Integrity commissioner needs sporting body buy-in to investigate abuse complaints | Canada News Media
Connect with us

News

Integrity commissioner needs sporting body buy-in to investigate abuse complaints

Published

 on

OTTAWA — Two dozen complaints about abuse and mistreatment have been filed with Canada’s new sports integrity commissioner, but she cannot investigate most of them because so few national sporting bodies have agreed to work with her office.

Sarah-Ève Pelletier is hoping that will soon start to change.

Pelletier was appointed the country’s first sports integrity commissioner in April as the federal government moved to address what Sports Minister Pascale St-Onge has called a “crisis.”

Athletes have filed 24 complaints between June 20, when the office first began accepting them, and September.

But 16 of those are in limbo because only two national sporting bodies — weightlifting and volleyball — and three other organizations have signed up to use the service.

St-Onge has given all sports until April to sign on to the integrity commissioner’s system or risk losing their federal funding.

Pelletier said she is encouraged by the efforts she is seeing from sporting organizations to join the new process and said some may be hampered by the need to change internal policies or gather appropriate consent from all involved.

“By the end of the year, there is going to be a greater number of organizations on board,” she said.

In the meantime, she said the complaints that can’t move forward are not being closed.

“One thing that we’ll do is definitely make sure that if we’re not able to admit a complaint as of now, we do leave it open,” she said.

And she said the office will do its best to prevent the complainants from having to resubmit their information, “to avoid the trauma of having to recount your story twice.”

She also said she expects the number of complaints to jump quickly as more sporting bodies join.

Hundreds of athletes have come forward this year alone to publicly report issues of physical, sexual and psychological abuse from coaches, trainers and others in authority across multiple sports.

The Hockey Canada debacle in recent months brought a new level of pressure to fix what ails the sports system. But an attempt to repair it was already underway before news broke in May that Hockey Canada had settled a civil lawsuit with a woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted by members of the 2018 national junior hockey team.

Creating the sports integrity commissioner’s office to be a one-stop, fully independent complaint investigator is among the biggest changes.

Before that, most organizations had their own in-house process for investigating complaints, a process many athletes said left them vulnerable to retaliation or further abuse.

Pelletier is also mandated to conduct broader assessments of entire organizations or specific teams to look for systemic problems and recommend changes. She said an initial review to determine which ones will proceed first is done and now she is working to determine the next steps.

The office has no power to force organizations to follow its recommendations, but after hearing from athletes, Pelletier created a plan to report on the progress of implementation after one year.

“So that will make sure that we help keep the heat on,” she said.

There are calls for a wider investigation beyond what Pelletier can do. The House of Commons heritage committee, which convened in June to investigate the issues with Hockey Canada, is likely to expand its probe to look at other sports.

But the committee was focused on other things at its last meeting on Tuesday, and if there was a discussion about expanding the sports probe, it was held in secret.

Liberal MP Kirsty Duncan, who was the minister of sport in 2018 and 2019, said doing dozens of separate assessments for every sport will be time-consuming and labour-intensive.

She is pushing for a full public inquiry that would probe the problem of abuse across all sports, much like the Dubin Inquiry that investigated doping in Canadian sports in 1989.

“We’ve heard these stories in the media for decades,” she said. “How many athletes does it take to come forward before we have an inquiry?”

Pelletier would not say if she thinks a public inquiry is warranted. She said one big difference between what she can do in a sport assessment and what an inquiry can do is that the latter could likely subpoena witnesses so they are compelled to co-operate.

“We can very much incentivize and encourage that participation,” she said. “But there would be, as the process stands today, some limitation in terms of our ability to really compel participation and we understand that a public inquiry may have those attributes.”

St-Onge previously expressed a preference for any deeper look at systemic issues of abuse in sport to be kept within Pelletier’s office.

Adam van Koeverden, a Liberal MP and Olympic gold medal-winning kayaker, said he’s not certain if a public inquiry is warranted.

“I would welcome any further and deeper conversation on it,” he said. “Personally, honestly, I’d have to look into exactly what a public inquiry would entail.”

But van Koeverden said there has already been a lot of progress in the last several years to make sport safe.

“I wouldn’t want to derail the progress at all,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2022.

 

Mia Rabson, The Canadian Press

News

Looking for the next mystery bestseller? This crime bookstore can solve the case

Published

 on

WINNIPEG – Some 250 coloured tacks pepper a large-scale world map among bookshelves at Whodunit Mystery Bookstore.

Estonia, Finland, Japan and even Fenwick, Ont., have pins representing places outside Winnipeg where someone has ordered a page-turner from the independent bookstore that specializes in mystery and crime fiction novels.

