Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is proud to inform you that a new Safe Sport Policy Manual has been approved by the CKC Board of Directors. The Safe Sport Policy Manual, including a new Safe Sport Member Declaration comes into effect at the national level on March 1, 2020, after which members will be asked to formally adopt the policies by June 1, 2020.

The content of the Policy Manual reflects the outcome of an extensive consultation process with our community members, sport disciplines (Sprint, Whitewater, Marathon) and Athlete Council members and contains policies for the entire CKC paddling community. It also incorporates the critical aspects of the new Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS).

“We are both pleased and proud of the leading role Canoe Kayak Canada has taken to ensure the safest possible environment for its athletes and participants,” said CKC Athlete Council Chair, Genevieve Orton. “The policies and procedures coming into effect set a necessary high standard of behavior and conduct, and are equipped to follow up with an efficient and qualified response. If athletes – or any individual – feel they need to come forward, they should be comfortable that they can do so in a safe and secure environment with processes that protect their rights”.  

By adopting the new CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual, Canoe Kayak Canada has sought to further augment the manner in which it ensures that the health and well-being of its member and participants is protected. The policies are intended to promote a Safe Sport environment by setting a standard of expected behaviour and conduct, while allowing for consistent, immediate, appropriate and meaningful action should any issues arise.

Key Elements of the CKC Safe Sport Manual are:

1. An Independent Case Manager will review any complaints received from the CKC Community, and determine the appropriate level (Club, PTSO/Division, National – See Appendix A)to deal with the complaint using the appropriate policy (or policies) within the CKC Safe Sport Policy Manual. This Case Manager will be independent of CKC staff and volunteer leadership and will have the expertise and authority to delegate the handling of any complaint received to the relevant and appropriate level. The Case Manager will also be able to provide support to member organizations so that they follow proper procedures.
2. Rule of Two Integration of Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) Rule of Two, with clear direction for situations where only one person of authority can be present for interactions with athletes. These modifications follow the spirit of the Rule of Two, to ensure environments are open, observable and that persons of authority are transparent about the environments for which they are responsible.
3. Screening Policy: Updated screening requirements will be put in place that are tiered based on the level of authority a person holds and who the participants they are interacting with. Screening forms and tracking will be integrated into the new CKC Member Management System to facilitate these updated requirements and to assist member organizations in implementation.
4. Education Policy will provide guidance for both mandatory and recommended education around ethical behaviour, and creating environments free of harassment, discrimination and abuse for Athletes, Coaches, Officials, Sport Administrators and Volunteers in specific roles. This education will be through the CAC’s Making Ethical Decision Module and the Respect in Sport for Activity Leaders Program.

CKC will be hosting webinars, in both official languages, to help members better understand the new policy manual, the CKC approach and process for adoption. The following dates have been identified and we will send out more formal invitations for each session shortly:

• Tuesday, April 21, English (8:00 pm Eastern Standard Time – EST)
• Wednesday, April 22, French (8:00 pm EST)
• Wednesday May 13, 2020 English (8:00 pm EST)

This Policy Manual has been intentionally designed to be applicable at all levels of our paddling community. As such, Member Organizations are encouraged to adopt this

Policy Manual for their own organizations, and will be able to do so through a declaration, which will be provided by CKC. The specifics of this adoption process will be outlined in the webinar series and will be highlighted in subsequent communications with member Presidents and Commodores.

For more information on the CKC Safe Sport Policies or implementation plan, please contact Ian Mortimer at imortimer@canoekayak.ca.

About Canoe Kayak Canada

Canoe Kayak Canada (CKC) is the national governing body for competitive paddling in Canada, one of Canada’s top performing summer sports with a total of 24 Olympic medals, and a leader in the Paralympic movement. Canoe Kayak Canada is a member-based organization that includes an intricate network of clubs as well as provincial, territorial and divisional paddling associations. Elite National Team athletes proudly represent Canada at various competitions around the globe – most notably the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Pan American Games, ICF World Cups as well as Junior, Under 23 and Senior World Championships. Follow Canoe Kayak Canada on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.