Thank you very much to everyone who attended and made the Ottawa Sport Council’s 11th annual Ottawa Sport Summit a great success!
The 2025 Summit on Leadership Foundations and Risk Management for Community Sport was held on Nov. 29 at Bayview Yards.
FEEDBACK SURVEY
We are already planning for 2026 and we’d really appreciate hearing your feedback on the Summit via the short survey below.
DONATIONS
With your generous support, we continue to raise funds for the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation, which provides direct support to local sports organizations helping kids facing socio-economic barriers to sport participation with Community Opportunity Grants.
RESOURCES
Here are some links and post-event resources from our Summit facilitators.
Leadership Foundations Presentation Slides by Brian Edey of BE Leadership.
Brené Brown’s TED Talk on The Power of Vulnerability
Frances Frei TED Talk on How to Build and Rebuild Trust
Book by Jeff Wetzler – Ask: Tap Into the Hidden Wisdom of People Around You for Unexpected Breakthroughs In Leadership and Life
Stay tuned here for more resources on Risk Management shortly.
STAY CONNECTED
Make sure to keep up to date on opportunities to Champion, Educate and Connect with Ottawa community sport by signing up for the Ottawa Sport Council’s free newsletter and following us on social media:
Instagram | Facebook | X | LinkedIn
2025 OTTAWA SPORT SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS VIDEO
2025 OTTAWA SPORT SUMMIT EVENT RECAP
Close to 100 members of the local sport community gathered on Saturday, Nov. 29 for the opportunity to champion, educate and connect through the Ottawa Sport Council’s 11th annual Ottawa Sport Summit at Bayview Yards.
Ottawa Sport Council President Mathieu Fleury kicked off the day with a summary of key moments from 2025, including the Council’s participation in the national Future of Sport Commission Summit, and then introduced the facilitators for the event topic of Leadership Foundations and Risk Management for Community Sport.
Brian Edey of BE Leadership presented his “cultural flywheel” leadership framework, which begins with vulnerability as its top item.
“Vulnerability is courage,” Edey explained. “Most of us have learned to think about vulnerability as a weakness and something we want to try to avoid. And I think it’s the exact opposite.”
The past Canadian international swimmer said this is especially valuable in sport settings, where athletes are constantly asked to be vulnerable by performing in front of audiences or to work on their weaknesses.
“We need to be able to lead by example and demonstrate that it’s OK to be vulnerable, and we want to encourage that,” Edey added.
The next steps in the veteran Canadian sports leader’s flywheel are building and rebuilding trust, fostering psychological safety, reframing accountability and embracing awkward conversations.
Edey also provided guidance on how leaders can approach conversations by listening to learn, asking questions, summarizing and checking-in. He gave a demonstration of how that could look with volunteer Julia Ryan, the new president of Weightlifting Ontario, and then asked Summit attendees to put leadership into action as they paired up with other attendees to hear about their roles in sport and the challenges they face.
Dr. Daniel O. Livvarcin, a professor at the University of Ottawa and CEO of Vectors Group, led the second workshop on Risk Management, showcasing how his ViStA Risk Management Framework (Vision, Strategies, Actions) can be employed by groups with limited time.
“I know you are already busy, extremely busy, with what you are doing in your organizations,” Livvarcin told the crowd, acknowledging that it can be challenging to find any extra moment to engage in risk management and planning.
But he provided tools and strategies that can be used at the office or at a meeting to chart out risks’ potential impact, probability and level of control to determine which are worthy of attention.
“Of course, we need to pay attention to negative risks and develop some mitigation strategies to reduce the potential impact of negative risks, but we also need to invest time and resources on positive risks,” he underlined. “Because nothing great will happen if we don’t pursue these opportunities.”
The event featured opportunities to network and connect with leaders from different parts of the sports community, as well as exhibitors from the Coaching Boys Into Men initiative at Interval House of Ottawa, Built to Perform performance dieticians, and the Ottawa 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, plus the chance to cheer on the Ottawa Black Bears with a complimentary ticket to their National Lacrosse League home opener later in the evening.
“It was wonderful to bring together a variety of different community organizations that form the foundation of our critical community sport sector,” highlighted Ottawa Sport Council Executive Director Frances Mercer. “It was inspiring to fill the room with a dedicated group of people who believe there should only be positive experiences in sport.”
Make sure to keep up to date on opportunities to Champion, Educate and Connect with Ottawa community sport by signing up for the Ottawa Sport Council’s free newsletter and following us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | X | LinkedIn.
REVIEW PRE-EVENT DETAILS
LEADERSHIP FOUNDATIONS AND RISK MANAGEMENT FOR COMMUNITY SPORT
—
DATE, TIME & PLACE
Saturday, November 29, 2025
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Bayview Yards (RBC Foundry Room)
7 Bayview Station Rd. Ottawa, ON K1Y 2C5
WATCH | 2025 OTTAWA SPORT SUMMIT PREVIEW VIDEO
EVENT DETAILS
The Ottawa Sport Council was pleased to host its 11th annual Ottawa Sport Summit on Saturday, November 29, 2025 from 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. at the Bayview Yards, RBC Foundry Room.
