Ottawa is spending $2.4 million in “crisis funding” to address the mental health of amateur athletes.
Federal Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge announced Monday in Montreal that this envelope will support crisis care, awareness and training for Canadian Olympic and Paralympic athletes and coaches.
Many athletes, still active or retired from competition, have recently spoken out against toxic environments and abusive behavior in high performance sport in Canada.
They called for a culture change in the system and in their sports federations — some even demanding a national inquiry into amateur sport in Canada.
Minister St-Onge told The Canadian Press on Monday that the discussions she had with athletes focused on two themes in particular: the stress and isolation of training to prepare for and compete at two Olympic Games. in the midst of a pandemic, as well as the anxiety and tension related to relationships with those who supervise them and manage their “sports career”.
In a telephone interview on Monday, the Minister maintained that what had become very clear in these conversations, “is that the athletes are currently going through a difficult period”.
“There is a lot of anxiety. The last few months have been pretty tough for athletes amidst this conversation about safe sport, about all the abuse, harassment and sometimes even sexual assault that we hear about across many disciplines. »
The supplementary budget announced Monday by Ottawa aims to give athletes access to mental health professionals where they train and compete. “They currently have access to psychological support, but it is very focused on athletic performance and ultimately helps them achieve their goals,” explained Minister St-Onge.
“We are now talking about a new element: the objective is to have people on site, directly where the athletes train and compete. So if there is a problem, they have support on hand to deal with it. »
Mme St-Onge notably spoke about bobsleigh and skeleton athletes, and their conflicting relationship with those around them. More than 70 athletes demanded throughout the summer the resignation of the president and “director of high performance” of this federation. A new president was elected in November.
“I was extremely worried about the impact it had on them because when they perform, it’s a high-speed sport, they put themselves in danger,” said the minister.
“If they’re not completely focused on what they’re doing and their technique, if they’re worried about things that are going on outside, it can be really dangerous for them. I felt it was necessary to provide direct support in these kinds of situations. »
Change the culture
Olympic bobsledder Neville Wright represents his sport and athletics on the board of directors of AthletesCAN, the independent association of Canadian national team athletes. He says this mental health funding is a start.
“There’s definitely an immediate need for mental health resources, with everything going on in sport right now,” he said. But I think if somehow we can change the culture and improve it as a whole, maybe the need for mental health resources might decrease. »
The money will be administered through the network of sports institutes across the country and the Canadian Olympic Committee’s “Game Plan” wellness program.
Minister St-Onge created the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner in June to handle complaints. The office received 24 complaints between June and September. All sports organizations must become Bureau signatories in order to receive federal funding.
“I’m working on a lot of things to change the system to make the environment safer for athletes,” Ms.me St-Onge. It was something I felt needed at the moment. »
Two parliamentary committees have held hearings on Canadian sport in recent months. The Heritage Committee has stood up to Hockey Canada for its handling of sexual assault allegations in amateur hockey. And female athletes testified earlier this month before a women’s committee on safety for women and girls in sport.
“The two committees that are currently studying the sports system are doing excellent work and are asking the right questions,” said Minister St-Onge.
“The heritage committee is looking more at the governance of sports federations and the women’s committee is talking to victims, listening to their stories, as well as experts who have worked their whole lives in the search for a safe sport environment. . »
“We are still awaiting their recommendations. They are going to be extremely important. There are so many things we need to work on,” said Minister St-Onge.