For 30 years, the store has been offering fans of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot or Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes a place to get lost in whodunits both old and new.

Jack and Wendy Bumsted bought the shop in the Crescentwood neighbourhood in 2007 from another pair of mystery lovers.

The married couple had been longtime customers of the store. Wendy Bumsted grew up reading Perry Mason novels while her husband was a historian with vast knowledge of the crime fiction genre.

At the time, Jack Bumsted was retiring from teaching at the University of Manitoba when he was looking for his next venture.

“The bookstore came up and we bought it, I think, within a week,” Wendy Bumsted said in an interview.

“It never didn’t seem like a good idea.”

In the years since the Bumsteds took ownership, the family has witnessed the decline in mail-order books, the introduction of online retailers, a relocation to a new space next to the original, a pandemic and the death of beloved co-owner Jack Bumsted in 2020.

But with all the changes that come with owning a small business, customers continue to trust their next mystery fix will come from one of the shelves at Whodunit.

Many still request to be called about books from specific authors, or want to be notified if a new book follows their favourite format. Some arrive at the shop like clockwork each week hoping to get suggestions from Wendy Bumsted or her son on the next big hit.

“She has really excellent instincts on what we should be getting and what we should be promoting,” Micheal Bumsted said of his mother.

Wendy Bumsted suggested the store stock “Thursday Murder Club,” the debut novel from British television host Richard Osman, before it became a bestseller. They ordered more copies than other bookstores in Canada knowing it had the potential to be a hit, said Michael Bumsted.

The store houses more than 18,000 new and used novels. That’s not including the boxes of books that sit in Wendy Bumsted’s tiny office, or the packages that take up space on some of the only available seating there, waiting to be added to the inventory.

Just as the genre has evolved, so has the Bumsteds’ willingness to welcome other subjects on their shelves — despite some pushback from loyal customers and initially the Bumsted patriarch.

For years, Jack Bumsted refused to sell anything outside the crime fiction genre, including his own published books. Instead, he would send potential buyers to another store, but would offer to sign the books if they came back with them.

Wendy Bumsted said that eventually changed in his later years.

Now, about 15 per cent of the store’s stock is of other genres, such as romance or children’s books.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced them to look at expanding their selection, as some customers turned to buying books through the store’s website, which is set up to allow purchasers to get anything from the publishers the Bumsteds have contracts with.

In 2019, the store sold fewer than 100 books online. That number jumped to more than 3,000 in 2020, as retailers had to deal with pandemic lockdowns.

After years of running a successful mail-order business, the store was able to quickly adapt when it had to temporarily shut its doors, said Michael Bumsted.

“We were not a store…that had to figure out how to get books to people when they weren’t here.”

He added being a community bookstore with a niche has helped the family stay in business when other retailers have struggled. Part of that has included building lasting relationships.

“Some people have put it in their wills that their books will come to us,” said Wendy Bumsted.

Some of those collections have included tips on traveling through Asia in the early 2000s or the history of Australian cricket.

Micheal Bumsted said they’ve had to learn to be patient with selling some of these more obscure titles, but eventually the time comes for them to find a new home.

“One of the great things about physical books is that they can be there for you when you are ready for them.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 15, 2024.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

Labour Minister praises Air Canada, pilots union for avoiding disruptive strike

Published

 on

MONTREAL – Canada’s labour minister is praising both Air Canada and the union representing about 5,200 of its pilots for averting a work stoppage that would have disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of passengers.

Steven MacKinnon’s comments came in a statement shared to social media shortly after Canada’s largest air carrier announced it had reached a tentative labour deal with the Air Line Pilots Association.

MacKinnon thanked both sides and federal mediators, saying the airline and its pilots approached negotiations with “seriousness and a resolve to get a deal.”

The tentative agreement averts a strike or lockout that could have begun as early as Wednesday for Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, with flight cancellations expected before then.

The airline now says flights will continue as normal while union members vote on the tentative four-year contract.

Air Canada had called on the federal government to intervene in the dispute, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that would only happen if it became clear no negotiated agreement was possible.

This report from The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:AC)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



Source link

Continue Reading

News

As plant-based milk becomes more popular, brands look for new ways to compete

Published

 on

When it comes to plant-based alternatives, Canadians have never had so many options — and nowhere is that choice more abundantly clear than in the milk section of the dairy aisle.

To meet growing demand, companies are investing in new products and technology to keep up with consumer tastes and differentiate themselves from all the other players on the shelf.

