Latest news with #AdamvanKoeverden
CBC
01-08-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Close monitoring of Hockey Canada to continue as condition of federal funding
Social Sharing 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. WATCH | Federal government restores Hockey Canada's funding with conditions: Federal government restores funding to Hockey Canada 2 years ago The federal government says it will restore funding to Hockey Canada following controversy linked to its handling of alleged sexual assault claims. But the government warns this will not be a blank cheque and sets out expectations for the organization going forward. 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 those reports. Sport Canada said it's reviewing that progress and as of July the hockey organization has implemented all of the conditions that were part of its enhanced monitoring plan. Hockey Canada completed all recommendations Despite hitting that mark, van Koeverden said there is no date in mind for when Ottawa will drop its extra monitoring. He wants to see "sustained culture change that Canadians are demanding," he said. "We've seen good progress from Hockey Canada in terms of leadership change, in terms of governance changes, in terms of their audits," van Koeverden said. He pointed to mandatory training for all staff, coaches and athletes competing with Team Canada that's now in place covering sexual violence and consent. He said training "is just the bare minimum" and that there is a need to change attitudes and behaviour. E.M. and others' courage in coming forward, van Koeverden said, sparked a national conversation about the change needed in not just hockey, but all sports. 'Abuse isn't endemic to men's hockey' In a statement following last week's ruling, van Koeverden described men's hockey culture as "problematic." Asked by CBC News how he'd describe the culture and what concerns he still has, van Koeverden said he doesn't think the issues he's identified are "endemic" to men's hockey. "I'm concerned with chauvinism, with sexism, treating women as if they're objects or something to be attained rather than one's equal," he said. "I don't think that's unique to hockey, unique to sport. "I think it is an unfortunate reality that exists in other places, in the workplace, in education and it needs to be called out, needs to be recognized and it needs to change." He added "abuse isn't endemic to men's hockey" and that if a national conversation about "how we ought to treat each other starts with hockey, I think that's uniquely Canadian." 'You can't just tick boxes' A Fifth Estate investigation in 2022 found junior hockey players were the subjects of police investigations in at least 15 cases of alleged group sexual assault since 1989 — half of which surfaced in the past decade. Former junior hockey players and those who study the sport say these incidents have grown out of a culture that has included the pursuit of women as a team sport that can result in group sex. Anatomy of a Scandal 3 years ago Hockey Canada is on the defensive over allegations that some members of its gold-medal winning World Junior team in 2018 took part in a group sexual assault, and the organization didn't do enough to hold players accountable. The Fifth Estate examines the national shame inside Canada's game, and the disturbing history that suggests this was not an isolated incident. Laura Robinson, the author of Crossing the Line: Violence and Sexual Assault in Canada's National Sport, said she wants to see Hockey Canada under enhanced monitoring by the federal government until after the Winter Olympics in 2026. She pointed to Hockey Canada's recent announcements about 18 men selected for roles. Hockey Canada appointed an all-male roster to coach its Olympic and World Junior teams. The new general manager and members of the management group for Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence are also male. "You can't just tick boxes and say we've got women involved now," she said. Hockey Canada says 'there is still more work' The Program of Excellence relies on volunteers that come from a pool of Canadian Hockey League employees. The organization said its managers and coaches selected to volunteer have "tremendous experience" working with 15-to-19-year-old male high-performance athletes. It said Chelsea Geldenhuys has been promoted to senior manager of hockey operations for the Program of Excellence. Hockey Canada said as part of its effort to increase the number of women coaching in Canada, it helped launch a new program to employ student athletes as coaches while playing university women's hockey. The hockey organization also sent CBC News a list of 17 changes its made since 2022 to address hockey culture and safety, including achieving gender equity on its board of directors, adopting a universal code of conduct to prevent maltreatment in sport and becoming one of the first organizations to be a full signatory to the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. "While important progress has been made since 2022, there is still more work to be done and we will continue to be transparent and accountable to Canadians as we drive systemic change within our national winter sport," Hockey Canada chief of staff Jeremy Knight said in a statement.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'At the brink of falling apart': Sport organizations hope new government heeds urgent call for funding
