Anti-abuse work has a long way to go, federal sport minister says

Kirsty Duncan knows there’s still work to be done.

Canada’s minister of science and sport has made ending abuse and harassment in sport her priority since taking over the portfolio in January 2018. The ministry has instituted a series of initiatives, including establishing new policy for national sports organizations, funding the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada to create an investigation unit, and setting up a toll-free confidential tip line for athletes and witnesses to call if they experience abuse.

“I want people to know that this work is being acted on right now. It continues. That this doesn’t stop. It’s been a priority for our government,” Duncan said. “My No.1priority is ending abuse and protecting athletes of all ages and abilities and protecting our children.”

A series of sexual abuse trials in Canada and the United States — most recently that of Dave Brubaker, the former director of the Canada’s women’s gymnastics team — have rocked the world of sports in the past decade.

Duncan’s action items — creating a code of conduct with sanctions and finding a way to prevent coaches or officials from freely moving to another province or club after allegations of abuse — are a work in progress.

But with October’s federal election looming, time is running out for her to complete the task. And as a federal minister she can do little below the national level.

“It is about culture change,” Duncan said. “It doesn’t happen overnight. What I can tell you with the NSOs is that the agreements we have signed they now stipulate that funding will be withheld if they do not act on any abuse.”

University of Toronto professor of kinesiology Bruce Kidd, a former Olympic runner, has worked with Duncan and the ministry on several issues. Kidd says the next step is to help establish a body to accept, investigate and adjudicate complaints, independent of both the sports organizations and the government.

“I think it’s got to be arm’s length from government because I think that is needed to give athletes and coaches confidence,” Kidd said.