Dear Members of the Ottawa Sport Council,
Updated February 27, 2025
The Future of Sport in Canada Commission wants to share with you a recent update from the Commissioner, Ms. Lise Maisonneuve. We invite you to share this information within your networks.
In her message, she highlights the Future of Sport in Canada Commission’s ongoing commitment to improving safe sport and the sport system in Canada. Since the launch of its public online submission portal, the Commission has held close to 300 meetings with various stakeholders, including athletes, parents, coaches, officials, administrators, sport organizations, academics, and victims and survivors of maltreatment in sport, both virtually and in-person across twelve cities.
In addition to continuing to meet with stakeholders, the Commission is now focusing on the next steps in its work, including the launch of a public online survey, the upcoming Preliminary Report, and the National Summit on the Future of Sport. More information will be shared shortly on those activities. Ottawa Sport Council will continue to update the Ottawa Sport Community on the updates from the Commission and different opportunities to engage and participate in the future of sport in Canada.
As we know, sport plays a critical role in the fabric of Canadian life. From community grassroots sports, cheering for our favorite teams or watching Team Canada at the Olympics, sport connects us together in many important ways. Sport is part of the culture in Canada and can shape lives and help build resilient and strong communities.
In May 2024, the Commission was established to bring to light the experiences, causes, and impacts of inappropriate behaviour in sport and how to improve the sport systems. These consultations throughout Canada are there to examine and review the Canadian Sport System and to make recommendations on concrete and effective actions with respect to:
– Improving the sport system in Canada, including but not limited to policy, funding structures, governance, reporting, accountability, conflicts of interest, systems alignment, culture and legal considerations.
– Improving safe sport, including trauma-informed approaches to support participants in the disclosure of and healing from maltreatment.
To learn more about the Commission’s mandate, we invite you to consult its Terms of Reference and website.
Please read the Ottawa Sport Council submission to The Future of Sport Commission communicating the challenges within community sport sector and the actions required to ensure spaces to play, funding, policies and inclusive and accessible sport is prioritized.
Mental Health Support
We recognize that sharing information with the Commission may be difficult. If you are interested in speaking with the Commission, please know that a professional mental health support person could be available to you if you wish. The support person would be available to contact you the week before a meeting and be present during and after the meeting. If you would like to avail yourself of this service, simply respond to this email to make the request. You may also consult the Commission website’s Wellness Support page for additional resources.
Privacy Notice, Consent to Use of Personal Information, Option for In-Camera Session
We wish to note that pursuant to its Terms of Reference, the Commission is required to inform all participants to its activities that the information sought from them will be handled in accordance with the requirements of the Access to Information Act (“ATIA”) and of the Privacy Act. The Terms of Reference further require that the Commission seek explicit consent from participants for their information to be used. You can read the Privacy Notice here and find attached to the registration link a consent form for all individuals who meet with the Commission to sign ahead of a meeting.
We thank you for considering this invitation to meet with the Future of Sport in Canada Commission. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Kind regards,
Frances Mercer
Executive Director – Ottawa Sport Council
www.sportottawa.ca
[email protected]