Why Canada needs a full inquiry into sports culture

Canada needs a public inquiry into harassment, abuse and sexual violence in sport.

I am not the first person to say this. Among others who have already called for an inquiry in the wake of allegations of horrific acts of sexual violence under the auspices of Hockey Canada are members of Parliament from four Canadian political parties.

There is a deep-seated culture of homophobia, sexism and misogyny in men’s hockey. People have written and spoken about this for decades. Recently, 26 scholars detailed the extent of the problem and how it contributes to the prevalence of sexual violence, harassment and abuse in hockey in an open letter to Pascale St-Onge, the federal minister of sport.

As the letter notes, however, sexual violence is not unique to hockey. Athletes from many other sports have detailed the abuse they have experienced within their sport. Most recently, 508 Canadian gymnasts wrote an open letter to the minister, calling for an independent investigation “to address a systemic culture of abuse that prevails in Canadian gymnastics.” I am someone who played competitive interuniversity softball. Before that, I played hockey, basketball, volleyball and track and field in my youth. Through my participation in sport, I learned about leadership and teamwork, forged lifelong friendships, built confidence and overcame challenges. It horrifies me to know how many have been hurt through their own participation or through interacting with athletes, particularly in certain sports.

In the current context, the safety and inclusion of trans athletes — especially trans women — in sport is of particular concern. Trans women already experience a disproportionate level of harassment and violence. They are also the target of malicious and co-ordinated efforts to exclude them from women’s sport.

As many of us advocate for the right of trans women to participate in sport in accordance with their gender identity, we must at the same time demand meaningful action to change sport culture. Without that, trans people will inevitably continue to be among the athletes most vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. A public inquiry can help create the conditions for their rightful and safe inclusion in sport.

A public inquiry into sport is not unprecedented. The Dubin Inquiry examined the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports following the revelation of Ben Johnson cheating in the 1988 Olympics.

When it comes to Hockey Canada, departures of senior leaders are not enough. An “independent governance review” is not enough.

Across Canadian sport, compliance with safety guidelines is not enough. National sports organizations (NSOs) are not-forprofit organizations that operate with limited oversight. Sport Canada demonstrated during recent Parliamentary Committee hearings that it does not audit NSOs to ensure compliance with their funding agreements. Sport Canada has equally turned a blind eye to knowledge of abuse.

While issues of sexual violence allegedly perpetrated by athletes is certainly more prevalent in men’s hockey, the issues of harassment, violence and toxic cultures are not only Hockey Canada problems.

At this point, the only way to meaningfully address the issues of harassment, abuse and sexual violence across all sport — the only way to improve safety, equality and inclusion in sport, especially for women, girls, trans and non-binary athletes — is to call a public inquiry.

It is time for the federal government to decide whether it has the courage do so.