The federal government announced Wednesday that it is freezing funding for Hockey Canada following revelations that the organization has reached an out-of-court settlement to settle a case of gang rape by players.
Hockey Canada will only see its funding restored once it discloses recommendations for improvement provided by a law firm hired to investigate the alleged incident, Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge said in a statement. a written statement.
Monday evening, after the appearance of senior leaders of the organization before a parliamentary committee, Ms. St-Onge argued that “we are facing an organization that perpetuates the culture of silence”.
Ms. St-Onge, however, refused to say whether she intended to withhold public funds or whether heads should roll until she received the findings of the financial audit she commissioned.
Independent investigation requested
The Bloc Québécois also announced that its sports critic, Sébastien Lemire, intends to table a motion after question period to demand an independent investigation into Hockey Canada’s management of the June 2018 events.
According to information first reported by the TSN network, a woman who was allegedly sexually assaulted by eight junior players of the Canadian Hockey League has dropped a lawsuit after an out-of-court settlement.
In the court documents that have been cited, the young woman alleges that the events took place in a hotel room after a Hockey Canada gala in June 2018.
During the appearance before the Standing Heritage Committee, the organization’s chief executive, Tom Renney, assured that Hockey Canada did not attempt to “sweep under the rug” history through a cover-up.
Several MPs reacted strongly when they learned that it was however optional for players of the 2018 national junior team who were allegedly involved in a gang rape case to participate in the investigation into the events.
Hockey Canada received $14 million from Ottawa in 2020 and 2021, including $3.4 million in grants related to COVID-19, according to government documents obtained by CBC and TSN.