Trudeau: Hockey Canada needs a 'real reckoning' in wake of scandal
Justin Trudeau wants to see change at Hockey Canada.
As the federation continues to deal with the fallout from its handling of an alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement, the prime minister said Thursday the sport's national body "has to do an awful lot" to regain the trust of Canadians.
"We need to see Hockey Canada demonstrating a level of transparency, accountability (and) understanding of the situation they're faced with," Trudeau told reporters at an event in Elmsdale, N.S. "There needs to be a real reckoning with what we saw from that organization, and the wilful blindness to something that other organizations have been faced with -- struggled with -- but made good decisions around.
"As opposed to what Hockey Canada's been doing."
The federation has been under fire since news broke in May that a woman alleged eight players -- including members of the 2018 world junior team -- sexually assaulted her following a gala event in London, Ont., four years ago.
The woman was seeking more than $3.5 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and the unnamed players.
Details of the settlement are not public and none of the allegations have been proven in court.
It also emerged this week that Hockey Canada has been using its so-called "National Equity Fund" -- which is maintained by membership fees collected across the country -- to settle sexual assault claims.
"Their behaviour over these past years, and indeed, over these past months, has been not worthy of an organization that embodies so many hopes and dreams for young Canadians -- boys and girls -- for sport, for healthy living," Trudeau said.
"So many parents entrust their kids to this organization and organizations that flow from that."
Hockey Canada, which said in an open letter last week it was reopening an incomplete third-party investigation into the London incident and is committed to a governance review, announced Wednesday that, effective immediately, the practice of using that fund for sexual misconduct claims would be halted.
Trudeau, who also blasted the organization's leadership earlier this week, called the move a step in the right direction, but added later: "I think there's a lot more that Hockey Canada is going to have to do before Canadian parents like me start trusting them."
Details of the fund, which has not been listed as part of the organization's annual reports, are included in a July 2021 affidavit sworn by Glen McCurdie, who was then Hockey Canada's vice-president of insurance and risk management, as part of a lawsuit launched by an injured player in Ontario.
McCurdie's affidavit said "Hockey Canada maintains a reserve in a segregated account to pay for any such uninsured liabilities as they arise." It goes on to say that "uninsured liabilities include potential claims for historical sexual abuse."
Meanwhile, police in London have ordered an internal review of the force's investigation into the alleged sexual assault, which it closed in February 2019.
The organization has seen its federal funding cut off and corporate sponsorships paused after news of the alleged assault and settlement, which were first reported by TSN, first emerged.
Hockey Canada CEO Scott Smith and predecessor Tom Renney, who both testified in front of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in Ottawa last month, will be back on Parliament Hill next week as MPs continue to press the under-fire federation for answers.
Smith, Renney, McCurdie and Canadian Hockey League president Dan MacKenzie are scheduled to testify Wednesday along with the commissioners of the country's three major junior circuits.
Barry Lorenzetti, president and CEO of insurance provider BFL Canada, and Hockey Canada Foundation chair Dave Andrews are also scheduled to testify before committee on Wednesday.
Danielle Robitaille of Henein Hutchison LLP -- the law firm that conducted an incomplete third-party investigation for Hockey Canada -- is expected to appear Tuesday along with Minister of Sport Pascal St-Onge and officials from Sport Canada and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Smith, Renney, McCurdie, MacKenzie, Courteau, Branch, Robison and Andrews will appear in front of committee under subpoena.
Smith, who's also Hockey Canada's president, took over for the retiring Renney as CEO on July 1.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2022.
IN DEPTH
Jagmeet Singh pulls NDP out of deal with Trudeau Liberals, takes aim at Poilievre Conservatives
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has pulled his party out of the supply-and-confidence agreement that had been helping keep Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's minority Liberals in power.
'Not the result we wanted': Trudeau responds after surprise Conservative byelection win in Liberal stronghold
Conservative candidate Don Stewart winning the closely-watched Toronto-St. Paul's federal byelection, and delivering a stunning upset to Justin Trudeau's candidate Leslie Church in the long-time Liberal riding, has sent political shockwaves through both parties.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.
Budget 2024 prioritizes housing while taxing highest earners, deficit projected at $39.8B
In an effort to level the playing field for young people, in the 2024 federal budget, the government is targeting Canada's highest earners with new taxes in order to help offset billions in new spending to enhance the country's housing supply and social supports.
'One of the greatest': Former prime minister Brian Mulroney commemorated at state funeral
Prominent Canadians, political leaders, and family members remembered former prime minister and Progressive Conservative titan Brian Mulroney as an ambitious and compassionate nation-builder at his state funeral on Saturday.
Opinion
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
opinion Don Martin: The doctor Trudeau dumped has a prescription for better health care
Political columnist Don Martin sat down with former federal health minister Jane Philpott, who's on a crusade to help fix Canada's broken health care system, and who declined to take any shots at the prime minister who dumped her from caucus.
opinion Don Martin: Trudeau's seeking shelter from the housing storm he helped create
While Justin Trudeau's recent housing announcements are generally drawing praise from experts, political columnist Don Martin argues there shouldn’t be any standing ovations for a prime minister who helped caused the problem in the first place.
opinion Don Martin: Poilievre has the field to himself as he races across the country to big crowds
It came to pass on Thursday evening that the confidentially predictable failure of the Official Opposition non-confidence motion went down with 204 Liberal, BQ and NDP nays to 116 Conservative yeas. But forcing Canada into a federal election campaign was never the point.
opinion Don Martin: How a beer break may have doomed the carbon tax hike
When the Liberal government chopped a planned beer excise tax hike to two per cent from 4.5 per cent and froze future increases until after the next election, says political columnist Don Martin, it almost guaranteed a similar carbon tax move in the offing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians across the country mark Remembrance Day
Canadians gathered Monday in cities and towns across the country to honour the sacrifice of men and women in uniform who gave their lives in service of the country's values and principles.
Canada cancels automatic 10-year multiple-entry visas, tightens rules
Canada has announced changes to their visitor visa policies, effectively ending the automatic issuance of 10-year multiple-entry visas, according to new rules outlined by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Trump names Stephen Miller to be deputy chief of policy in new administration
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is naming longtime adviser Stephen Miller, an immigration hard-liner, to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration.
Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets misprint on 'Wicked' dolls packaging that links to porn site
Toy giant Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets an error on the packaging of its 'Wicked' movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.
Alien-like signal from 2023 has been decoded. The next step is to figure out what it means
If Earth's astronomical observatories were to pick up a signal from outer space, it would need an all-hands-on-deck effort to decipher the extraterrestrial message. A father-daughter team of citizen scientists recently deciphered the message. Its meaning, however, remains a mystery.
Twin port shutdowns risk more damage to Canadian economy: business groups
Business groups are raising concerns about the broad effects of another round of labour disruptions in the transport sector as Canada faces shutdowns at its two biggest ports.
A team of tornado experts is heading to Fergus, Ont. after a storm ripped through the area Sunday night.
Why brain aging can vary dramatically between people
Researchers are uncovering deeper insights into how the human brain ages and what factors may be tied to healthier cognitive aging, including exercising, avoiding tobacco, speaking a second language or even playing a musical instrument.
Bleeding and in pain, a woman endured a harrowing wait for miscarriage care due to Georgia's restrictive abortion law
Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision eliminated the federal right to abortion, miscarriage management has become trickier and in some cases, deadlier.
Local Spotlight
Should Toronto tear up its bike lanes to improve traffic flow? Critics say it's not so simple
A congestion crisis, a traffic nightmare, or unrelenting gridlock -- whatever you call it, most agree that Toronto has a congestion problem. To alleviate some of the gridlock, the Ontario government has announced it plans to remove bike lanes from three major roadways.
For the second year in a row, the ‘Gift-a-Family’ campaign is hoping to make the holidays happier for children and families in need throughout Barrie.
Some of the most prolific photographers behind CTV Skywatch Pics of the Day use the medium for fun, therapy, and connection.
A young family from Codroy Valley, N.L., is happy to be on land and resting with their newborn daughter, Miley, after an overwhelming, yet exciting experience at sea.
As Connor Nijsse prepared to remove some old drywall during his garage renovation, he feared the worst.
A group of women in Chester, N.S., has been busy on the weekends making quilts – not for themselves, but for those in need.
A Vancouver artist whose streetside singing led to a chance encounter with one of the world's biggest musicians is encouraging aspiring performers to try their hand at busking.
Ten-thousand hand-knit poppies were taken from the Sanctuary Arts Centre and displayed on the fence surrounding the Dartmouth Cenotaph on Monday.
A Vancouver man is saying goodbye to his nine-to-five and embarking on a road trip from the Canadian Arctic to Antarctica.