Canada's Olympic CEO makes argument for more safe-sport resources at the local level

David Shoemaker isn't much for controversy. The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee is always careful with his words. And that's why attention should be paid to his appearance this week before a parliamentary committee examining safe sport in this country.

Against the backdrop of loud calls from certain circles about the need for a public inquiry to address the safe sport "crisis" in Canada, Shoemaker did his best to focus the committee on what he called "an enormous gap" in this country's sport system.

Shoemaker appeared alongside officials from Fencing Canada, the latest sports governing body to be called before this committee to answer allegations of mishandling safe sport issues. In recent months, the committee has heard tearful testimony from athletes across a number of sports about alleged sexual, mental and physical abuse they have suffered.

Shoemaker called these stories "horrific" and supported calls for a public inquiry of some kind. He reminded the committee that work and resources are being devoted to areas around safe sport that for years have been ignored.

He pointed to recent mandatory rules put in place for national sport organizations (NSO) around financial transparency and governance, including increased athlete representation on boards. He also pointed to the year-old Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC), an independent investigator of athletes' complaints.

"Change is happening. It has been too slow for the witnesses who shared their tragic stories before this committee," Shoemaker said.

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But his real message was that attention and resources are desperately needed elsewhere, at the local and club level of Canadian sport, where a vast