Olympic gold medallist Adam van Koeverden, the newly minted secretary of state for sport, must navigate an urgent call for funding from sport organizations and what has been described as a safe-sport crisis. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press - image credit) At the end of a successful Summer Olympics in Paris last year, David Shoemaker issued a stark warning. Canadians took home 27 medals from France after standout performances in swimming, beach volleyball and track and field, to name a few. Advertisement The Canadian Olympic Committee CEO said he believed Canada has the potential to do more, but that he worried the athletes' full potential won't be unlocked without more resources from the federal government. "I worry about performance in Milano Cortina and certainly for LA [in 2028]," Shoemaker said that day. "There hasn't been an increase in the core funding of the national sports organizations, the 62 federally-funded national sports organizations, in 19 years. They are having to do so much more with so much less, including the demands upon them to create a safe and barrier-free healthy sports system that we all want so badly." WATCH | Canada's new secretary of state for sport talks transforming Canada's sport landscape: Fast forward almost 10 months and Canadians have a new government, led by a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney. Advertisement The new person in charge of the sports portfolio is a familiar face in the Canadian sports world: Adam van Koeverden, the retired kayaker who owns four Olympic medals, including gold in the K-1 500-metre from the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. There's no minister of sport in this government. Koeverden is the secretary of state for sport, part of a two-tiered cabinet created by Carney. But much will still be expected from the former athlete. He's tasked with addressing funding demands from sport organizations. The magic number Shoemaker has cited is a $144 million increase to make up for two decades without a significant boost to core funding, now appearing as millions of dollars worth of deficits on sports organizations' books. He'll also have to navigate what's been described as a safe-sport crisis across the country. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission will report back in March, and van Koeverden, who gave his own recommendations to the panel earlier this year, will guide how the government will respond to its findings. Advertisement Perhaps even bigger than all of that is preserving what sport means to Canadians at a time when that identity is under threat like never before. It's a tone both the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee struck in a joint statement released after the new cabinet was named in May. "As we face an unprecedented crisis of national identity, this portfolio will be critical in achieving this government's urgent nation building priorities," the statement said. "Sport unites Canadians like nothing else can – bridging geography, language, and politics." Fundraising for training When it comes to nation building, Nathan Bombrys sees a role for rugby. Advertisement The Canadian women's rugby union team is ranked second in the world heading into the sport's World Cup in England, which begins in August. Bombrys, who is Rugby Canada's CEO, believes the Canadian women have a shot at winning the tournament. "If you follow the sport of rugby, it's literally planting a flag where it doesn't belong, and we have a team capable of doing that," he said. But the women's team has been fundraising just to pay for proper training. It would go toward things like holding training camps and accessing mental performance coaching. The Canadian women's rugby sevens team won silver at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. (Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press) Even if they're successful in reaching the $1-million fundraising goal, Bombrys expects Canada will have one of the lowest budgets in the entire tournament. Advertisement Performing well at that tournament, which is one of the biggest in the sporting world, would certainly fall under the nation-building category. "I'd like to see this