Future of Sport in Canada Commission deadline extended after federal cabinet shakeup

Donna Spencer · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Mar 19, 2025 6:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The Future of Sport successful Canada Commission tin hold its last recommendations connected however to marque athletics safer aft it was granted an extension.

Steven Guilbeault, who assumed work for sports successful past week's national furniture shuffle by caller Prime Minister Mark Carney, announced Wednesday an hold to March 31, 2026, for the committee to reason its work.

The archetypal 18-month timeline would person ended the committee successful precocious 2025.

The commission's occupation is to springiness recommendations connected making athletics safer, successful airy of what's been called a safe-sport situation by Guilbeault's predecessors, and to supply opinions connected improving the athletics strategy overall.

Former sports curate Carla Qualtrough announced the committee successful December, 2023. Last year's national fund provided $10.6 cardinal implicit 2 years to the commission.

But aft the seventh enactment alteration successful 8 years to the national sports portfolio, the hold pushes the commission's last study from November 2025 into 2026.

While athletics has mostly had its ain public-facing individuality successful national authorities successful a decennary of Liberal government, it's been punted nether Guilbeault's umbrella a 2nd time.

Building 'safe, inclusive and welcoming' system

Carney made Guilbeault the Minister of Canadian Culture and Identity, Parks Canada and Quebec Lieutenant successful past week's furniture shakeup. Sport was besides nether Guilbeault's ticker from 2019 to 2021 erstwhile it fell nether his Heritage department.

Neither his office, nor the commission, instantly responded to emailed questions astir wherefore an hold was needed and what other clip volition accomplish.

"Sport builds communities, stimulates economies, and contributes to the wide well-being of Canadians and the country. However, without capable safeguards and accountability, athletics tin besides bash harm," Guilbeault said Wednesday successful a statement.

"That's wherefore the Government of Canada is moving to physique a safe, inclusive and welcoming athletics strategy truthful that Canadians tin acquisition the transformative powerfulness of sport."

It announced earlier this period it volition soon motorboat an anonymous nationalist survey.

The committee said successful a connection Wednesday the work of a preliminary study and a nationalist acme to sermon it volition instrumentality spot successful "early autumn 2025".

"The Commission has heard from galore to date, and we person been pleased with the precocious level of involvement from Canadians participating successful our activities, which further confirms the value of the Commission's work," Maisonneuve said successful the statement.

"This hold volition let the continuation of the meaningful dialog needed to make robust, well-informed recommendations to signifier a safer, improved athletics strategy successful Canada."

Meanwhile, the probe and absorption of maltreatment complaints successful Canadian athletics volition transportation from the soon-to-be-defunct Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) aft little than 3 years of operating to the Canadian Centre for Ethics successful Sport connected April 1.