TORONTO – Tim Hortons and Imperial Oil have joined a growing list of companies to raise sponsorship dollars following the handling of Hockey Canada for alleged sexual assault and out-of-court settlement.
Tim Hortons said Wednesday he was “suspending support” for the upcoming Men’s World Hockey Championship this summer in Edmonton, as the restaurant chain awaits details on how the national federation intends to take “strong and decisive action” after the “deep and definitive measures”. alarming complaints “.
“Hockey Canada has announced that it is committed to changing the hockey culture to make it safer and more inclusive for everyone, inside and outside the ice,” Tim Hortons said in a statement.  “We strongly believe that Canadians are urgently seeking specific details from Hockey Canada on how it intends to do so.
“We will re-evaluate our sponsorship agreement as soon as we have all the information we need to consider our options.”
Imperial Oil, which is the main sponsor of the Canadian National Under-18 Women’s Hockey Championships under the Esso brand, also said it was withdrawing support from the Junior World Championships while continuing to provide programs for young men and women.
The energy company took a more definitive step on Wednesday, a day after a statement was issued saying it was “concerned by recent allegations”.
“Imperial will not support the upcoming 2022 World Junior Men’s Championship under the Esso brand,” the company said on Wednesday.  “This is a matter of deep concern and we have communicated our expectations to Hockey Canada that concrete steps need to be taken to address security issues and ensure rapid cultural change.”
The moves come after Scotiabank, Canadian Tire and Telus cut all Hockey Canada sponsorships on Tuesday until the companies make sure the right steps are taken to improve the sport culture.
The federal government froze public funding for Hockey Canada last week.
Hockey Canada quietly settled a lawsuit last month after a woman, now 24, claimed to have been attacked by members of the world youth hockey team that won the country’s gold medal in 2018 at a gala and golf event four years ago in London , Οντ.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
Hockey Canada executives were voted on by lawmakers in Parliament Hill last week during a meeting of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to consider the issue.
Scotiabank President and CEO Brian J. Porter said in an open letter on Tuesday that marketing and events for global juniors would be canceled.
She said investment would be diverted to other programs, including one aimed at removing financial barriers for young people to play and the women’s world championship.
Canadian Tire said in a statement that the company was “deeply disappointed by the lack of transparency and accountability of Hockey Canada over allegations of assault.”  In addition to withdrawing support from global juniors, Canadian Tire said it was “re-evaluating its relationship with Hockey Canada”.
Telus, meanwhile, said it was redirecting money from sponsorships to Canadian organizations that support women who are victims of sexual violence.  The telecommunications giant added that he would continue to support women’s events and youth programs.
Business growth and partnerships previously accounted for 43 percent of Canada Hockey Funds, according to the organization’s latest figures, ahead of funding agencies (14 percent), premiums (13 percent), and interest income. (10 percent) and taxpayers’ funds (six percent).
Hockey Canada said last week that it needed to “do more” to build a safer culture after a tumultuous few days involving President Scott Smith and outgoing CEO Tom Renney being called to the podium by lawmakers.
“Unfortunately, we did not receive many responses,” Pascal St. Ong, the federal government’s sports minister, told reporters in Ottawa last Wednesday.
He said then Hockey Canada would recover its public money only when officials provided an incomplete report from a third-party law firm hired to investigate the 2018 incident that allegedly involved eight players.
St-Onge added that Hockey Canada must also sign the Office of the Integrity Commissioner, a new government agency with the power to independently investigate allegations of abuse and impose sanctions.
The woman who claimed the attack was seeking $ 3.55 million in damages from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey League and anonymous players.
Details of the settlement have not been made public, but Smith testified to the Hockey Canada committee that found the funds and paid the full amount, adding that no government money was used.
St-Onge ordered an inspection to make sure this was the case.
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage is set to meet on July 26 and 27 to hear more witnesses.  He also demanded a revised copy of the non-disclosure agreement related to the financial settlement along with a long list of Canada Hockey communications.
St-Onge said it learned of the situation on call with Renney just days before TSN announced the story last month.  Hockey Canada said it briefed Sport Canada on the situation in June 2018.
The House of Commons, meanwhile, unanimously approved a proposal by the Bloc Quebecois to pursue an independent inquiry into how Hockey Canada dealt with the allegations.
The group hired Toronto law firm Henein Hutchison LLP to conduct its investigation, but Smith and Renney told lawmakers that while players at the London event were “strongly encouraged” to attend, he had no mandate.
Smith said 12 or 13 of the 19 players from the global junior team at the gala were interviewed by researchers.
Hockey Canada has repeatedly said the woman refused to speak to either the police or the law firm.
Smith and Renney reiterated to the committee that the woman also chose not to name the players.  They added that Hockey Canada does not yet know the identities of the eight players in question.
The independent investigation was completed in September 2020, but Renney testified that the report was incomplete and should not be made public despite the recommendations contained.
Smith testified at Parliament Hill last week that Hockey Canada had reported three sexual assault allegations in recent years, including the London incident, but declined to discuss the other two before the committee.
The NHL, which said it also just recently learned of the allegations, is conducting its own investigation because some of those players are now in the league.
This Canadian Press report was first published on June 29, 2022.