government really appreciate the value that sport brings to the nation, to Canada, and really understand that," he said. Rugby Canada is also looking to see more corporate sponsors involved in the sport. Without more money, the future looks different. Bombrys said he's already having to make difficult decisions that affect athletes and programming. "Will we still play on the global stage? Probably," he said. "But wouldn't we like to be competitive and represent Canada well? Without that support, it's going to be harder and harder to do that." Staying afloat For Olympic athletes across Canada, funding is the number one issue, according to Philippe Marquis, a two-time Olympian in freestyle skiing who serves as the chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission. Advertisement Marquis was happy to see van Koeverden receive the sports file, and like Shoemaker, he feels a sense of urgency. "Sport organizations are at the brink of falling apart with the lack of funding and the resources," he said. "Everyone is tight." Canadian Olympic Committee Athletes' Commission chair Philippe Marquis, pictured in 2019, says funding is the number-one issue for Olympic athletes. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press) The way he sees it, national sport organizations and athletes are both trying to survive. For sport organizations, like Rugby Canada, it's having the resources to properly structure and deliver sport to athletes. For athletes, it's trying to attend camps and access proper training, all while buying food and paying rent. Having or not having that money could determine whether an athlete stays in sport or walks away. Advertisement The 2024 federal budget increased the monthly living and training allowances under the Athlete Assistance Program, commonly known as carding, by about 23 per cent, retroactive to April 2024. "Was it sufficient? Not necessarily, and it has to be indexed with inflation and obviously what's going on around the world with cost of living," Marquis said. A familiar face The sports portfolio is nothing new to van Koeverden. Beyond his own career as an athlete, van Koeverden was Parliamentary secretary to ministers responsible for sport over two Parliaments. "It's been a joy and a huge privilege, but it's also been tough," van Koeverden said a few days into his new job. Advertisement "It's a lot of work and I'm embracing all of it. But sometimes it's hard when you achieve a goal because you recognize that there's just so many expectations and work that you've got to do in order to achieve the good outcomes, the reason that you get involved." Exactly what Carney would like his government to accomplish when it comes to sport isn't yet clear. The topic didn't appear in the Liberal platform, nor has there been a mandate letter released for the sport portfolio. Canadian Olympic Committee CEO David Shoemaker issued a stark warning at the end of last year's Summer Olympics: without additional funding to sport organizations, Canada's performance at the Games could falter. (Tijana Martin/The Canadian Press) Van Koeverden said he's encouraged by how frequently Carney, who was a hockey goaltender in college, talks about sport. Advertisement "I'm really, really excited because Mark Carney has clearly articulated his love and his passion for sport, physical activity and recreation in Canada," van Koeverden said. Whether Carney's government will increase funding of national sport organizations and multisport service organizations — such as the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and U Sports — to the level that leaders like Shoemaker are calling for remains to be seen. But van Koeverden agreed he would advocate for an increase in core funding for national sport organizations, describing it as "critical." "Sport Canada does a great job making sure that all our national sport organizations get funding, but we've got more people in Canada now," he said. "Sports are more expensive. So are flights for national teams." Advertisement He also agreed that carding funding should be indexed with inflation, even though budgeting for that could be "a bit ambiguous." But just as important is funding the bottom of the pyramid, van Koeverden said, which helps get more people, including kids, playing sport. In his mind, funding sport at a grassroot level will help foster more Sidney Crosbys and Christine Sinclairs at the top of the pyramid. But keeping the most talented athletes on the ice, field or court, and helping them achieve their potential, is also part of the puzzle. "We continue to advocate to the federal government for an increase in funding [for national sport organizations]," Shoemaker told CBC Sports during the election campaign this past spring. "We think we're making a strong case. We think we're getting through. But only time will tell."
