(Ottawa, Ontario – October 19, 2018) – Canadian sport leaders are united behind a shared mission to put values at the core of the Canadian sport experience following a ground-breaking two-day symposium in Ottawa, October 15-16.
The Values Proposition Symposium: Building a Stronger Canada Through Values-Based Sport brought together more than 100 delegates from sport, academia, government and the corporate sector to explore ways to support values-based sport and to commit to specific actions that will advance this growing social movement. The event was co-hosted by the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and the Public Policy Forum (PPF), with financial support from Sport Canada and the University of Ottawa.
Delegates were inspired by an impressive line-up of speakers who all expressed their strong support for a fundamental shift in the way sport is delivered in Canada. Amongst the notable presenters were:
- Minister of Science and Sport, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan,
- Former Governor General of Canada, the Rt. Hon. David Johnston,
- Two-time Olympic medalist and clean sport advocate, Beckie Scott,
- Anne Merklinger, CEO of Own the Podium,
- Karen O’Neill, CEO of the Canadian Paralympic Committee, and
- Broadcast journalist and author, Scott Russell, of the CBC.
Delegates celebrated the many ways in which organizations at the local, provincial and national levels are taking deliberate steps to embed good values into their programs, policies and services. They also explored how to intentionally implement changes that will help to protect the integrity of sport while increasing the positive benefits for athletes, communities and the country as a whole. PPF will compile a summary report to capture the many commitments to action and to confirm the path forward.
The symposium was the culminating event of a series of five roundtables that the CCES and PPF co-hosted across Canada this spring. The roundtables explored actions and policies aimed at ensuring that values-based sport is an intentional and fundamental part of the Canadian sport system, from playground to podium. Major takeaways from the roundtables were the need for common language to identify and measure good sport, the application of the True Sport Principles as a framework and the need for structures to support values-based sport. Read the roundtables report.
Quotes
“Canadian athletes and coaches take great pride in achieving excellence on and off the field of play, but it is never excellence at all costs. How athletes achieve excellence is as important to us as the results. Canadian athletes have shown the world we can own the podium through a values-based approach to sport.”
- Anne Merklinger, CEO, Own the Podium
“The symposium was a rallying cry for the many segments of Canadian sport to consider what their contribution will be to values-based sport. Every action and commitment will be part of a meaningful shift toward a culture that views values and principles as just another fundamental takeaway from sport. The CCES and the True Sport Foundation remain as committed as ever to being champions for values-based sport and I’m excited to see where we go from here.”
- Paul Melia, President and CEO, Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and Chair of the Board of Directors of the True Sport Foundation
About the CCES
The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization with a responsibility to administer the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. We recognize that true sport can make a great difference for individuals, communities and our country. The CCES acknowledges funding, in part, from the Government of Canada. We are committed to making sport better by working collaboratively to activate a values-based and principle-driven sport system; protecting the integrity of sport from the negative forces of doping and other unethical threats; and advocating for sport that is fair, safe and open to everyone.