Kirsty Duncan knows thereB次元官网网址檚 still work to be done.

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Minister of Science and Sport has made ending abuse and harassment in sport her priority since taking over the portfolio in January 2018. The ministry has instituted a series of initiatives, including establishing new policy for national sports organizations, funding the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada to create an investigation unit, and setting up a toll-free confidential tipline for athletes and witnesses to call if they experience abuse.

B次元官网网址淚 want people to know that this work is being acted on right now. It continues. That this doesnB次元官网网址檛 stop. ItB次元官网网址檚 been a priority for our government,B次元官网网址� said Duncan. B次元官网网址淢y No. 1 priority is ending abuse and protecting athletes of all ages and abilities and protecting our children.B次元官网网址�

A series of sexual abuse trials in Canada and the United States have rocked the world of sports in the past decade. The criminal trials of former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, ex-Canadian national ski coach Bertrand Charest, Larry Nassar, a former doctor with the U.S. Gymnastics team, and most recently Dave Brubaker, the former director of the CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 gymnastics team, have put the issue in the spotlight.

DuncanB次元官网网址檚 action items B次元官网网址� creating a code of conduct with sanctions and finding a way to prevent coaches or officials from freely moving to another province or club after allegations of abuse B次元官网网址� are a work in progress. But she points out that there are two major hurdles for her.

The first is that, with OctoberB次元官网网址檚 federal election looming, time is running out for her to complete the task. The second is that although she has jurisdiction over national and multi-sport organizations, as a federal minister she can do little below the national level.

B次元官网网址淲hen it comes to provincial levels and club level, I have to work with my colleagues across the country because there are constitutional issues,B次元官网网址� said Duncan. B次元官网网址淚 have to work in partnership with sport ministers and with all stakeholders to move this forward.

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B次元官网网址淚t is about culture change. It doesnB次元官网网址檛 happen overnight. What I can tell you with the NSOs is that the agreements we have signed they now stipulate that funding will be withheld if they do not act on any abuse.B次元官网网址�

Bruce Kidd, a professor of kinesiology at the University of Toronto who is in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 Sports Hall of Fame as an Olympic runner, has worked with Duncan and the Ministry of Science and Sport on a number of issues. He participated at the Safe Sport Summit that Duncan hosted in February ahead of the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta., where national sports bodies signed an anti-abuse declaration. He was also appointed to DuncanB次元官网网址檚 working group on gender equality in sport.

However, Kidd has been critical of the ministryB次元官网网址檚 anti-abuse measures, saying that theyB次元官网网址檙e just B次元官网网址渋nterim steps.B次元官网网址� He wants the ministry to help establish a body to accept, investigate and adjudicate complaints, independent of both the sports organizations and the government.

B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 got to be armB次元官网网址檚 length from government because I think that is needed to give athletes and coaches confidence,B次元官网网址� said Kidd. B次元官网网址淭he big fear is that if an abuser has a winning record and youB次元官网网址檙e building up to a major championship, an Olympics and so on, the responsible bodies will stall and not do anything.B次元官网网址�

Kidd also points to USA SwimmingB次元官网网址檚 banned member list, a website where the names of coaches who have been convicted of inappropriate behaviour are published for the benefit of other sports organizations, as an easy solution to the problem of intra-provincial communication.

However, KiddB次元官网网址檚 not blind to the realities of an election cycle.

B次元官网网址淚f (Duncan) and the prime minister came out and said B次元官网网址榯he minute we are re-elected we will move to introduce the necessary legislation or mechanism to create a completely independent, comprehensive body,B次元官网网址� I would applaud that,B次元官网网址� said Kidd, B次元官网网址滻 would hope the other parties would embrace that, too. It would be fantastic if we gave that some broad attention during this election campaign.B次元官网网址�

DuncanB次元官网网址檚 had other pressing issues to attend to as well. Creating educational programs about concussions to help with prevention and treatment for head injuries is a going concern, as is gender equality in sports.

B次元官网网址淲e keep coming back to culture, donB次元官网网址檛 we?B次元官网网址� said Duncan. B次元官网网址淲hether itB次元官网网址檚 the culture of abuse, where itB次元官网网址檚 a dirty secret to exposing this dirty secret and acting. Or changing the culture where athletes feel they have to push through an injury, feeling that theyB次元官网网址檝e got to compete, that is also a culture change.B次元官网网址�

John Chidley-Hill, The Canadian Press

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