: Develop a single, harmonized code governing safe sport in Canada including updated definitions of all forms of maltreatment.
- Independent Body: Identify an independent body with responsibility for implementing the harmonized and universal code.
- Prohibited Conduct: Prohibit sexual relations between national team coaches and national team athletes, with the ability to expand the scope to positions of authority. The immediate intent is to protect athletes now.
- Implementation Plan: Conduct an audit of the existing sport landscape and stakeholders. Establish a critical path. Initiate a process to educate the sport community.
The NSO Safe Sport Working Group includes:
National sport organizations:
- Canadian Fencing Federation: Caroline Sharp
- Curling Canada: Katherine Henderson
- Hockey Canada: Todd Jackson; Glen McCurdie
- Swimming Canada: Ahmed El-Awadi (Co-Chair)
- Volleyball Canada: Mark Eckert
Multi-sport service organizations:
- AthletesCAN: Ashley LaBrie
- Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport: Paul Melia
- Canadian Paralympic Committee: Karen O’Neill
- Coaching Association of Canada: Lorraine Lafrenière (Co-Chair)
- Institut National du Sport du Québec on behalf of the Canadian Olympic and Paralympic Sport Institute (COPSI) Network: Gaëtan Robitaille
- Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada: Marie-Claude Asselin
About the CCES
The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization with a responsibility to administer the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. We recognize that true sport can make a great difference for individuals, communities and our country. The CCES acknowledges funding, in part, from the Government of Canada. We are committed to making sport better by working collaboratively to activate a values-based and principle-driven sport system; protecting the integrity of sport from the negative forces of doping and other unethical threats; and advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open to everyone.