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Joined September 2022
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We call on @SkateCanada & the Government of Canada to address abuse in figure skating following abuse allegations at Champs International Skating Centre of BC.
Our call echoes the demands for a national judicial inquiry @PascaleStOnge_ @SportCanada_EN 1/2
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Almost 5 months ago, a Commission into abuse in sport was announced.
Abuse cases continue to mount, and still, there is no mandate, details and a start date.
We are at a reckoning point. Will the Commission just be more listening or will it have the power to compel evidence?
🔊
Il faudra combien de victimes ? De témoignages ? D’allégations ? D’accusations ? De lettres ? Pour que les choses changent… Le Canada doit protéger les athlètes. Et les croire. @CQualtro @IsabelleCharest @SkateCanada @patinageqc
Thank you. 🤍
Sending love and strength to all the survivors represented by this letter. Thank you to @FSforChangeCan. Change is a marathon, not a sprint but it’s still disappointing to see sport orgs + govm’t completely failing to protect athletes, even after such important protest.
1/2 🗓️ Yesterday marked the one year anniversary since our open letter was released, calling on Skate Canada and the Canadian Government to address the longstanding issues of abuse in figure skating.
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
The week isn’t over yet: another story out of @gymcan1. Elvira Saadi, longtime national coach, has been banned for life from coaching athletes but the discipline panel has permitted her to train coaches after a 10-year suspension.
@CQualtro ready for that national inquiry yet?
Breaking: Elvira Saadi banned for life from "... coaching athletes directly, judging, officiating, attending competitions, developing content for training or competitions, or volunteering..."
Privileged to have acted as co-counsel for Complainant B along with @amandakfowler.
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Please read this piece from our own @kimshore2022.
We thought those in power would come running to the rescue once they knew how rampant the abuse crisis in sport was. We were wrong. A year later and we have no meaningful solutions.
National inquiry now.
A free link below to @kimshore2022’s op-ed in the Globe and Mail today. As she says, the day of reckoning for Canadian sport cannot be put off for much longer. Every day without an inquiry is a day another child is abused. Enough is enough @CQualtro.
theglobeandmail.com/gift/2ab…
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Judge Aquilina will also be testifying on 19 June from 11:00am-12:00pm at the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.
Live-streaming:
Testimony: ourcommons.ca/Committees/en/…
Press conference: cpac.ca/
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Coalition Against Abuse calls on the Canadian Prime Minister @JustinTrudeau to launch a national inquiry.
Today’s open letter was signed by 27 organisations, including @hrw @AthleteAlly and @survivorsarmy
Organisations can join the letter via bit.ly/42gOXpk 1/2
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
The power imbalances in the sport context are very real. Survivors (esp. men) often still don’t feel safe coming forward because of the equally real stigma, victim blaming, and retaliation they’re faced with if they do, including from friends + teammates.
Cc: Andrew Shaw.
For anyone still struggling to understand how power imbalances work in the context of abuse, Sugar Ray Leonard's autobiography may help.
Leonard was abused by a coach a few years before he boxed at 1976 Olympics. He kept that secret for nearly 40 years.
nytimes.com/2011/05/18/sport…
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Tonight, Vicky Paraschak was honoured as one of the YMCA’s Women of Excellence for 2023. A passionate advocate for change and member of Scholars Against Abuse in Canadian Sport, Dr. Paraschak used part of her acceptance speech to call for a national inquiry into abuse in sport!✊🏻
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
“We are hopeful that the athlete committee will support our initiative of full & entire ban of Russian athletes & officials… until the end of the unprovoked Russian invasion of Ukraine” A.Khnychenkova, chair of Ukrainian Figure Skating Athletes Commission reuters.com/sports/athletics…
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Deeply concerned by the 🇨🇦 government’s response to our petition for a national inquiry into abuse in sport. Over 700 signatures, asking **specifically** for an inquiry, but @PascaleStOnge_ points back to band-aide initiatives within @SportCanada_EN 😞
petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/P…
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
To be very clear, it has been Canadian athletes calling for an inquiry for over a year. @ownthepodium is just coming to the table now. Money will not fix the broken system; empirical data will.
@Gym4ChangeCan @Fencing4Change @FSforChangeCan @TimeforchangeB1 @SAACS23
1/3 - I share the position taken by Anne Merklinger in supporting a national sport inquiry on the entire Canadian sport system (including safe sport of course, but 'not limited to safe sport') ... /2 thestar.com/sports/2023/05/1….
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
I made it clear in 2019 that the sport system would only change if federal funding was tied to proven efforts on ending abuse and tackling governance and accountability.
This is yet another reason why why we need a national public inquiry into sport.
theglobeandmail.com/canada/a…
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
The Canadian Minister of Sport @PascaleStOnge_ just announced safe sport measures that fail to address the human rights crisis occurring in Canadian sport and once agains has ignored the athlete voice.
Full statement via bit.ly/3MguivN
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Today in Canada, a likely announcement from the Minister for Sport @PascaleStOnge_ has athlete groups & survivors concerned given there has been no engagement with these groups.
@SportCanada_EN
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
The judicial inquiry Canadian athletes are calling for must:
➡️ include survivor groups
➡️ have public & in-camera hearings
➡️ be trauma-informed
➡️ scrutinises existing system (incl. orgs @ownthepodium @SportCanada_EN @AthletesCAN @CDNParalympics @TeamCanada)
@PascaleStOnge_
Figure Skating for Change Canada retweeted
Rumor has it that @PascaleStOnge_ will hold a round table discussion this Thursday bringing like minded athletes together to support her narrative. At the same time those calling for an inquiry are ignored.
@Gym4ChangeCan @Fencing4Change @FSforChangeCan @GlobalAthleteHQ
In a letter sent to the Canadian Minister of Sport @PascaleStOnge_, on 4 May 2023, athlete groups expressed their concerns of the Minister’s forthcoming actions and the ongoing silencing of athletes calls for judicial inquiry.
Full letter can be read via globalathlete.org/our-word/o…
