Ottawa considers restoring Hockey Canada's funding after 9-month freeze

The federal government is assessing whethertorestore millions of dollars in taxpayer funding to Hockey Canada after a nine-month freeze linkedto its handling of a high-profile alleged group sexual assault in 2018, CBC News has learned.

Minister of Sport Pascale St-Onge's office confirms Hockey Canada has now met all three of her requirements to restoreits federal funding. Her office is deciding if and when that could happen.

"We want to make sure that the new board of directors remains committed to [bringing] the expected profound cultural change within the organization," said Ariane Joazard-Belizaire, a spokesperson for the minister's office.

St-Onge publicly suspended the organization's funding in June after Hockey Canada'sexecutives testified at a parliamentary committee and didn't answer all of MPs questions, she said.

A financial statement shows Hockey Canada,the country's richest national sportorganization, received $7.7 million from Sport Canada in the 2022 fiscal year. The statement says the organization ended the fiscal year in June with $98 million.

"Hockey Canada does not need money," said Kate Bahen, the managing director of Charity Intelligence Canada.

"It has $98 million. There are many other sport organizations that actually need dollars to keep the lights on and Canadians want government funding to do good."

The funding assessment comes as Hockey Canada expresses concerns about handing over a finalinvestigation report into the alleged 2018 sexual assault to a parliamentary committee.

WATCH |What Hockey Canada knew:

Anatomy of a Scandal 2

2 years ago

Duration 43:54

Allegations about misconduct at Hockey Canada

MPs on the standing committee on heritageunanimously passed a motion onMonday directing Hockey Canada to sharethe finalreport drafted by law firm, Henein HutchisonRobitaille.Hockey Canada hired the law firm in 2018 to investigate the allegations.

A young woman filed a lawsuit last yearalleging eight hockey players including members of the World Junior Team that year sexually assaulted her in a hotel room after a 2018 Hockey Canada gala.Hockey parents were outraged to learn Hockey Canada used their registration feestosettle the case without their knowledge.

Conservative MP Kevin Waugh's motionrequested the committee receive a copy of Henein Hutchison Robitaille's final investigation reportwithin 24 hours. Thecommittee did notreceive the documentby the Wednesday deadline.

In a statement sent to CBC News, Hockey Canada said it toldthe committeeit "will deliver the report"but asked the committee "to consider the serious risks that producing the report to the committee could have on the ongoing police investigation and Hockey Canada's independent adjudicative process."

"If, despite those risks, the committee confirms its order, Hockey Canada will deliver the report to the committee," the statement says.

Waugh said he's disappointed Hockey Canada hasn't shared the report and said the organization's federal funding shouldn't be restored.

"There's a lot of questions, still today, around Hockey Canada," said Waugh. "They've got millions of dollars, second of all they're still not being transparent."

Hockey Canada said its own panelof two retired judges and a senior lawyer is reviewing the investigation reportbehind closed doors to decide if there should be any sanctions.

"As that process continues, all information concerning the contents of the investigator's report are held in the strictest confidence so as not to risk compromising the integrity of the panel's work," said Hockey Canada.

Jennifer Walinga, a former Olympic rower and professor in communications and culture at Royal Roads University, said Hockey Canada's statement sounds like a "manipulative tactic" meant to take a "protective stance."

"That excuse of confidentiality or privacy rights is weaponized. It's overused to the point where you're actually protecting the truth," said Walinga.

Liberal MP Anthony Housefather called Hockey Canada's request "reasonable".

"I think they want to be assured that thecommittee members will set up a process where we retain the information as confidential," he said.

London police are conducting a criminal investigation.Police investigators seeking warrants last yearsaid in court documents they have reasonable grounds toaccuse five World Junior hockey playersfrom the 2018 team of sexual assault. No charges to date have been laid.

'Morality provision' recommended

An interim report byHenein Hutchisonissued 11 recommendations to Hockey Canada in 2018 inresponse to the alleged group sexual assault.

CBC News viewed a copy of therecommendations that include changing Hockey Canada's code of conduct to include a "morality provision, specific sexual misconduct prohibitions, and specific and serious consequences" for any breaches.

The recommendations also included mandatory training on both the code of conductand "alcoholabuse and sexual assault avoidance." The law firm also said Hockey Canada should increase supervision at its events,prevent underage drinking,and limit its sponsorshipsof alcohol, as first reported by The Athletic.

In July, Hockey Canada provided a one-page copy of therecommendations to the federal government as one of the conditionsto qualify to receive federal funding again.

Hockey Canada also became a signatory of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissionerin October, a move that fulfilled a second condition for funding.

The minister's office confirmed Hockey Canadamet the final requirement for funding last month when it passed a financial audit that showed government money wasn't used to pay out settlements between 2018-22.

Adam van Koeverden, parliamentary secretary to the minister of sport, said the criteria "we insisted Hockey Canada comply with" were strong and he's "happy to see some progress."

NDP MP Peter Julian criticized the government, saying the bar to restore funding wasn't high enough.

"We've had the federal government simply not step up," said Julian. "The federal governmenthasn't obliged them to do anything other than pay lip service to serious allegations."

Hockey Canada said it's continuing to "work with the government on taking measures necessary to restore its funding."

It also confirmed it's still paying well-known public relations and crisis managementfirm Navigator on an "as needed basis in a limited capacity to support our communications team." Navigator's slogan is "when you can't afford to lose."