Abuse-Free Sport Helpline

The Abuse-Free Sport Helpline.is here to provide you with advice, guidance and resources on how to proceed / intervene appropriately in the circumstances. The Helpline continues to be available to all Canadians, regardless of their sport, level of participation, or where they live within the country. They do not have to be participants of an Abuse-Free Sport signatory organization to access the Helpline.

Further information on their services and how to contact them can be found here. Some questions you may have with respect to the area you are concerned with or who is involved may be answered below, but if you are unsure please use this service to get the help and direction you need. 

Other Resources that may be helpful:

  1. Abuse-Free Sport website
  2. Abuse-Free Sport Mental Health Support Program
  3. Abuse-Free Sport Legal Aid Program
  4. Game Plan Mental Health Support
  5. Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport
  6. Sport’Aide (Quebec)
  7. Safe Sport Line (Manitoba)
  8. Sask Sport Resource Line (Saskatchewan)

Independent Third Party

An independent third party is an individual external to CKC who is responsible for providing expert, objective, external facilitation of complaints in accordance with CKC’s safe sport policies.   

CKC has retained Sport Dispute Management PC led by Jahmiah Ferdinand-Hodkin (she/her) to provide the independent third-party services to CKC’s community.  Any individual who has witnessed, experienced, or received information regarding maltreatment of any kind can contact Jahmiah for information about the complaint process or to submit a complaint.   

You can submit a complaint here – English Complaint Form –  or ask questions of the Independent Third Party by contacting Sport Dispute Management at complaints@sportdispute.com. 

It is helpful if maltreatment complaints are made as quickly as possible, but complaints will be received and processed regardless of when the concerning conduct occurred. 

For more information regarding Sport Dispute Management and the complaint process, please see their website here. 

Reporting Abuse or Harassment is often a difficult process. To this end, a person can expect the following when contacting the Independent Third Party:

  • All reports will be kept entirely confidential, in line with the wishes of the person making the complaint. This includes confidentiality from CKC staff.
  • Complaint will be followed up on in a timely manner.
  • The Independent Third Party is available to support persons making a complaint through the process and will provide advice and guidance on steps as and if a complaint proceeds.
  • Complaint will be taken seriously, and rigorously examined.
  • Complaint will be managed in the language, and by an officer of the gender identity of your choice.

Should any complaint or concern come to the attention of the CEO or any CKC representative, it will be forwarded to the Independent Third Party.

Reporting a Complaint

There are 2 mechanisms with respect to reporting a complaint which are used depending on the nature of the complaint and the jurisdiction of the respondent.  The table below provides some detail as to which independent authority would receive the complaint.  Again, for any questions please refer our CKC Policy Suite and to the Canadian Sport Helpline to help guide you through this process. 

What  Abuse Free Sport Participant   Individual (defined in CKC policies) 
Alleged UCCMS breach  Abuse-Free Sport (reporting link) Independent Third Party 
Any other misconduct allegation under CKC policies  Independent Third Party (reporting link) Independent Third Party