NDP MP Peter Julian is seeking further accountability and transparency from Hockey Canada by way of a letter issued to the organization's president and CEO, Scott Smith.
The letter, provided to The Canadian Press, comes following new information Julian had been informed of by a former board member — who opted to remain anonymous — regarding perks and luxurious accommodations provided to board members. "Thousands of dollars that are being spent on board meetings, on luxury suites, on the rings that come with championship teams that are given to board members," he said. "And I have asked these questions in the hearings that we've had so far and have been stonewalled by Hockey Canada. "The accountability is fundamental here.
And I expect Hockey Canada to provide answers to Canadians. There have been a lot of expenditures that I don't think pass the nod test when it comes to hockey parents that are registering their daughter or their son in hockey programs.
And they're not seeing the accountability for those funds that Hockey Canada should be exercising." In the letter, Julian follows up on Smith's testimony from a parliamentary hearing on July 27 where he said, "the board of directors and our members from time to time have received a version of championship rings and there are some staff members who do have bonuses that relate to medal performance." Presenting information of dinners costing north of $5,000 for the board of directors, as well as accommodations of over $3,000 per night "such as the presidential suite at the [Westin] Harbour Castle in Downtown Toronto," Julian questions how many times such payments have been made.