Creating safe environment is our top priority and is a responsibility we share with all sport participants. Athletes, coaches, officials, staff, and volunteers have the right to participate in a safe and inclusive training and competition environment that is free of abuse, harassment or discrimination – collectively referred to as maltreatment.
As a start, all Skimo Canada Participants and Stakeholders should read the Universal Code of Conduct to prevent and address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS), as amended from time to time by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC), and the Skimo Canada Code of Conduct and Ethics, as amended from time to time by the Skimo Canada Board of Directors.
All Skimo Canada Participants are required to take Safe Sport Training
All policies can be found here: Skimo Canada Policies & Bylaws
Reporting a Complaint
There are 3 pathways to reporting a complaint:
- If a) the Respondent to a complaint (the person against whom the complaint is made) is a Skimo Canada UCCMS-Participants, and b) the allegation involves a breach of the UCCMS, the report can be made directly to Canadian Safe Sport Program via their online Reporting Process.
- If a) the Respondent to a complaint (the person against whom the complaint is made) is NOT a Skimo Canada UCCMS-Participants, and b) the allegation involves a breach of the UCCMS, the report can be made directly to Skimo Canada’s Independent Third Party, Sasha Gollish, PhD P.Eng. ChPC, by email at sashagollish.com
- If the Complaint involves a breach of Skimo Canada’s Code of Conduct or other policies, framework, and guidelines, the report can be made directly to Skimo Canada’s Independent Third Party, Sasha Gollish, PhD P.Eng. ChPC, by email at sashagollish.com, or the Skimo Canada Chair (chair@smcc.ski)
List of Skimo Canada UCCMS-Participants:
- Board Members and Directors of the Board
- National Team Coaches
- National Team Athletes (Senior and Youth)
- Sanctioned Event Coordinators
- Skimo Canada Referees
OSIC/Canadian Safe Sport
Skimo Canada is proud to be a signatory to OSIC/Canadian Safe Sport, an independent third-party safe sport mechanism that is part of a growing national movement to rid Canadian sport of all forms of harassment, discrimination, and abuse.
OSIC/Canadian Safe Sport is a nationally centralized “one-stop-shop.” It is independent and led by experts in their fields, using education and research to prevent and address maltreatment at all levels of sport.
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (the Office) serves as the central hub. It operates independently to administer complaints about alleged violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) involving individual UCCMS participants of organizations that have signed onto OSIC.
Where there are admissible allegations of abuse, harassment or discrimination, the Office conducts independent investigations and recommends sanctions against individuals who violate the UCCMS.
The Office will also maintain a national sanctions registry, which prevents individuals from evading sanctions by moving to different sports or to different jurisdictions.
UCCMS participants under OSIC, there is access to a wide range of resources, including victim services and referrals to specialized mental health professionals and experienced lawyers – all of it available in English and French. You can access the website by visiting https://cces.ca/canadian-safe-sport-program.
Independent Third Party
Skimo Canada has engaged Sasha Gollish, PhD P.Eng. ChPC to serve as its Independent Third Party Safe Sport Officer. Dr. Gollish, drawing on her extensive experiences as Elite Athlete, High Performance Coach, Professional Engineer and Researcher will guide you through the complaints process and/or explore other options where appropriate. This Independent Officer is empowered to supersede the Skimo Canada board and personnel and to launch appropriate policies as required based on evidence or a situation reported. Your contact with this Independent Third Party is confidential, subject to certain legal limits.
The existence of this Independent Third-Party does not prevent individuals from contacting Skimo Canada directly with complaints if they are comfortable with the process.
You may contact Dr. Sasha Gollish directly at: sashagollish.com
Safe Sport Training
Sport Canada requires that individuals affiliated with a funded organization complete appropriate mandatory training on preventing and addressing harassment and abuse. “Individuals affiliated with the organization” includes an athlete, a coach, an official, an athlete support personnel, an employee, a contractual worker, an administrator or a volunteer acting on behalf of, or representing the recipient in any capacity.
The following Safe Sport training options are currently approved by Sport Canada:
This Safe Sport Training eLearning Module is developed by the Coaching Association of Canada to give you the tools to recognize, prevent and address maltreatment in sport. The 90-minute free eLearning module is available in English and French, works across all platforms and devices, meets accessibility guidelines and is available now in the Locker. Click https://coach.ca/sport-safety/safe-sport-training to learn more.
Additional Training
Education Resources
For further information on recognizing harassment and abuse, please visit the following resources:
Skimo Canada 