Speed Skating Canada

SAFE SPORT

We’re committed to fostering a safe and inclusive environment — one free of abuse, harassment, neglect or discrimination, both on and off the ice — for athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators at all levels of our sport.

REPORTING

Speed Skating Canada embraces our responsibility to create, foster and maintain a culture within our training and competition environments that ensures positive, healthy and fulfilling experiences for all participants. Creating a safe and inclusive culture is our top priority and is a responsibility we share with all members of the speed skating community, including athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and administrators at all levels of our sport.

Our Safe Sport Framework is based on the combination of three approaches:

  1. Our values, Code of Conduct and associated policies set the foundation for our commitment to safe sport.
  2. Through education and prevention initiatives, we strengthen our system’s capacity to deliver programming and services in alignment with these goals.
  3. Finally, our reporting process is clearly defined to ensure that we respond to and resolve any concerns quickly and appropriately.

Safe Sport Speak Up Line

Speed Skating Canada and it’s Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations have partnered on the launch the Safe Sport Speak Up Line, a new independent reporting mechanism that supports the intake and management of complaints from all speed skating participants within the Canadian speed skating community.

The Safe Sport Speak Up Line can be used by all past and present participants of speed skating in Canada, including athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers involved at the national, provincial, territorial and club levels. Items that can be reported include governance disputes, non-compliance with organizational policies, and conduct or behaviour that results or has the potential to result in physical or psychological harm, including but not limited to, maltreatment, abuse of authority, bullying, harassment and discrimination.

The Safe Sport Speak Up Line is accessible online and by telephone. Complaints can be raised through the third-party hotline – on a confidential basis, with or without anonymity – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including weekends and holidays).

Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner

Speed Skating Canada is a program signatory of the Abuse-Free Sport program, Canada’s independent system to prevent and address maltreatment in sport.

Designated UCCMS participants – including National and NextGen team athletes and training partners; National Program coaches; and Speed Skating Canada staff and Board members – are subject to the polices and guidelines of the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC).

Reports and/or complaints of alleged violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport concerning UCCMS participants shall be submitted through the Abuse-Free Sport reporting platform. If you wish to speak to someone about your experience and/or regarding resources that may be available to you, you can contact the Abuse-Free Sport Helpline. They are available to hear your concerns, help you understand your options, and connect you with resources based on your needs.

Policies

To support important changes within the Safe Sport landscape, including the launch of two new independent reporting mechanism, Speed Skating Canada has created and revised several internal policies that establish expected behaviour, guide decision-making and promote accountability for all individuals associated with speed skating in Canada.

Access Speed Skating Canada’s Code of Conduct
Access Speed Skating Canada’s Policies

 

The Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) provides the foundation for a coordinated strategy to prevent and address maltreatment across all levels of the Canadian sport system, and for all participants (athletes, coaches, officials, administrators, practitioners, etc.). Speed Skating Canada has formally adopted the UCCMS as a key tool within our Safe Sport framework for speed skating in Canada. The UCCMS addresses:

  • common principles and a commitment to advance a respectful sport culture
  • standard definitions of various forms of maltreatment, including grooming, neglect, and physical, sexual, and psychological maltreatment
  • a list of other prohibited behavior such as retaliation, failure to report maltreatment, intentionally filing false allegations, misuse of power, etc.
  • a framework for determining appropriate sanctions against such prohibited behavior
Access the Universal Code of Conduct for Sport

Abuse, Harassment and Anti-Bullying

Speed Skating Canada is committed to providing a safe environment free of abuse, harassment and bullying, both on and off the ice.

 

The Abuse-Free Sport Helpline offers support to victims and witnesses of harassment, abuse and discrimination. This anonymous, confidential and independent service listens to a caller’s concerns regarding situations they feel are unacceptable, provides advice on the best process to follow, and directs users toward appropriate resources. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm ET, seven days per week, and is available in both French and English.

 

Speed Skating Canada and it’s Provincial and Territorial Sport Organizations have partnered on the Safe Sport Speak Up Line, a new independent reporting mechanism that supports the intake and management of complaints from all past and present speed skating participants,, including athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers involved at the national, provincial, territorial and club levels. The confidential service is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

 

This e-learning module on Safe Sport, developed by the Coaching Association of Canada, will help anyone involved in sport – whether you have direct contact with athletes or work in the background – to promote physical, psychological and social health, in line with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

Complete Safe Sport training
 

The Respect in Sport (Activity Leader/Coach) e-learning program educates youth leaders, coaches, officials and participants to recognize, understand and respond to issues of bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination (BAHD).

Complete Respect in Sport training (Activity Leader/Coach)

 

One of the most common reasons coaches, managers, officials and athletes, of all ages, cite for leaving sport is unacceptable parent behaviour. The Respect in Sport (Parent) e-learning program defines a standard of behaviour for all parents and creates a more rewarding, safe and respectful environment for everyone involved.

Complete Respect in Sport training (Parents)

Mental and Physical Health

Speed Skating Canada’s goal is to support and enhance the physical, psychological, emotional and social well-being of all individuals in the speed skating community.

 

The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport is a not-for-profit organization supporting the mental health and performance of competitive and high-performance athletes and coaches. It offers collaborative, sport-focused mental health care services designed to help athletes and coaches achieve their performance goals while preserving their mental health and well-being.

 

Powered by the Coaching Association of Canada, the Mental Health and Sport Resource Hub provides the tools and information to overcome stigma and guide conversations about mental health. This free online portal offers training and resources for coaches to develop mental health literacy and positive coaching practices to improve performance and well-being in sport.

 

This e-learning module on concussion awareness, developed by the Coaching Association of Canada, will help you gain the knowledge and skills required to ensure the safety of all participants, including yourself.

Complete Making Head Way in Speed Skating
 

The Concussion Awareness Training Tool (CATT) is an online course designed to provide coaches and parents with the information they need to provide evidence-based care for their athletes who have sustained a concussion.

Complete Concussion Awareness Training for Coaches
Complete Concussion Awareness Training for Parents

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Speed Skating Canada is committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment for all participants, where everyone feels welcome and respected.

 

Learn how to create safe and respectful environments for girls to participate in sport and physical activity with this e-module for coaches and activity leaders, developed by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities in partnership with Canadian Women & Sport and the Coaching Association of Canada.

Complete Keeping Girls in Sport
 

This e-learning module from Canadian Women & Sport provides the information and tools needed to act on a commitment to gender equity, helping participants make policy and program decisions to better serve women and girls in sport.

Complete Gender Equity LENS
 

This series of e-learning modules, developed by the Aboriginal Sport Circle and Coaching Association of Canada, respond to the need for a national training curriculum with content that reflects the uniqueness of Aboriginal culture, values and lifestyles.

Complete the Aboriginal Coaching modules

Anti-Doping and Substance Abuse

Speed Skating Canada adheres to the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP) run by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES). We respect all rules regarding the use of prohibited substances and methods that serve to protect the integrity of sport and the rights of clean athletes.

 

This e-learning module, developed by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), addresses ethical sport, banned substances, supplements, and various other components of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP).

Complete True Sport Clean 101
 

This e-learning module on drug-free sport, developed by the Coaching Association of Canada, teaches about the consequences of using banned substances, drug-testing protocols at major competition, and an athlete’s responsibility for ensuring a drug-free environment.

Complete Leading Drug-Free Sport