Kirsty Duncan, former Minister of Science and Sport, is calling for a national inquiry into sports culture in Canada, citing fears that the country may repeat history if the government doesn’t take action. Duncan emphasized that more work needs to be done to make sports safer for children across the country. She expressed concern that without a national inquiry, discussions about abuse and misconduct will continue to occur in the coming years, which will harm children’s childhoods.
At a parliamentary committee meeting on Monday, four former and current Canadian athletes also called for a national inquiry into the handling of abuse and mismanagement at their respective sporting organizations and across the country. The athletes spoke to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the institutional roadblocks they faced when reporting misconduct and the need for better protection for athletes who raise concerns.
Ciara McCormack, who wrote about the abuses committed by former Vancouver Whitecaps and Canadian women’s soccer head coach Bob Birarda, said she’s worried about her safety given her past comments about abuse in Canada Soccer. Birarda was sentenced to nearly 16 months in jail in 2022 for sex offences that “immeasurably harmed” four female teenage athletes.
Although the Minister of Sport, Pascale St-Onge, is committed to responding to the issue, she is currently determining how such an investigation will be organized. Urgent action is needed, according to athletes, as more children are placed into abusive environments every day without proper protection or support.
The need to address systemic abuse at a federation level and ensure checks and balances are in place was also emphasized, with former gymnast and attorney Rachael Denhollander drawing attention to the importance of preventing sanctioned coaches in one country from coaching in another country. Duncan remains determined to push for a national inquiry to help children and athletes, stating that she will not be complicit in ignoring the issue.