“The product mix has just expanded so fast,” said Liza Amlani, co-founder of the Retail Strategy Group.

She said younger generations in particular are driving growth in the plant-based market as they are consuming less dairy and meat.

Commercial sales of dairy milk have been weakening for years, according to research firm Mintel, likely in part because of the rise of plant-based alternatives — even though many Canadians still drink dairy.

The No. 1 reason people opt for plant-based milk is because they see it as healthier than dairy, said Joel Gregoire, Mintel’s associate director for food and drink.

“Plant-based milk, the one thing about it — it’s not new. It’s been around for quite some time. It’s pretty established,” said Gregoire.

Because of that, it serves as an “entry point” for many consumers interested in plant-based alternatives to animal products, he said.

Plant-based milk consumption is expected to continue growing in the coming years, according to Mintel research, with more options available than ever and more consumers opting for a diet that includes both dairy and non-dairy milk.

A 2023 report by Ernst & Young for Protein Industries Canada projected that the plant-based dairy market will reach US$51.3 billion in 2035, at a compound annual growth rate of 9.5 per cent.

Because of this growth opportunity, even well-established dairy or plant-based companies are stepping up their game.

It’s been more than three decades since Saint-Hyacinthe, Que.-based Natura first launched a line of soy beverages. Over the years, the company has rolled out new products to meet rising demand, and earlier this year launched a line of oat beverages that it says are the only ones with a stamp of approval from Celiac Canada.

Competition is tough, said owner and founder Nick Feldman — especially from large American brands, which have the money to ensure their products hit shelves across the country.

Natura has kept growing, though, with a focus on using organic ingredients and localized production from raw materials.

“We’re maybe not appealing to the mass market, but we’re appealing to the natural consumer, to the organic consumer,” Feldman said.

Amlani said brands are increasingly advertising the simplicity of their ingredient lists. She’s also noticing more companies offering different kinds of products, such as coffee creamers.

Companies are also looking to stand out through eye-catching packaging and marketing, added Amlani, and by competing on price.

Besides all the companies competing for shelf space, there are many different kinds of plant-based milk consumers can choose from, such as almond, soy, oat, rice, hazelnut, macadamia, pea, coconut and hemp.

However, one alternative in particular has enjoyed a recent, rapid ascendance in popularity.

“I would say oat is the big up-and-coming product,” said Feldman.

Mintel’s report found the share of Canadians who say they buy oat milk has quadrupled between 2019 and 2023 (though almond is still the most popular).

“There seems to be a very nice marriage of coffee and oat milk,” said Feldman. “The flavour combination is excellent, better than any other non-dairy alternative.”

The beverage’s surge in popularity in cafés is a big part of why it’s ascending so quickly, said Gregoire — its texture and ability to froth makes it a good alternative for lattes and cappuccinos.

It’s also a good example of companies making a strong “use case” for yet another new entrant in a competitive market, he said.

Amid the long-standing brands and new entrants, there’s another — perhaps unexpected — group of players that has been increasingly investing in plant-based milk alternatives: dairy companies.

For example, Danone has owned the Silk and So Delicious brands since an acquisition in 2014, and long-standing U.S. dairy company HP Hood LLC launched Planet Oat in 2018.

Lactalis Canada also recently converted its facility in Sudbury, Ont., to manufacture its new plant-based Enjoy! brand, with beverages made from oats, almonds and hazelnuts.

“As an organization, we obviously follow consumer trends, and have seen the amount of interest in plant-based products, particularly fluid beverages,” said Mark Taylor, president and CEO of Lactalis Canada, whose parent company Lactalis is the largest dairy products company in the world.

The facility was a milk processing plant for six decades, until Lactalis Canada began renovating it in 2022. It now manufactures not only the new brand, but also the company’s existing Sensational Soy brand, and is the company’s first dedicated plant-based facility.

“We’re predominantly a dairy company, and we’ll always predominantly be a dairy company, but we see these products as complementary,” said Taylor.

It makes sense that major dairy companies want to get in on plant-based milk, said Gregoire. The dairy business is large — a “cash cow,” if you will — but not really growing, while plant-based products are seeing a boom.

“If I’m looking for avenues of growth, I don’t want to be left behind,” he said.

Gregoire said there’s a potential for consumers to get confused with so many options, which is why it’s so important for brands to find a way to differentiate themselves, whether it’s with taste, health, or how well the drink froths for a latte.

Competition in a more crowded market is challenging, but Taylor believes it results in better products for consumers.

“It keeps you sharp, and it forces you to be really good at what you’re doing. It drives innovation,” he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 15, 2024.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version