By Canadian Press

Mechanism for reporting harassment, abuse in place by late spring, says sports minister

Mar 29, 2022 | 10:22 AM

Pascale St-Onge says plans are in place for an independent mechanism for the reporting of maltreatment in sport, and it will be operational by late spring.

Canada’s Sport Minister released a statement on Monday night in response to an open letter to Sport Canada signed by more than 70 current and former gymnasts, calling for an investigation into the toxic culture of their sport. By the end of Monday night, the list of signatories had grown to more than 130.

“Let me be clear: there is no place for harassment, abuse, discrimination or maltreatment in sports,” St-Onge said in the statement. “I want to recognize the courage of the athletes who have come forward.”

The independent mechanism will be operated through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), St-Onge said, and Sport Canada intends to make the mechanism mandatory for all federally-funded national sport organizations.

“Sport organizations, coaches and athletes have highlighted the need for an independent mechanism where athletes can report instances of maltreatment,” St-Onge said. “(Monday’s) open letter is a reminder that we must take action to create a cultural shift in sport at all levels.

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“All athletes have the right to practise their sport in a healthy, safe, ethical and respectful environment. This is a collective responsibility of all those around athletes.”

Canadian gymnasts say their sport is rife with complaints of emotional, physical and even sexual abuse of athletes, many of them minors.

“When you grow up in that kind of toxic environment, it has lasting effects on your life,” retired rhythmic gymnast Rosie Cossar told The Canadian Press. “That’s your developmental stages, you don’t have any sense of identity or confidence or of what’s right and wrong. You’re extremely vulnerable.”

In their letter to Sport Canada, athletes said that the fear of retribution has prevented them from speaking out for nearly a decade.

“However, we can no longer sit in silence,” they wrote. “We are coming forward with our experiences of abuse, neglect, and discrimination in hopes of forcing change.”

The gymnasts joined a growing chorus of complaints from athletes in bobsled and skeleton to rowing, rugby, track and field, synchronized swimming, wrestling and women’s soccer.

St-Onge has called for a financial audit into Bobsleigh Canada Skeleton after a similar letter signed by more than 90 athletes called for the resignation of their national sport organization’s acting CEO and high performance director.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 29, 2022.

Lori Ewing, The Canadian Press