“It’s time for them to go!”: Justin Trudeau opens the door to the creation of a new organization to replace Hockey Canada, as new sponsors withdraw their support.
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After Tim Hortons and Scotiabank, which ceased their sponsorship of the men’s hockey program for this season, TELUS and Canadian Tire followed suit on Thursday. In the case of the latter company, the decision seems final.
“It’s time for them to leave!”, said Mr. Trudeau on Thursday, while opening the door to the creation of a new organization to replace Hockey Canada.
“In our view, Hockey Canada continues to resist significant cultural change and we can no longer confidently continue together,” Canadian Tire said in a statement. We are proud of our sporting commitment and we will continue to invest in our national sport by redirecting our support to hockey-related organizations that are more in line with our values.
The opinion is identical on the side of TELUS, which does not however exclude allying itself again with Hockey Canada if the latter makes the desired modifications.
“We are deeply heartbroken at the federation’s lack of action and commitment to foster needed culture change,” the company wrote through a spokesperson. TELUS will not sponsor men’s hockey programs in 2022-23, which includes the upcoming World Junior Championship. We remain passionate hockey fans and stand united for systemic change that will ensure the game is safe for everyone.”
Hockey Canada continues to face a lot of criticism, including from the country’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, and members of the federal government.
In the midst of a crisis since the disclosure of a case of gang rape which it settled out of court with the alleged victim, the organization believes that it has nothing to reproach itself for regarding its management of the last few months, according to interim board chair Andrea Skinner, who also accused the media of misinformation.