Body reviews safety rules in combative sports

Edmonton’s combative sports authority is conducting an in-depth review of current policies with an immediate focus on fighter safety as it waits for any sign of movement on provincial regulation.

The seven-member Edmonton Combative Sports Commission met publicly last Monday for the first time since the professional boxing and mixed martial arts regulator was one of 11 parties sued in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit surrounding the June 2017 death of boxer Tim Hague.

Questions about the oversight of combat sports have been front and centre in the province since Hague’s death after a boxing match at Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre (now the Edmonton Convention Centre). Alberta is the only Canadian province without a single regulator, leaving municipal governments to oversee fights within their own jurisdictions.

A December 2017 independent review into Hague’s death cited the patchwork of local regulators as something that needed to change and called for the formation of a provincewide commission. Some recommendations were urgently addressed by the Edmonton commission, including aligning medical suspensions among all combat sports and consistent record keeping of suspensions.

But the authority also decided to take a deep dive into its 13 dated policies through a “comprehensive review,” to address any gaps and ensure regulations are consistent with current fighting practices. Work began on the review at the beginning of 2019, starting with priority safety policies around licensing to fight, medical clearance and mandatory rest periods.

“We have already done a preliminary review to make sure there’s nothing fundamentally wrong, that they pass the minimum threshold of acceptability,” commission chairman Steven Phipps said following the meeting at the Commonwealth Community Recreation Centre.

He said a subcommittee consisting of three sitting members was formed to oversee the review, which includes consultations with medical professionals, inspectors and technical directors involved in the city’s events.

“It’s good input on what should be in the policies that will help guide the work of the executive director to ensure as close as possible to a completely safe event,” he said.

Some of the questions the commission will be grappling with include mandatory drug testing, a formal appeals process and regulation of matchmaking.

The commission has set a yearend target to complete the review, Phipps said.

While working on its review, the commission remains steadfast in the corner fighting for a provincial body.

Executive director Troy Courtoreille said the commission is in favour of provincial regulation and would like to see action. But Courtoreille, the operational lead of combative sports in the city, told the seven citizen volunteer members last Monday he isn’t aware of any movement on that front and hasn’t yet discussed the issue with the new UCP government.

A meeting of the commission in January heard that discussions with the former NDP government were postponed because of the impending election.

Minister Leela Aheer, whose portfolio of culture, multiculturalism and status of women includes sport oversight, said the province is working to understand the complex issue and the positions of all parties involved.

“We understand that not all municipalities are united in their support for provincial oversight. We are looking forward to addressing this in a timely and responsible manner,” Aheer said in a statement.

But there is no timeline for a response and no promise of change.

The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association, which lobbies on behalf of cities, towns and villages in the province, has a second resolution on its books urging the province to take charge of combative sports.

Championed by Red Deer and Edmonton, the association has been calling for consistent standards on licensing, conduct and qualifications since 2013.

Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson said the city’s position has long been that a provincial body is the way forward.

“City council’s been consistent for a long time that we would prefer that there be a consistent provincewide approach, mainly so information sharing can be seamless about fight records and health records for combatants,” he said.

Issues highlighted in the months after Hague’s death are now at the centre of a $5.3-million lawsuit launched by the boxer’s family this month. His family has alleged Hague should not have been allowed to fight and that the city’s commission shares some of the blame.

Speaking to the lawsuit in June, the family’s lawyers said they hope the case brings attention to the way combative sports are handled across the province.

“I think there should be a provincial agency that has better oversight over combative sports throughout Alberta so fights are properly recorded and something like this never happens again,” lawyer Ari Schacter said.

Schacter said no statements of defence had been received as of last Monday, but are expected soon, noting an extension has been granted to the city.

Mark Torjusen, city spokesman, said both the city and the commission are expected to respond to the lawsuit in August.