New Manitoba legislation would require independent investigation of abuse allegations in youth sports

WARNING: This story contains references to sexual assault and suicide.

The province has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting Manitoba children involved in sports from mistreatment, including abuse and discrimination, by their coaches and other officials.

If approved, the Protecting Youth in Sports Act would require Sport Manitoba, the main oversight agency for amateur sports in the province, to establish a "safe sport" policy that provincial sports organizations would be mandated to adopt.

The policy would set out "behavioural expectations and prohibited conduct for sport participants," including coaches and officials, as well as "procedures for review, disciplinary measures and appeals," the province said in a Thursday news release.

That would include implementing a system requiring Sport Manitoba to hire an outside independent adjudicator to investigate abuse allegations and provide written notice of founded abuse to provincial sports organizations.

"There has to be a balance there protecting the privacy of the individuals. But people that are in violation of the regulations and mistreat people must understand there are consequences to that," said Peter Woods, executive director of Hockey Manitoba.

The act was introduced at the Manitoba Legislature on Thursday by Sport Minister Nellie Kennedy.

Move in the right direction: Hockey Manitoba ED

The act says Sport Manitoba must give written notice to each provincial sports organization when an independent adjudicator finds that a coach or official has mistreated a young athlete, including physical, sexual or psychological abuse, grooming for sexual abuse, or any discrimination under the human rights code.

The legislation follows recent high-profile cases involving abuse in amateur sports.

In October last year, a former Winnipeg hockey coach pleaded guilty to sexual assault and luring after what prosecutors described as a sexually exploitative relationship with a teenage girl she coached.

Prior to being charged, Madison Biluk coached hockey from 2019 through 2023, during which time several members of coaching staff said her behaviour crossed professional boundaries.

And in 2023, Kelsey McKay, a former Winnipeg high school football coach and teacher, pleaded guilty to 11 charges related to sexual abuse of former players who were minors at the time.

Woods says people should support regulations that create a safer environment for everyone to participate in sport, and the new legislation moves in the right direction.

He says the act not only protects Manitoba players, but also puts management in a better position to eliminate coaches and officials who shouldn't be involved in sports.

"They should be removed," he said. "You're sexually assaulting somebody, whether that's emotionally [or otherwise]. Those are some serious concerns."