The Quebec government is preparing for its consultation process on Bill 45 – which amends the act respecting safety in sports – to reinforce protections for people in sports and recreation in the province.
Minister of Sports, Recreation, and the Outdoors Isabelle Charest tabled Bill 45 at the beginning of February. According to Charest, the reform is in “response” to the inquiries (2023) into violence in sports by the provincial government, which showed the need for more “grip” on how complaints of harassment and abuse are handled.
Under Bill 45, a sport and recreation integrity ombudsman will be appointed to handle complaints of harassment and abuse and they will be given more powers to investigate complaints right away, explained Charest.
Bill 45 also introduces certain requirements for criminal background checks for those that work with athletes and participants, and it applies to a wider range of sport and recreational organizations.
