A former Supreme Court justice recommended wholesale change at Hockey Canada a day before the embattled sports organizationB次元官网网址檚 CEO and board resigned on Tuesday.

In a 103-page interim report, plus memo, released Thursday by Hockey Canada, Justice Thomas Cromwell laid the groundwork of a new framework, saying B次元官网网址渢here can be no serious debateB次元官网网址� that Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 leadership had lost the confidence of stakeholders and a major teardown was needed.

Cromwell recommended that Hockey Canada put in place a transition board and a board chair whoB次元官网网址檒l serve for only one year, and will be responsible for addressing B次元官网网址渢he many public concerns about the senior management team of the organization.B次元官网网址�

Hockey Canada announced Tuesday that president and CEO Scott Smith had departed, and the entire board of directors resigned.The board will remain in place until a new board is elected at Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 annual general meeting on Dec. 17.

In his memorandum, Cromwell laid out four main tasks for the transition board:

B次元官网网址� Respond, in conjunction with Hockey Canada members, to the suite of governance changes to be released in his final report;

B次元官网网址� Address the many public concerns about its senior management team;

B次元官网网址� Begin to repair fractured relationships with stakeholders;

B次元官网网址� Ensure operational stability.

B次元官网网址淚 take no pleasure in delivering these recommendations,B次元官网网址� Cromwell wrote. B次元官网网址淣evertheless, I do so in order to further what I see as the best interests of Hockey Canada and of the sport itself.B次元官网网址�

Cromwell also wants the transition board to hire a B次元官网网址渢op-notchB次元官网网址� recruiting firm.

NDP MP Peter Julian said the makeup of the next board is crucial in order to see real change.

B次元官网网址淪o, itB次元官网网址檚 no longer just rubber-stamping what the executive leadership team is deciding, that there is a board that is active, and I believe it should include people whoB次元官网网址檝e been real critics of Hockey Canada,B次元官网网址� Julian said.

Mike Bruni, who was chair of Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 board from 2012 to B次元官网网址�14, is heading up the nominating committee that will accept board member applications.

Cromwell specified that the board comprise no more than 60 per cent of one gender.

CanadaB次元官网网址檚 womenB次元官网网址檚 team, winners of both the 2022 Olympics and world championships, said in a statement the Hockey Canada resignations were a positive first step, but that a board of directors that B次元官网网址渢ruly embodies the diversity of our countryB次元官网网址� was vital.

B次元官网网址淲e ask for equal representation with a seat at the table, as we continue to promote and grow the womenB次元官网网址檚 game globally, that we may bring our perspective and input to ensure that our sportB次元官网网址檚 national governing body evolves to one that truly represents all Canadians and safeguards its participant,B次元官网网址� the wrote.

Cromwell was tasked in August with undertaking a full governance review of Hockey Canada after it was revealed that the organization reached an undisclosed settlement with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by eight players, including members of the countryB次元官网网址檚 2018 world junior team. None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Julian said CromwellB次元官网网址檚 findings B次元官网网址� from interviews with over 65 individuals in over 40 meetings with numerous followup emails B次元官网网址� werenB次元官网网址檛 surprising.

B次元官网网址淚t shows the poor practices that Hockey Canada was engaged in, that really meant that rather than putting in place a zero-tolerance policy for sexual violence and sexual abuse, there was more of an attempt to kind of use hush money and non-disclosure agreements to make sure that the victims didnB次元官网网址檛 have the ability to speak out,B次元官网网址� Julian said.

Hockey Canada has been the target of scathing criticism around how it handled sexual assault allegations, including the revelation of a secretive National Equity Fund (NEF) to pay for uninsured liabilities. Cromwell said while establishing the fund was prudent, he was very critical about its lack of transparency. Members, he said, criticized the absence of a publicly available policy governing the fund, nor had the federationB次元官网网址檚 informal procedure for dealing with claims received formal board approval.

Hockey Canada maintains that members can discuss and ask questions about the NEF, but those discussions happened in-camera, and a review of the minutes B次元官网网址減rovide no clarity on the nature, scope and frequency of such discussions,B次元官网网址� Cromwell said.

B次元官网网址淛ustice Cromwell has confirmed that the practices of using funds in this way with that kind of lack of board accountability B次元官网网址� (heB次元官网网址檚) acknowledging what has been clear to so many Canadians, clear through the parliamentary hearings, clear through the withdrawal of sponsors, and the provincial federations refusing to send money that theyB次元官网网址檝e obtained to Hockey Canada,B次元官网网址� Julian said.

In a statement to The Canadian Press, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 sport minister Pascale St-Onge said CromwellB次元官网网址檚 report confirm the federal governmentB次元官网网址檚 findings, that B次元官网网址渆xpose the serious governance failures that have been contributed to the situation that we face today: an organization that has created a culture of silence and trivialized issues of sexual violence.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 expect the new leaders to take strong action and make the changes that all Canadians are expecting,B次元官网网址� St-Onge added.

The lack of transparency, Julian said, has been particularly galling to B次元官网网址渉ockey parents who have to scrimp and save to put their kids in hockey programs, that all of the weight of that reaction has showed how important it is for Hockey Canada to change dramatically,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭he resignations this week are only a first step. ItB次元官网网址檚 fundamentally important that B次元官网网址� we really put in place a robust organization with strong governance structures and oversight.

B次元官网网址淭he federal government has to oblige national sports organizations including Hockey Canada to run in a transparent and accountable way, and to ensure that thereB次元官网网址檚 zero tolerance for sexual violence, sexual abuse.B次元官网网址�

The House of Commons committee investigating abuse in sport will reconvene next week to hash out how to expand its probe beyond Hockey Canada. Amid what St-Onge has called a B次元官网网址渟afe-sport crisisB次元官网网址� in Canada, numerous sports including gymnastics, bobsled and skeleton, and rowing have called for a federal inquiry into toxic culture and maltreatment.

B次元官网网址擫ori Ewing, The Canadian Press