The year 2025 has been a pivotal moment for Canadian sport. We have seen a flood of new information and direction, reshaping the landscape from the grassroots to the professional level of sport. With the majority of participation happening in community sport, the need for effective leadership has never been greater. The 2025 Ottawa Sport Summit is designed to inspire and equip community leaders, coaches, and volunteers to navigate this evolving environment.
This Summit is designed for your entire team to attend – from your organization’s board of directors and administrators, to coaches, parents, community leaders and leaders-in-the-making. Together, you will take a deep dive into the very essence of leadership. We’ll explore how to lead with vulnerability and build trust within your teams and sport community while developing crucial skills in risk management. You will learn to identify both the positive and negative risks that shape your organization’s path. Through interactive workshops, you and your team will leave feeling inspired, unified, and ready to take bold action toward your future goals.
You can read the Ottawa Sports Pages’ article previewing the Summit and this year’s topic here.
FACILITATORS
Brian Edey – BE Leadership
Brian Edey is a Leadership and Culture Coach and the founder of BE Leadership. He supports individuals and organizations in developing great leaders and thriving cultures, guided by the values of curiosity, connection, integrity, and intentionality.
Brian spent 17 years working in Canadian sport with roles at the Canadian Olympic Committee, Swimming Canada, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee. A former national team swimmer, he won three bronze medals at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Through BE Leadership, Brian partners with coaches, leaders, executives, and teams to build trust, foster psychological safety, and embrace the conversations that help people and teams be at their best.
Brian will lead us through an engaging workshop on the foundational elements of team culture. Strong cultures in sport are built on relationships of trust, and trust begins with the courage to be vulnerable. This session introduces simple yet powerful frameworks, the Cultural Flywheel and the Trust Triangle, and gives participants the chance to practice applying them in ways that strengthen connection, well-being, and performance.
Daniel O. Livvarcin – Vectors Group
Dr. Daniel O. Livvarcin, CEO of Vectors Group, is a leader with a PhD in Strategic Management and authorship of multiple management and children’s books. His expertise encompasses strategic evaluation and planning, risk management, and AI for nonprofit management. Driven by a passion for community service, Daniel co-authored influential works like “Risk Management for Nonprofit Organizations” and “Understanding and Using AI.”
With a rich background in academia, including teaching roles at the University of Ottawa and Royal Military College, he brings invaluable insights to his consulting endeavours. Having collaborated with over 300 nonprofits, Daniel’s commitment extends beyond professional realms, as he finds fulfillment in mentoring youth and engaging with underprivileged communities.
Daniel will walk us through the ways that risk can be either negative or positive, and how both need to be managed. In today’s dynamic world, sports organizations face increasing challenges and opportunities, requiring leaders to use practical yet efficient tools for decision-making.
This summit workshop introduces the ViStA Risk Management Framework (Vision, Strategies, Actions), developed by professors Daniel O. Livvarcin and Rick Nason, which has proven to be a powerful and accessible approach to risk management. Participants will learn how to apply the Positive and Negative Risk Chart to identify, prioritize, and address risks while also leveraging opportunities for growth and resilience. By breaking down a complex topic into actionable steps, this session empowers unfunded, resource-limited sport leaders, teams and volunteers to strengthen their organizations and community impact.
As always, one of the Sport Summit’s goals will be to create dialogue between attendees. In addition to creating space for reflection and future innovation, you’ll have the chance to collaborate with peers and learn from the experiences of others.
LOCATION
RBC Foundry is the Sport Summit event space located in the heart of Bayview Yards building. Step into the Foundry and be greeted with ample natural light and a modern open concept floorplan, plenty of seating with audio and visual integration. The Bayview Yards building is a designated heritage site and the space incorporates industrial features that were original to the municipal garage that once repaired trucks and other vehicles. Paired with modern, urban artwork this space is a unique and memorable venue to host the 2025 Sport Summit – Leadership Foundations and Risk Management for Community Sport.
Time of Summit : 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Morning and afternoon light refreshments will be served)
Location: Bayview Yards – 7 Bayview Station Road Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 2C5
Parking and Transportation: Free ample car parking or bike parking on site or directly on the LRT Bayview Station. Bike or walk along the Kichi Zībī Mīkan scenic parkway as alternative options to reach the summit location or plan for a seasonal walk along the river afterwards.
OTTAWA BLACK BEARS GAME
As a thank you for attending the Ottawa Sport Summit, we’ll be inviting participants to enjoy a complimentary ticket to the Ottawa Black Bears’ National Lacrosse League Home Opener later that evening at 7 p.m. A great way to cap off the day! Your first ticket is complimentary from OSC. Link for tickets will be sent to registrants prior to the Summit.
REGISTRATION
This is a free event. We do ask participants to consider making a minimum $35 donation to the Ottawa Sport Council Foundation. The Ottawa Sport Council Foundation has been created to provide sporting organizations with grants to improve inclusion in sport. Tax receipts will be provided.
Registration is now closed.
For further information, please contact:
Frances Mercer
Conseil du sport d’Ottawa Sport Council
Executive Director, directrice générale
[email protected]