Canada’s First Sport Integrity Commissioner Announced 

Montréal (Québec) – Sarah-Ève Pelletier has been selected by the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to serve as Canada’s first Sport Integrity Commissioner, to oversee the central hub within Canada’s new safe sport program.

Sarah-Ève Pelletier is a former national team athlete in the sport of artistic swimming with years of experience as a strategic, business and legal professional in the global sport industry. A member of the Quebec Bar and accredited civil mediator, she holds several university degrees, including in international business and in sport law. In her most recent position of Director, Sport Business & Sustainability at the Canadian Olympic Committee, she oversaw a wide array of portfolios, including athlete marketing and Olympian legacy, Games business strategy and operations.

“I’m truly honoured to be taking on this role at such a pivotal time,” said Sarah-Ève Pelletier. “There is simply no place in sport for maltreatment of any kind. Through concerted efforts on all fronts, using a people-centered approach, we can make sport a safe and welcoming place for everyone involved.”

The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner will operate independently to receive complaints about alleged violations of the Universal Code of Conduct to Address and Prevent Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). Where necessary, it will launch independent investigations and recommend sanctions against individuals who are found to have committed a violation. The UCCMS, which was adopted by all federally-funded sport organizations, sets out guiding principles for safe sport, defines maltreatment, and identifies prohibited behaviours and sanctioning considerations.

In fact, there is strong support in the sport community for this new independent service, which is expected to launch later this spring. “Fifty of the federally-funded sport organizations have stated in writing their intention to join the new mechanism, which represents more than half of those funded by Sport Canada” said Marie-Claude Asselin, Chief Executive Officer of the SDRCC. “For these organizations, it sends a strong message to their athletes and other participants that they are committed to safe sport.”

“I want to congratulate Sarah-Ève Pelletier for her selection as Canada’s first Sport Integrity Commissioner. Athletes, coaches and sport organizations will greatly benefit from the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner,” said the Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec. “This is a critical step in moving toward our common goal of achieving a Canadian sport system free of harassment, abuse, discrimination or maltreatment. We must build an approach that works for and with athletes. As Minister of Sport, it is my intention to make this independent mechanism mandatory for all federally-funded national sport organizations. On behalf of our government, thank you to the new Commissioner for contributing to our collective efforts.”

Once the Sport Integrity Commissioner has settled in her new position in May 2022, meet and greet events will be organized for athletes, for representatives of the media as well as for other key stakeholders from the sport community.

About SDRCC
The SDRCC is a not-for-profit corporation created by federal legislation and funded by the Government of Canada. The mission of the SDRCC is to provide the sport community with a national alternative dispute resolution service and strengthen the culture of fairness in Canadian sport by resolving disputes quickly and efficiently and to provide expertise and assistance regarding alternative dispute resolution. The SDRCC is also mandated by the Government of Canada to implement an independent safe sport mechanism at the national level.

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For more information, please contact:

Marie-Claude Asselin
Chief Executive Officer
Mobile: (514) 465-7339
mcasselin @ crdsc-sdrcc.ca