Message from the Hon. Hugh L. Fraser, Chair of the Hockey Canada Board of Directors
When our Board was elected in December, we knew that reworking the tradition of our sport and regaining the arrogance of Canadians wouldn’t occur in a single day. Almost six months into our mandate, we’re happy to be making significant progress in bettering Canada’s sport.
Supported by the unbiased governance assessment led by the Hon. Thomas Cromwell, C.C., in addition to suggestions from our many Partners together with two in-person conferences with the Members, our Board is working tirelessly to handle 4 key areas: sport security, good governance, management renewal, and monetary stability and transparency. As nicely, we have now twice met with Minister Pascale St-Onge and can proceed to work together with her and her colleagues as we determine extra methods to make hockey safer and extra accessible to Canadians.
Sport Safety
Hockey Canada is constant to reinforce the group’s sport security initiatives, as a way to guarantee protected and welcoming environments on and off the ice in all corners of our nation.
To date, Hockey Canada has turn into a full signatory to Abuse-Free Sport and the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, established the Independent Third Party, grown its Sport Safety division, and not too long ago introduced a renewed and expanded partnership with Sheldon Kennedy’s Respect Group.
Next season, we are going to construct on our monitoring and reporting to file all cases of maltreatment, abuse and harassment below Rule 11, and make the information obtainable on an annual foundation to assist drive such behaviours out of the sport.
Also, within the coming weeks, we anticipate to be saying an necessary initiative on this crucial space.
Good Governance
Over the previous six months we have now had an ongoing dialogue with our Members on the Cromwell Report. Our focus now’s on implementing his suggestions, and I’m happy to report that we’re making important progress collectively.
We are additionally inspired that Members wish to undertake their very own governance evaluations, a few of which have already begun. It is anticipated that on the Hockey Canada Spring Congress in June, extra of Justice Cromwell’s suggestions shall be permitted by our Members.
Leadership Renewal
The election of our Board in December ushered in a brand new period for Hockey Canada. To construct on this work, we’re shifting full velocity forward with the recruitment of our subsequent President and Chief Executive Officer.
We have shaped a search committee that options robust illustration from our stakeholders together with our Members, our Partners, our Board and the Hockey Canada Foundation and established a job profile in session with these stakeholders.
Financial Stability and Transparency
Hockey Canada Partners and individuals have a proper to understand how their cash is being spent.
This work started instantly following our Board’s election in December, when Hockey Canada proactively printed the group’s 2021-22 Audited Financial Statements. We then accomplished an audit of presidency funding, which helped create certainty and led, partly, to the reinstatement of the Government of Canada’s funding to Hockey Canada.
Informed by the Cromwell Report, in addition to latest audits, Hockey Canada is working to reform and modernize our present monetary buildings to create extra readability and transparency concerning the usage of participant charges and associate funds. This is especially true of any funds used for uninsured liabilities, at present coated by the National Equity Fund (NEF). Although the Cromwell Report validated the usage of the NEF for this objective, creating extra monetary transparency is extraordinarily necessary to our Board.
Government Relations
Minister St-Onge joined us for a fruitful and constructive dialog in the course of the 2023 IIHF Women’s World Championship in Brampton, Ont. She strengthened the necessity for a change in sport tradition and urged us to take the lead on this regard. At the identical time, she introduced that our authorities funding has been restored.
We are very appreciative of the vote of confidence from Minister St-Onge and her colleagues, nonetheless we all know that we nonetheless have plenty of work forward of us.
Looking Ahead
Throughout the conferences that we have now had with our Partners, it’s clear that all of us share the identical imaginative and prescient to make hockey a safer, and extra various and accessible sport, and that rising the ladies’s and ladies’ sport and para hockey is a precedence, as is specializing in progress and retention on the grassroots degree.
We are extraordinarily inspired that almost all of our Partners supported the latest IIHF Women’s World Championship. As a results of additional optimistic discussions that we have now had with them this month, we’re assured that we’re all aligned to make sure that hockey can thrive in our nation for generations to come back.
Participation in grassroots hockey continues to develop, notably amongst girls and ladies. Our Board takes our positions very severely and is unwavering in our dedication to supply every participant, coach, official, mother or father and volunteer with an atmosphere by which they’ll at all times really feel protected.
To obtain every part I’ve talked about, we want the buy-in of the whole Hockey Canada employees and having met most of them throughout my journeys all through the nation, I’m assured that they’re as decided as we’re to make optimistic adjustments on and off the ice.
I’d prefer to thank them, the Board and our Members for his or her dedication to being clear and accountable to all Canadians, and for the work that they’re doing to handle systemic points within the sport.
