The Novum Times

National Assembly committee calls for governance changes at QMJHL

—

by

The Novum Times
in

[ad_1]

Sports activities Quebec Information Hockey

“With an unbiased board, it is like a watchdog,” says Enrico Ciccone, the Liberal sports activities critic and a former NHL participant.

Revealed Might 30, 2023  •  2 minute learn

Enrico Ciccone headshot
“It is essential to place it in black and white, what you are not allowed to do,” says Liberal MNA Enrico Ciccone. Picture by John Mahoney /Montreal Gazette recordsdata

QUEBEC — A Quebec legislature committee needs to see governance modifications on the Quebec Main Junior Hockey League to stop hazing.

In a report on sports activities hazing launched Tuesday, the Nationwide Meeting’s tradition and schooling committee mentioned they’d just like the league to be run by an unbiased board of administrators, as a substitute of a board that consists of group homeowners.

The report, adopted unanimously by the committee, mentioned gamers additionally should be concerned within the senior administration of the league.

“With an unbiased board, it’s like a watchdog,” Enrico Ciccone, the Liberal sports activities critic and a former NHL participant, instructed reporters at a joint press convention with members of different events who sat on the committee.

Ciccone mentioned that boards made from solely of insiders are inclined to wish to shield their model and could also be extra inclined to cowl issues up — as was the case with Hockey Canada. The game’s nationwide governing physique got here underneath hearth final 12 months for its dealing with of sexual assault allegations in opposition to gamers on its 2018 and 2003 world junior groups.

The advice is one among 23 made by the committee.

“There are millions of younger folks in Quebec who apply sports activities, we wish it to be constructive expertise … in an surroundings that’s stimulating, however above all, protected, with none type of violence,” mentioned Suzanne Tremblay, the Coalition Avenir Québec member for Hull.

Among the many different suggestions are that the QMJHL set up what actions are acceptable throughout initiations and what constitutes hazing.

The committee can also be recommending that every one junior hockey and different sports activities organizations ban hazing, together with particular actions throughout initiations similar to tattooing gamers, intercourse acts, bodily violence and consuming video games.

“It’s to make it uniform,” mentioned Ciccone, including that completely different folks could have completely different definitions of abuse and a few gamers may even see abusive hazing rituals as regular

“It’s essential to place it in black and white, what you’re not allowed to do,” he mentioned.

The committee additionally mentioned the QMJHL must take steps to teach gamers about hazing and set up an unbiased mechanism for receiving and investigating hazing complaints.

Vincent Marissal, Québec solidaire’s sports activities critic, mentioned he hopes to see political motion from the province’s sports activities minister on a number of of the suggestions, whereas others must come voluntarily from sports activities organizations, such because the QMJHL.

Ciccone mentioned the committee gained’t hesitate to follow-up with the QMJHL to see if its suggestions are being adopted.

“The message we’re sending immediately is govern your self, as a result of if not, we’ll transfer to a different step,” he mentioned.

The QMJHL mentioned it’s conscious of the report.

“The commissioner’s workplace will take the subsequent few weeks to totally analyze its content material and suggestions to supply an enough response to the members of the fee,” the league mentioned in an emailed assertion. “We want to thank them for his or her work all through this initiative in addressing revelations of violence throughout initiations in junior hockey and its existence in different sports activities.”

The committee, which heard from witnesses in February, started finding out the problem after Ontario Superior Courtroom Justice Paul Perell accepted proof that former gamers in Canada’s three main junior hockey leagues suffered “horrific and despicable and unquestionably felony acts” by the hands of teammates and workers throughout initiations.

Feedback

Postmedia is dedicated to sustaining a full of life however civil discussion board for dialogue and encourage all readers to share their views on our articles. Feedback might take as much as an hour for moderation earlier than showing on the location. We ask you to maintain your feedback related and respectful. Now we have enabled electronic mail notifications—you’ll now obtain an electronic mail for those who obtain a reply to your remark, there may be an replace to a remark thread you comply with or if a person you comply with feedback. Go to our Group Pointers for extra data and particulars on the way to regulate your electronic mail settings.

Be a part of the Dialog

[ad_2]

Source link