Waterloo region organization aiding Hockey Canada with sexual assault training workshop
Hockey Canada has turned to the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region (SASCWR) for help in training its athletes and staff to end sexual violence.
The move comes following revelations of how Hockey Canada has handled allegations of sexual violence involving players.
“There’s a huge need for these conversations to happen,” said Jacob Pries, project facilitator of male allies program with SASCWR. “Giving guys the tools to understand their role in preventing sexual violence… how they can call out their teammates or coaches.”
The two-hour training program comes with the goal of ending sexual violence in sports culture.
Hockey Canada reached out to SASCWR in June to provide mandatory training for all of its players and staff; one part of Hockey Canada’s commitment to address challenges facing the organization and sport, as laid out it in its Action Plan meant to address toxic behaviour on and off the ice.
Pries said they’ve been working with Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse to offer “leading by example” workshops to Hockey Canada over the summer.
They’ve had 19 sessions so far with about 380 athletes, including those part of the national junior hockey team ahead of the world championship set to start in Edmonton this week.
“[It’s] doing things like making jokes about rape in the locker room how that helps normalize sexual violence, and why it’s important to call that out,” said Pries.
It’s not the first time the support centre has worked with sports organizations. They’ve been educating athletes through their male allies program and the Ontario Hockey League onside program for years.
“We know a lot of the players haven’t had a lot of conversations about consent or how they can be leaders in their community to prevent sexual violence, so I think they’re looking for more conversations about these things,” said Pries.
Pries says while this training is a powerful tool there is still more that needs to be done.
“In the short term it’s a good first step, but again, the stuff we’re covering with the athletes is very much the introduction. There’s so much more we need to unpack with players,” said Pries.
He said everyone has a responsibility to be allies in the work to end sexual violence.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'