The office of the Minister of Sport confirmed to Sportsnet on Wednesday that it is freezing government funding directed to Hockey Canada.
The news, which was first reported by TSN’s Rick Westhead, comes just two days after two of the organization’s highest ranking officials, outgoing CEO Tom Renney and president Scott Smith, testified before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Monday about their actions around June 2018 sexual assault allegations that recently came to light.
The focus of the hearing included questions around whether or not public funds were used by Hockey Canada in its settlement of the ensuing lawsuit last month. Canada’s minister of sport, Pascale St-Onge, called for a forensic audit of Hockey Canada’s finances earlier this month.
Six per cent of Hockey’s Canada’s annual budget – amounting to about $7.8 million – comes from government funding each year.
Hockey Canada, its finances, and the organization’s internal reporting structure has been in the spotlight since the June 2018 allegations first became public last month with the settlement of a lawsuit brought forth by a woman who says she was sexually assaulted in a London, Ont. hotel room by eight Canadian Hockey League players. She has not named the players, some of whom were on the 2017-18 Canadian Junior men’s national team, and has also made clear her wishes to keep her own identity private.
The lawsuit, in which the woman was seeking $3.55 million in damages, was filed in Ontario Superior Court on April 20. Terms of the settlement were not released.
Hockey Canada said during Monday’s hearing that a third-party investigation into the allegations was initiated in 2018 but ultimately remains incomplete.
— With files from Sportsnet’s Paul Grant
