Ottawa – March 20, 2024 – Over 600 sport leaders have participated to date in leadership, legal and True Sport workshops as part of the Hope on the Horizon Tour. Launched last April in Charlottetown, leaders from Sport Law and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) have travelled to eight different locations across the country to host important conversations about healthy, human sport and address many of the outdated legal and leadership practices that continue to plague sport. As one participant shared, “We can’t modernize sport on our currently fractured and broken system. Let’s figure out how to work better, together.”
Since last year, we have collaborated with provincial and territorial partners in Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories, British Columbia, Ontario, the Yukon, Nunavut, and New Brunswick. Beginning March 23, we are delighted to be heading to Dieppe, New Brunswick, followed by stops in St. Catherines, Ontario, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and Ottawa, Ontario.
The workshops tackle topics related to outdated governance systems, insufficient risk management practices, depleted staff and volunteers, and a misaligned and under-resourced system. In addition, the workshops provide an overview of True Sport and how the principles can be used to create positive sport cultures. Those who attended 2023 workshops left feeling hopeful and supported, with a renewed sense of optimism as they committed to working collaboratively to advance a values-based sport system, underpinned by the True Sport Principles.
“We are galvanized by the commitment of sport leaders to address systemic issues from a place of heart. In our travels, we are witnessing a shift from fear to hope. Sport stewards are ready and willing to roll up their sleeves and get busy forging a new era for sport. They are ready to lead the radical re-imagining,” shared Sport Law Partner, Dina Bell-Laroche.
“As the network leader of True Sport and values-based sport, the CCES is inspired by the leaders across the country who have shared their passion for ensuring positive sport experiences. We’re motivated by the impact of Hope on the Horizon and the actions it has sparked for attendees, and we look forward to what lies ahead as we look to reclaim the promise of sport,” shared Karri Dawson, Executive Director of Values-Based Sport at the CCES.
We’d like to once again express gratitude to the following hosts for creating such a warm and welcoming environment for us to explore a better way for sport:
| Host Location | Dates |
| Sport PEI | April 20-21, 2023 |
| Sport Newfoundland and Labrador | April 28-30, 2023 |
| Sport North | May 26-27, 2023 |
| Markel Canada (Toronto) | September 12, 2023 |
| Sport BC | September 28-29, 2023 |
| Sport Yukon | October 26-28, 2023 |
| Government of Nunavut | November 10-11, 2023 |
| Sport New Brunswick | November 24-25, 2023 |
| City of Dieppe | March 23, 2024 |
| Sport Manitoba | May 3-4, 2024 |
| Brock University’s Centre for Sport Capacity | May 24-25, 2024 |
| Ottawa, Ontario | June 4, 2024 |
If you are interested in hosting a Hope on the Horizon Tour, contact Dina Bell-Laroche at dblaroche@sportlaw.ca. We’re happy to expand the conversation.
About Sport Law
Sport Law has been providing strategic insight to the Canadian sport community since 1992. We offer a full range of consulting, leadership coaching and legal services to the Canadian sport community. We are accessible, affordable, highly skilled, and bring experience and common sense to every project. Our vision is to elevate sport. To learn more about us please visit www.sportlaw.ca.
About the CCES
The CCES works collaboratively to ensure Canadians have a positive sport experience. Through its programs, the CCES manages unethical issues in sport, protects the integrity of Canadian sport, and promotes True Sport to activate values-based sport on and off the field of play. The CCES is an independent, national, not-for profit organization that is responsible for the administration of the Canadian Anti-Doping Program. The CCES acknowledges funding, in part, from the Government of Canada. For more information, visit cces.ca and truesport.ca, and follow us on X (Twitter), Facebook, or Instagram.
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For further information, please contact:
+1 613-521-3340 x3233
communications@cces.ca