Hockey Canada asked the federal government in 2019 if it could self-govern its safe-sport cases, despite facing a B次元官网网址渟ignificant potential claim.B次元官网网址�

In a three-page email to the Sport MinisterB次元官网网址檚 office, Hockey Canada boasted about its safe-sport management that was B次元官网网址渟econd to none,B次元官网网址� but voiced concerns both about any third-party mechanism for investigations, and the new toll-free number for reporting abuse.

The email signed by Glen McCurdie, who was then Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 vice-president of insurance and risk management, also detailed Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 National Equity Fund used for uninsured liabilities, including sexual abuse claims, the organization has maintained since the B次元官网网址渓ate 1990s.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚t is no secret that Hockey Canada was forced into action regarding sexual misconduct specifically following the Graham James/Sheldon Kennedy revelations that rocked not only our sport, but the nation as a whole in the late 1990s,B次元官网网址� McCurdie wrote in the email obtained by The Canadian Press.

B次元官网网址淲e take great pride in what we have accomplished and continue to accomplish. When we were first faced with this situation, we had financial issues to deal with, in terms of unfunded claims coming at us from hockey players, professional and otherwise. We also had to deal with the establishment of a program our members could access in the event they had similar concerns that were less public in nature.

B次元官网网址淲e dealt with our B次元官网网址榝inancial obligationsB次元官网网址� by addressing claim and reports of potential claims in an upfront manner.B次元官网网址�

The sportB次元官网网址檚 national body has been under intense scrutiny since news of an alleged sexual assault following a 2018 gala in London, Ont., involving eight unidentified players B次元官网网址� including members of that yearB次元官网网址檚 world junior team B次元官网网址� and subsequent hushed settlement broke in May.

Allegations of gang sexual assault involving the 2003 world junior team emerged in July.

None of the allegations have been proven in court.

Hockey Canada has had federal funding cut off because of its handling of the case and settlement, while a number of corporations paused sponsorship dollars.

Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport from 2015 to 2019, said she didnB次元官网网址檛 receive Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 email addressed to Michael Paramathasan, a former senior policy adviser for the sport minister, when it was sent Oct. 29, 2019.

B次元官网网址淔rom that letter, this is an organization that just doesnB次元官网网址檛 get it, and doesnB次元官网网址檛 get it three decades after the horror of what Sheldon Kennedy experienced, after Larry Nassar and U.S. gymnastics,B次元官网网址� Duncan told The Canadian Press. B次元官网网址淎nd I think what the letter shows is the real thinking, the thinking behind closed doors, and not when the eyes of the nation are watching and judging.B次元官网网址�

Duncan had announced several safe-sport initiatives in March of 2019, including a national toll-free confidential helpline for victims and witnesses of abuse in sport. She also announced national sport organizations (NSOs) must have a safe-sport policy and make provisions for access to a third-party investigator.

McCurdie wrote that what was unlikely to be known by most Hockey Canada members, B次元官网网址渙r the Canadian sport system as a whole, is that we also bought an insurance product to deal with sexual abuse/misconduct claims on a retroactive basis.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址 of this B次元官网网址減roductB次元官网网址� exploded in July when Hockey Canada officials told House of CommonsB次元官网网址� heritage committee it used the organizationB次元官网网址檚 National Equity Fund, which draws on minor hockey membership fees, to pay out $7.6 million in uninsured claims across nine settlements related to sexual assault or abuse since 1989. That figure did not include the alleged London incident.

McCurdie wrote that he couldnB次元官网网址檛 B次元官网网址済o into specificsB次元官网网址� about the significant potential claim, but said the ability to access counsel, crisis communications, etc., assisted us in an B次元官网网址渋mmeasurable manner.

B次元官网网址淚f we were to be impeded by a B次元官网网址榮port processB次元官网网址� by which we needed to go through a reporting and approval mechanism by some, as yet unnamed third party organization, we firmly believe irreparable harm could have been levied upon us,B次元官网网址� he continued.

McCurdie noted in the potential claim mentioned, the athlete(s) are the alleged perpetrator(s), not the victim.

B次元官网网址淭he concept of a third party investigation firm would have eliminated our capacity to actually protect the athletes in this situation, there is no doubt about this,B次元官网网址� he wrote, adding that Hockey Canada believes in tailored solutions to specific problems, and that a uniform process for every sport would be detrimental to an NSOB次元官网网址檚 ability to deal with certain situations.

McCurdieB次元官网网址檚 arguments with the toll-free abuse line pilot project, he said, were largely around the sheer volume of complaints, many of which B次元官网网址渁re not necessarily valid B次元官网网址� We do have many parents who use complaints of this nature as the basis upon which to change teams/associations.B次元官网网址�

Neither Hockey Canada nor Paramathasan immediately responded to requests for comment.

Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Kennedy recently condemned Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 leadership, saying it has lost the confidence of Canadians. Their comments came after the federationB次元官网网址檚 board of directors announced it supported president and chief executive officer Scott Smith and his executive team despite calls for change of the organizationB次元官网网址檚 leadership.

B次元官网网址淗ockey Canada does not wish to be encumbered by a system or process that ties our hands and does not allow us to manage a situation as we deem necessary,B次元官网网址� McCurdie wrote. B次元官网网址淲e are simply asking that you keep this in mind as you continue to lead us in a collective safe sport strategy.B次元官网网址�

Duncan said Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 values and priorities are wrong.

B次元官网网址淭he No. 1 priority of any sport organization is safe sport. This is an organization that pushed back against safe sport with self-serving arguments B次元官网网址� thatB次元官网网址檚 what that letter says. They didnB次元官网网址檛 want the rules, because they didnB次元官网网址檛 want to be exposed,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檇 like to know if theyB次元官网网址檙e still proud of their success in this area.B次元官网网址�

NDP MP Peter Julian, meanwhile, is asking the federal government to conduct a thorough audit of Hockey CanadaB次元官网网址檚 finances dating back to 2016.

The request, made in a letter to Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge on Sept. 6, references thousands of dollars in expenses attributed to the sportB次元官网网址檚 national governing body, including high-end dinners, luxurious hotel suites and championship rings for board members.

B次元官网网址擫ori Ewing, The Canadian Press