Cision Canada
16-06-2025
- Health
- Cision Canada
Government of Canada provides support for ParticipACTION to promote active lifestyles Français
OTTAWA, ON, June 16, 2025 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Adam van Koeverden, Secretary of State (Sport), on behalf of the Honourable Marjorie Michel, Minister of Health, announced $5 million in funding to support ParticipACTION's Let's Get Moving initiative for 2025-26. This initiative promotes physical activity in Canada through national awareness campaigns, community challenges, and report cards on activity levels. ParticipACTION engages Canadians online and in their communities through its Community Challenge, making it easier for everyone to be active, especially groups facing barriers to physical activity. Staying active improves both physical and mental health and reduces the risk of chronic disease. This investment underscores our commitment to healthier, more active communities across Canada. Quotes "Across Canada, physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour continue to be a challenge. Being active is key for preventing chronic disease and improving overall health and well-being. This is why we partner with organizations like ParticipACTION to promote healthier and active lifestyles nationwide." The Honourable Marjorie Michel Minister of Health "Moving your body should be simple, but for too many people, it's still out of reach. Let's Get Moving is about making physical activity more accessible so more Canadians can move more, feel better and live healthier lives." The Honourable Adam van Koeverden Secretary of State (Sport) "We thank the Government of Canada for its continued commitment to supporting ParticipACTION's important work. Physical activity isn't just good for us—it's essential for a longer, healthier, and more fulfilling life. It strengthens our bodies, minds, and communities. Now is the time to make physical activity a national priority and ensure that every person in Canada has the opportunity to be active every day." Elio Antunes President and CEO of ParticipACTION Quick Facts ParticipACTION is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization that has been encouraging Canadians to get healthy by making physical activity an integral part of their everyday life since 1971. Since 2018, the Let's Get Moving initiative has achieved results across its program of activities, including public education, research and community-based physical activity challenges. Last year alone, Let's Get Moving reached 568,000 participants through the Community Challenge. With this funding, this initiative is expected to deliver positive outcomes that will benefit as many people in Canada as possible, including priority populations. Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour levels remain high with only 49.2% of adults and 43.9% of children and youth meeting physical activity recommendations in Canada. SOURCE Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
CBC
03-06-2025
- Business
- CBC
'At the brink of falling apart': Sport organizations hope new government heeds urgent call for funding
At the end of a successful Summer Olympics in Paris last year, David Shoemaker issued a stark warning. Canadians took home 27 medals from France after standout performances in swimming, beach volleyball and track and field, to name a few. The Canadian Olympic Committee CEO said he believed Canada has the potential to do more, but that he worried the athletes' full potential won't be unlocked without more resources from the federal government. "I worry about performance in Milano Cortina and certainly for LA [in 2028]," Shoemaker said that day. "There hasn't been an increase in the core funding of the national sports organizations, the 62 federally-funded national sports organizations, in 19 years. They are having to do so much more with so much less, including the demands upon them to create a safe and barrier-free healthy sports system that we all want so badly." WATCH | Canada's new secretary of state for sport talks transforming Canada's sport landscape: Canada's new secretary for sport talks about transforming Canada's sports landscape 12 hours ago Duration 1:29 Fast forward almost 10 months and Canadians have a new government, led by a new Prime Minister, Mark Carney. The new person in charge of the sports portfolio is a familiar face in the Canadian sports world: Adam van Koeverden, the retired kayaker who owns four Olympic medals, including gold in the K-1 500-metre from the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. There's no minister of sport in this government. Koeverden is the secretary of state for sport, part of a two-tiered cabinet created by Carney. But much will still be expected from the former athlete. He's tasked with addressing funding demands from sport organizations. The magic number Shoemaker has cited is a $144 million increase to make up for two decades without a significant boost to core funding, now appearing as millions of dollars worth of deficits on sports organizations' books. He'll also have to navigate what's been described as a safe-sport crisis across the country. The Future of Sport in Canada Commission will report back in March, and van Koeverden, who gave his own recommendations to the panel earlier this year, will guide how the government will respond to its findings. Perhaps even bigger than all of that is preserving what sport means to Canadians at a time when that identity is under threat like never before. It's a tone both the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee struck in a joint statement released after the new cabinet was named in May. "As we face an unprecedented crisis of national identity, this