Close monitoring of Hockey Canada to continue as condition of federal funding

Canada's secretary of state for sport says the government is keeping Hockey Canada under increased monitoring for the foreseeable future as a condition of federal funding.

Adam van Koeverden told CBC News that Canada's national governing body for hockey has made progress addressing its culture, but there is more work to be done.

"It's not just a matter of a box-checking exercise," he said in an interview. "We're talking about a massive shift in culture that requires transparency and accountability and a lot of time."

That monitoring will continue to be done by Sport Canada and van Koeverden's office, he said.

The federal government paused Hockey Canada's funding in 2022 over its handling of a high-profile case. A woman known as E.M. reported a group of 2018 World Junior players sexually assaulted her in a London, Ont., hotel room. A judge recently found the five players not guilty. 

Federal government restores funding to Hockey Canada

Hockey Canada came under intense public scrutiny three years ago for quietly paying E.M. a settlement. Hockey parents were outraged to learn their registration fees were going into a reserve fund without their knowledge and used to pay out millions of dollars in sexual abuse claims over the years. A parliamentary committee investigated, sponsors paused funding and the head of Hockey Canada and its entire board resigned. 

The government restored Hockey Canada's funding in 2023 but it came with strings attached. The organization has had to submit quarterly reports to the federal government about its progress addressing recommendations in three independent reports including by a former Supreme Court justice.

Hockey Canada confirmed to CBC News it has completed all of the recommendations in