Media Releases

Ottawa – April 18, 2023 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Alex “Marcus” Vargas, a cheer athlete and athlete support person, received a lifetime ban for multiple anti-doping rule violations. The athlete acknowledged his own use of cocaine, as well as the administration and trafficking of cocaine to a protected person, in his role as an athlete support person, during the Alberta Cold Snap Classic on January 23, 2022.

Ottawa – March 29, 2023 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is pleased to announce that it has signed an agreement to join Abuse-Free Sport, the new independent program to prevent and address maltreatment in sport.

March 22, 2023 – In collaboration with several sport partners, Sport Law and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) will be hosting legal and leadership workshops across the country to increase the capacity of sport leaders to manage the complexities of leading an ethically driven and legally sound sport organization.

Ottawa – February 6, 2023 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Eric Chevrier, a weightlifting athlete, was reinstated from a lifetime ban from sport and is now...

Ottawa – February 2, 2023 – The Board of Directors of the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is pleased to introduce Jeremy Luke as the organization’s new President and CEO, effective February...

Ottawa – January 18, 2023 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has launched an expanded reporting service to receive reports of both doping and competition manipulation from the sport...

Ottawa – November 4, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Christine de Bruin, a bobsleigh athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on August 28, 2022, revealed the presence of SARM LGD-4033, a prohibited anabolic agent.

Ottawa – November 3, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has released “Transgender Women Athletes and Elite Sport: A Scientific Review.” The CCES commissioned this review of the scientific and grey literature regarding trans women athletes’ participation in elite and high-performance sport, with a focus on the state of literature about the science of testosterone and its impact on sport performance.

Ottawa – October 24, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Brendan Hagerman, a softball athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on August 2, 2022, revealed the presence of cocaine and amfetamine, two prohibited stimulants.

Ottawa – July 25, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that its board of directors has called on the Prime Minister of Canada and his Cabinet to take swift and...

Ottawa – July 13, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES), in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC), are proud to announce a pilot project to help national sport organizations (NSOs) effectively manage the threat of competition manipulation. Six organizations have committed to working with the CCES for 18 months to implement a competition manipulation policy, which will be supported by education, reporting, monitoring, investigations, and disciplinary proceedings.

Ottawa – July 4, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Scott Lieph, a softball athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on March 22, 2022, revealed the presence of mesterolone and oxandrolone, two prohibited anabolic agents.

Ottawa – June 27, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Zeyad El-Karsh, a weightlifting athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during out-of-competition doping control on April 9, 2022, revealed the presence of SARM LGD-4033 (a prohibited anabolic agent) and tamoxifen (a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulator).

Ottawa – June 10, 2022 – While recognizing a number of threats to the legitimacy and credibility of the anti-doping community, a dedicated group of National Anti-Doping Organisations (NADOs) have proposed the adoption of a ‘Declaration of Guiding Principles for the Future of Anti-Doping’ with a view to ensuring quality and leadership in the movement for doping-free sport.

Ottawa – May 30, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Donovan Burgmaier, a U SPORTS football athlete affiliated with the University of Alberta, received an additional three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on October 30, 2021, revealed the presence of dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a prohibited anabolic agent.

Ottawa – May 13, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Jessica Pietrzyk, a powerlifting athlete, received a four-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on February 12, 2022, revealed the presence of methandienone (a prohibited anabolic agent) and methylphenidate (a prohibited specified stimulant).

Ottawa – May 5, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is excited to share its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan. The plan outlines a clear and bold path for the organization over the next five fiscal years and reflects feedback gathered through extensive consultations with our sport community partners. Endorsed by the CCES Board of Directors, the plan is underpinned by a set of corporate commitments that put athletes at the forefront.

Ottawa – April 25, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Cody Sheppard, a powerlifting athlete, received a three-year sanction for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during in-competition doping control on February 12, 2022, revealed the presence of GW501516, a prohibited hormone and metabolic modulators.

Ottawa – March 30, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) and Sport Law are proud to announce the launch of Governance Essentials – a comprehensive new e-learning course designed to enhance the knowledge of Directors who volunteer on Boards. The three-hour self-directed course offers new and current Directors the opportunity to enhance their knowledge and feel more confident in their role as fiduciaries of a sport organization.

Ottawa – March 28, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Donovan Burgmaier, a football athlete, received a sanction of three years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete admitted to using dehydrochlormethyltestosterone, a prohibited anabolic agent, in 2016 and 2017.

Ottawa – March 3, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) has completed its pre-Games testing program for the 2022 Beijing Paralympic Games. This achievement marks the second successful round of pre-Games testing this year, all while managing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ottawa – February 14, 2022 – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that Darren Gagnon-Maltais, a powerlifting athlete, received a sanction of four years for an anti-doping rule violation. The athlete’s urine sample, collected during an out-of-competition doping control on August 1, 2021, revealed the presence and use of SARM LGD-4033, a prohibited anabolic agent.

Ottawa – February 1, 2022 -- A major research report issued today suggests that community sport has the power to deliver unprecedented benefits across Canadian society.

(Ottawa, Ontario – August 30, 2021) -- The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) announced today that it is no longer the anti-doping service provider for the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The...

(Ottawa, Ontario – March 25, 2021) – With interest in the activities of the Governance Review Working Group of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and a desire to see continued reform, National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADO) leaders recently gathered for a virtual meeting.

(Ottawa, Ontario – January 21, 2021) – Recognized as a world leader in anti-doping, Canada has further strengthened its commitment to clean and ethical sport by implementing the new 2021 Canadian Anti-Doping Program (CADP).

11 November 2020: Athlete representatives from 14 countries join forces with 14 leading National Anti-Doping Organizations (NADOs) to collectively call on meaningful reform at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). As individual organizations, we have repeatedly submitted formal proposals for change. Now we speak collectively to elevate our call for more independence, transparency, and accountability at WADA. And we reaffirm the need to strengthen human rights and eliminate conflicts of interest in the anti-doping system.

(Ottawa, Ontario – October 6, 2020) – The Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) is pleased to announce a new agreement with the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF). As part of this new partnership, the CCES will oversee various areas of the IPF’s anti-doping program including its compliance with the World Anti-Doping Code, athlete whereabouts program management, global test coordination and results management.

(Ottawa, Ontario – September 3, 2020) – In a two-part virtual meeting held this week to mark four years since The Copenhagen Declaration was published in the wake of the McLaren Report detailing Russia state-sponsored doping, international anti-doping leaders renewed their hope and support for the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to go “further and faster with meaningful anti-doping reform.”

(Ottawa, Ontario – June 23, 2020) – The CCES steadfastly supports freedom of expression for every participant in the Olympic and Paralympic Games and calls upon the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to amend Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter.