Canadian Fencing Federation executives were the latest sport leaders called on the carpet by a parliamentary committee to answer for its safe sport record, while the Canadian Olympic Committee's chief executive officer stated his support for a national inquiry.
Members of Parliament grilled CFF president Yann Bernard in Ottawa on Thursday because some athletes have alleged a longstanding toxic, bullying and abusive environment.
COC chief executive officer David Shoemaker was also among witnesses questioned by MPs. He joined a chorus of voices from the sports community in supporting a national inquiry into safe sport. "I deeply believe that sport, when done right, is an incredible force for good," Shoemaker said Thursday. "An unsafe sport system is an unacceptable sports system. "I do think that an inquiry that hears survivors and is trauma-informed should happen.
I'm glad Minister St-Onge has committed to one." The recent avalanche of athlete complaints about maltreatment and abuse, including sexual abuse, in their sports has thrown Canadian high-performance sport into turmoil.