Several years after Hockey Canada began using player registration fees to create a large financial reserve known as the National Equity Fund to cover sexual assault claims and other lawsuits, the organization redirected a significant portion of that money to a second multimillion-dollar fund for similar purposes.
Posted at 9:20 a.m.
It’s the Globe and Mail who revealed its existence on Monday morning, on the eve of a new Hockey Canada hearing before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. We are awaiting the testimonies of the former chairman of the board of directors, Michael Brind’Amour, who left last August before the end of his mandate, and of his interim successor, Andrea Skinner.
Known as the Participant Legacy Trust Fund, this new reserve was created with more than $7.1 million from the National Equity Fund. According to documents obtained by the Worldthe money there was intended “for matters including, but not limited to, sexual abuse”.
Recall that the World revealed in July that Hockey Canada had used another financial reserve, the National Equity Fund, raised from player registration fees, to settle a $3.55 million lawsuit filed by a woman who alleges sexually assaulted by several members of the 2018 World Juniors champion team.
The lawsuit was settled within weeks, for an undisclosed sum, without a full investigation by Hockey Canada or the players of the 2018 junior team being forced to cooperate.
The agency also admitted in federal hearings in July that the fund had been used to settle nine sexual assault complaints totaling $7.6 million since 1989, excluding the complaint settled this year.
The Participants Legacy Trust Fund was established in 1999, documents filed in the Alberta Court of King’s Bench reveal. The fund was created to deal with claims against Hockey Canada member branches arising from incidents that occurred between 1986 and 1995, before Hockey Canada began to underwrite insurance for sexual assault and other liability claims.
The trust was scheduled to be dissolved on May 15, 2020, but in late 2018 and early 2019, Hockey Canada and its members went to court to change the terms of the trust — ensuring it would continue in place until 2039.
“The trustees believe that more claims will be made after the split date as currently defined, and that is the primary reason for extending the term of the trust,” Hockey Canada chief financial officer Brian Cairo said in a statement. affidavit filed January 2019 in Alberta court.
Called to react by the WorldHockey Canada spokesman Jeremy Knight replied that the affidavit did not say anything specific.
“Mr. Cairo’s statement was not based on knowledge of any specific claim or incident, or any specific claim or incident anticipated. »
“It is important to keep in mind that since 1999, when the trust was created, Canadians’ understanding of the nature and extent of sexual abuse claims has improved significantly. We now know that these claims often arise decades after the alleged incident, which is why it was reasonable to ask to extend the trust beyond 2020.”
He added that the trust is not on Hockey Canada’s balance sheet because it is not considered an asset. According to Mr. Knight, the trust has not been used, but it remains available for its intended purpose.