Athletes, scholars and allies invite your organization to join our coalition in calling for a national inquiry into child abuse and human rights violations in Canadian sport. Support for the call is growing, but additional pressure is required to spark government action. Help us change the Canadian sport system for the better.
The inquiry has broad support from athlete survivors of abuse, Canadian scholars, Members of Parliament and organizations including the Coaching Association of Canada, Canadian Women & Sport, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and Own the Podium have each also supported the call for an inquiry.
A national inquiry conducted pursuant to Part 1 of the Inquiries Act Canada has the broad investigative powers and independence necessary to thoroughly examine the abuse crisis currently unfolding in Canadian sport. As Justice Charles L. Dubin explained, an inquiry "is intended to be an independent, objective inquiry into the subject matters referred to it by the Order in Council pursuant to which it was established, with a view to ascertaining what has transpired, to identify the problem areas, to define the issues, and to seek a way of correcting the errors of the past so that they will not recur." Preventing abuse in the future means wrestling with our collective failings in the past.
An independent from sport, trauma informed, survivor led National Inquiry is our best hope for meaningful, sustainable change in sport while keeping children and athletes safe from harm.
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The letter being sent to the Prime Minister is as follows:
Dear Honorable Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,
On behalf of thousands of Canadian athletes, we are calling on you to exercise your powers as leader of this country to protect every child, youth, and elite athlete by launching a national inquiry into the toxic culture of abuse across Canadian sport.
As you are aware, athletes and leading sport organization in this country have called on the Minister of Sport, the Honorable Pascale St-Onge, to launch a national inquiry for over a year. Sadly, not only have these countless requests been ignored, survivors and advocates, who are not paid by the sport system, have been sidelined instead of engaged to collaborate. Survivors have lived experiences and expertise that is critical for developing solutions to this crisis. The limiting of their involvement in these discussions has been deeply troubling.
To date, more than 1000 athletes from over 14 sports have called for a national inquiry. Their demands have been echoed by Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport, Global Athlete, the Coaching Association of Canada, Canadian Women in Sport, Own the Podium, and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport.
Furthermore, the Minister of Sport’s most recent announcements have not staved off these calls for an inquiry, but rather fueled them. Days following her announcement, both the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Own the Podium reinforced the need for an inquiry.
Many sport organizations and agencies have openly said the system is broken and needs to be fixed. They, along with athletes, are begging for help. It is clear they do not have the resources or skills to fix the current sport crisis. More importantly, they lack the independence and transparency necessary to sufficiently investigate and analyse how the unaccountable governance model of Canadian sport has bred and maintained a culture rife with harrowing maltreatment.
The systemic issues within the sporting system are too entrenched in human rights abuses to deny a human rights approach to finding a solution. We cannot look to sport to police itself or fix its problems anymore. We need strong, empirical data and evidence to guide the way forward, which can only be achieved through a national inquiry.
This is about protecting every child, youth, and adult athlete with meaningful changes. Ultimately, this is also about your legacy and how you respond to thousands of Canadian citizens identifying a crisis that only the highest echelons of political power can address. With the authority you wield as Prime Minister, we are asking you to launch a national inquiry into maltreatment and abuse in sport, to contribute to a safer Canada and to preserve your legacy as a leader that cares for all Canadians.
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Founding Coalition Members:
Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport (SAACS): SAACS was formed in 2023, but grew rapidly, becoming a truly interdisciplinary and international group. Although we embrace scholars at all stages of their academic journey, currently consists of 127 members, 98 of which are professors. The group currently has representation from 53 universities, including 34 Canadian institutions. SAACS strongly supports calls for a national inquiry as part of meaningful and sustainable change in Canadian sport.
Global Athlete: Global Athlete has been a fierce ally of sport survivors in Canada and abroad. GA aims to help athletes gain a more represented voice in world sport, recognizing that the neglect and suppression of the athlete voice has gone on for too long.
Canadian Coalition for the Rights of Children (CCRC): Formed in 1989, the CCRC consists of over 50 non-government organizations focused on upholding, monitoring and reporting on the implementation of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child and its related conventions and protocols in Canada and internationally. Children have the right to be protected from violence and duty-bearers, including governments and institutions, must work to ensure they can realize this right. The CCRC supports the call for an national inquiry as part of their broader advocacy for children’s rights in Canada.
Gymnasts for Change (G4C) Canada: One of the earliest proponents of a national inquiry, G4C is a grassroots movement, led by gymnast survivors and supporters, to eliminate abuse and maltreatment from the sport of gymnastics. G4C has amplified the voices of over 700 survivors and supporters in their quest for safer sport nationwide.
Figure Skating For Change (FS4C) Canada: The youngest of our partners, FS4C formed in 2023 to help increase access to agency, remedy, and oversight in the sport of Figure Skating. FS4C stands with all athletes calling for national inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport.
Soccer For Change Canada (S4C): is an independent organization established by players, parents, coaches and administrators who believe in the importance of increasing the athlete voice to make our sport safer. Our goal is to make soccer more inclusive to ensure every child, youth and elite player has the protection they rightfully deserve. Soccer for Change also stands with other groups that are calling for national inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport.
Fencing for Change (F4C) : is an athlete founded and led organization, representing over fifty Canadian fencers including National Team members and Olympians. F4C works to amplify athlete voices against abuse in sport, and advocate for change in sport culture and policy for a positive future.
