“No further comment while the investigation is ongoing.”

The institution of Hockey and the power of silence

TW: sexual violence

Over the past few weeks, Hockey Canada has had to answer questions regarding a multi-million dollar lawsuit settlement to a young woman who was allegedly victimized by eight men at an organization-sponsored event. 

Given that the organizations received funding from the federal government, the outrage was monumental and led to a call from the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. Three of Hockey Canada’s top executives answered questions with audacity and unpreparedness that can only be seen from white men in power. It did not go well for them.

By June 22, the government of Canada announced that they would be pausing their funding. Their sponsors, including Canadian Tire, Scotiabank and Tim Hortons, quickly followed suit. The reaction was brutal enough that Hockey Canada released an open letter to Canadians, acknowledging perhaps for the first time, that there was a toxic culture within the sport and that they would be reopening the investigation. As the walls qui…