The federal government is restoring its funding to Hockey Canada, saying the organization must fulfil several conditions in exchange for the financial support.
“While federal financing is only a fraction of Hockey Canada’s revenues, I wish to reiterate that our funding is not a blank cheque,” said Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge in a letter addressed to Hugh Fraser, Hockey Canada’s board chair.
“Hockey Canada also must tackle issues regarding safe sport, such as the toxic behaviours, the trivialization of sexual violence, and the culture of silence, which has too often made the headlines,” St-Onge wrote. “There is no reason why such situations should continue to plague hockey or any other sport.”
Hockey Canada has been embroiled in controversy since it was revealed it used registration fees paid by parents to settle a case in which a young woman alleged eight hockey players sexually assaulted her after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala.
CBC News reported last month that the government was considering restoring funding to the organization. Hockey Canada received $7.7 million from Sport Canada — a department of Heritage Canada — in the 2022 fiscal year but their funding has been frozen for 10 months.
A financial statement also shows the organization ended the fiscal year in June with $98 million. Kate Bahen, managing director of Charity Intelligence Canada, told CBC News last month that “Hockey Canada does not need the money.”
St-Onge said in her letter that the funding will be aimed at delivering “high-performance programming for the women’s, men’s and para-ice hockey programs.”
Hockey Canada’s board turned over completely in October of last year, paving the way for a new board, which St-Onge praised in her letter for its diversity and expertise, representing “a first step forward.”
The funding is conditional on the organization meeting several expectations, the sport minister said. The organization will need to update the government on their work on changing the culture of hockey; implementing recommendations of two reports; and promoting the government’s safe sport program for athletes and member organizations.
“I appreciate the steps taken thus far by the organization as we work to rebuild the culture of hockey in Canada,” St-Onge wrote.
More to come
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