New Hockey Canada boss Kathy Henderson calls Calgary summit humbling

Hockey Canada hosts Calgary summit In a bid to be more transparent, Hockey Canada is hosting a Calgary summit. Austin Lee reports.

CALGARY — The new head of Hockey Canada called what she heard at its summit humbling and eye-opening.

Katherine Henderson took over as president and chief executive officer of Hockey Canada this summer amid calls for culture change in both the organization and the sport.

A two-day Beyond The Boards Summit in Calgary examined toxic masculinity in the elite men's game as a root cause of racism, sexism, homophobia and discrimination in the sport.

The 160 attendees included hockey leaders from minor to pro.

They heard from Bill Proudman, who co-founded White Men as Full Diversity Partners and has also worked with the NHL, as well as federal sports minister Carla Qualtrough.

Former NHL player and sexual abuse survivor Sheldon Kennedy, who has been an advocate for child abuse education and prevention for 27 years, was also among the speakers.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 9, 2023.