AJHL partners with women’s shelters to change hockey culture
Posted Oct 5, 2022 6:01 pm.
Last Updated Oct 8, 2022 8:39 am.
EDITOR’S NOTE: There’s been an update to correct the timeframe of when the partnership was made.
An Alberta hockey league is taking steps toward changing the sport’s culture and fighting against sexual violence.
The Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) is partnering with the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS) to give players the tools to recognize and prevent gender-based violence.
The partnership was announced before the discovery of two separate funds that Hockey Canada and their members can use to deal with potential sexual abuse claims.
“Really trying to break the culture of silence,” said Jill Shillabeer, the leading change call to action coordinator at ACWS. “Talk about these issues, talk about how we can make change, talk about how we can get people to safety, and talk about how we can prevent violence before it happens.”
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Some provincial hockey leagues are pulling support for Hockey Canada amid the controversy, though it’s not clear if Hockey Alberta will follow suit. A CityNews request for comment was not immediately answered by Hockey Alberta.
Shillabeer says the ACWS has a good relationship with Hockey Alberta and they’ve worked with staff in the past, which gives the group hope that hockey culture in Alberta will change in time.
“And allegations are going to come out because people now know that it is safe to come forward, that someone will hear them, someone will believe them when they come forward,” said Shillabeer. “And that is a huge watershed moment for a lot of people experiencing violence.”
Calls continue for Hockey Canada executives to step down after it was revealed the organization has paid out $7.6 million to settle nine sexual assault and abuse claims since 1989.
The organization continues to vigorously defend its leadership amid criticism over the handling of alleged sexual assaults and the way money was paid out in lawsuits.
The revelations include an admission by Hockey Canada that it drew on minor hockey membership fees to pay for uninsured liabilities, including sexual abuse claims.
“A culture that devalues women or a culture that exacerbates gender inequality really hurts everyone,” said Shillabeer. “This isn’t just a women’s issue – this is an everyone issue.”
On Wednesday, Hockey Quebec said it lost confidence in Hockey Canada and will not transfer funds to the national organization, including its portion of registration fees that went toward that National Equity Fund.
The Ontario Hockey Federation has also asked that Hockey Canada not collect the $3 registration fee for the 2022-2023 season.
BC Hockey says its staff and board “continue to monitor the challenges in our game and all of the developments in recent months.”
Tim Hortons announced Wednesday they have pulled their sponsorship of all men’s hockey programming for the 2022-23 season – including the men’s world junior championships.
—With files from Hana Mae Nassar, Cormac Mac Sweeney, and The Canadian Press
