Ottawa Restores Hockey Canada’s Federal Funding Pulled Over Sexual Assault Scandal

A Hockey Canada document is review by a member of Parliament during a House of Commons Committee on Canadian Heritage looking into safe sport in Canada on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 4, 2022. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick

The Liberal government has restored Hockey Canada’s federal funding, which was pulled just under a year ago after allegations of sexual assault by players emerged, along with news that the organization quietly spent millions to settle other sexual assault claims.

The move by Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge on April 16 came just hours before Canada’s national women’s hockey team took on the United States in the gold-medal game of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Women’s World Championship.

St-Onge made the announcement at the CAA Centre in Brampton, Ont.,—where the game took place—and told reporters that the federal government’s previous decision to cut Hockey Canada’s funding was never meant to be permanent.

“It was never a matter of doing it forever,” she said. “It was so that the proper change was implemented in the organization. I set three conditions for them, they’ve met those three conditions and now we’re reinstating that funding, but it’s not a blank cheque.”

The three conditions St-Onge was referring to included a commitment by Hockey Canada to become a full-signatory to Abuse-Free Sport and the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and also to start more frequent reporting to the federal government.

Hockey Canada has also committed to reviewing and implementing recommendations from an independent governance review led by former Former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Cromwell.

Funding

The federal government pulled its funding of Hockey Canada in May 2022 after it was revealed that a woman alleged she was sexually assaulted by a number of players—some of whom played for Canada’s 2018 world junior men’s team—after a foundation gala in London, Ont., in 2018.

Hockey Canada and the woman quietly settled a $3.55-million lawsuit out of court. The organization also announced that some players from Canada’s 2003 men’s world junior hockey team were being investigated for a group sexual assault.

Hockey Canada executives also revealed last summer that the organization had paid out nearly $9 million in sexual abuse settlements since 1989, not including the 2018 out-of-court settlement.

St-Onge said on April 16 that her department has requested that Hockey Canada “report the situation constantly with Sport Canada” to “make sure that they keep on going in the right direction and implementing all recommendations.”

Cromwell’s extensive review concluded that Hockey Canada is at a “crossroads” and recommended more oversight and accountability. His recommendations included one saying that no more than 60 percent of Hockey Canada’s board members be of the same gender.

Hugh Fraser, chair of Hockey Canada’s board of directors, called Ottawa’s decision to reinstate funding for the organization an “important milestone” as the organization works “to earn and maintain the trust of Canadians.”

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.