portfolio will be critical in achieving this government's urgent nation building priorities," the statement said. "Sport unites Canadians like nothing else can – bridging geography, language, and politics." Fundraising for training When it comes to nation building, Nathan Bombrys sees a role for rugby. The Canadian women's rugby union team is ranked second in the world heading into the sport's World Cup in England, which begins in August. Bombrys, who is Rugby Canada's CEO, believes the Canadian women have a shot at winning the tournament. "If you follow the sport of rugby, it's literally planting a flag where it doesn't belong, and we have a team capable of doing that," he said. But the women's team has been fundraising just to pay for proper training. It would go toward things like holding training camps and accessing mental performance coaching. Even if they're successful in reaching the $1-million fundraising goal, Bombrys expects Canada will have one of the lowest budgets in the entire tournament. Performing well at that tournament, which is one of the biggest in the sporting world, would certainly fall under the nation-building category. "I'd like to see this government really appreciate the value that sport brings to the nation, to Canada, and really understand that," he said. Rugby Canada is also looking to see more corporate sponsors involved in the sport. Without more money, the future looks different. Bombrys said he's already having to make difficult decisions that affect athletes and programming. "Will we still play on the global stage? Probably," he said. "But wouldn't we like to be competitive and represent Canada well? Without that support, it's going to be harder and harder to do that." Staying afloat For Olympic athletes across Canada, funding is the number one issue, according to Philippe Marquis, a two-time Olympian in freestyle skiing who serves as the chair of the Canadian Olympic Committee's Athletes' Commission. Marquis was happy to see van Koeverden receive the sports file, and like Shoemaker, he feels a sense of urgency. "Sport organizations are at the brink of falling apart with the lack of funding and the resources," he said. "Everyone is tight." The way he sees it, national sport organizations and athletes are both trying to survive. For sport organizations, like Rugby Canada, it's having the resources to properly structure and deliver sport to athletes. For athletes, it's trying to attend camps and access proper training, all while buying food and paying rent. Having or not having that money could determine whether an athlete stays in sport or walks away. The 2024 federal budget increased the monthly living and training allowances under the Athlete Assistance Program, commonly known as carding, by about 23 per cent, retroactive to April 2024. "Was it sufficient? Not necessarily, and it has to be indexed with inflation and obviously what's going on around the world with cost of living," Marquis said. A familiar face The sports portfolio is nothing new to van Koeverden. Beyond his own career as an athlete, van Koeverden was Parliamentary secretary to ministers responsible for sport over two Parliaments. "It's been a joy and a huge privilege, but it's also been tough," van Koeverden said a few days into his new job. "It's a lot of work and I'm embracing all of it. But sometimes it's hard when you achieve a goal because you recognize that there's just so many expectations and work that you've got to do in order to achieve the good outcomes, the reason that you get involved." Exactly what Carney would like his government to accomplish when it comes to sport isn't yet clear. The topic didn't appear in the Liberal platform, nor has there been a mandate letter released for the sport portfolio. Van Koeverden said he's encouraged by how frequently Carney, who was a hockey goaltender in college, talks about sport. "I'm really, really excited because Mark Carney has clearly articulated his love and his passion for sport, physical activity and recreation in Canada," van Koeverden said. Whether Carney's government will increase funding of national sport organizations and multisport service organizations — such as the Canadian Olympic Committee, Canadian Paralympic Committee and U Sports — to the level that leaders like Shoemaker are calling for remains to be seen. But van Koeverden agreed he would advocate for an increase in core funding for national sport organizations, describing it as "critical." He also agreed that carding funding should be indexed with inflation, even though budgeting for that could be "a bit ambiguous." But just as important is funding the bottom of the pyramid, van Koeverden said, which helps get more people, including kids, playing sport. In his mind, funding sport at a grassroot level will help foster more Sidney Crosbys and Christine Sinclairs at the top of the pyramid. But keeping the most talented athletes on the ice, field or court, and helping them achieve their potential, is also part of the puzzle. "We continue to advocate to the federal government for an increase in funding [for national sport organizations]," Shoemaker told CBC Sports during the election campaign this past spring. "We think we're making a strong case. We think we're getting through. But only time will tell."
Toronto Star
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Olympic champion kayaker Adam van Koeverden steps to helm of Canadian sport
Olympic champion paddler Adam van Koeverden is the latest politician to step into the leadership of sport in Canada. The MP for Burlington North-Milton West in Ontario was appointed Secretary of State for Sport when Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his first cabinet last month.
