A local hockey association in Quebec says it will not send any more funds to Hockey Canada and is calling on other associations to also cut ties with the beleaguered organization.
The Granby Minor Hockey Association announced the decision after parent and coach Francois Lemay called for the resolution to freeze funds and for others to do so.
The national federation has been under intense scrutiny since the revelation quietly settled a lawsuit by a woman who alleged she was assaulted by eight players after a gala event in London, Ont., four years ago.
“Parents’ money will not go to Hockey Canada until action is taken. It’s a matter of respect and a message to our kids,” Lemay told Radio-Canada.
A meeting between the local associations and Hockey Quebec is expected to take place on Wednesday.
Hockey Canada executives told a House of Commons committee Wednesday that it had paid $8.9 million in sexual abuse settlements to 21 whistleblowers since 1989.
Nine of those claims came from its “Share Capital Fund,” Hockey Canada chief financial officer Brian Cairo told the committee, largely generated from membership fees.
Their contribution was about $25 per player.
“Counterproductive”
Rémi Meunier, the general manager of Hockey Estrie, has mixed feelings about the push to withdraw crowdfunding. A boycott could deprive players of domestic services and funding.
“It has to be done together. We are in an extremely uncomfortable position,” Meunier told Radio-Canada.
Jocelyn Thibault, the CEO of Hockey Quebec, says pulling funding so close to a new season could cause headaches. (Radio-Canada)
The provincial organization shared the same concerns.
Insurance, player registration and certification of coaches and officials are guaranteed through these financial commitments, said Jocelyn Thibault, director general of Hockey Quebec.
“A few days, a few weeks before the start of the season, I don’t see how that would be possible, honestly,” Thibault said.
Thibault said with the new season not far away, cutting those ties could be a headache, but added he understood parents’ discomfort with them.