Skip to content

Safe sport campaign builds momentun in province

The Government of Saskatchewan and Sask Sport Inc., are launching the second phase of a joint marketing campaign to ensure a healthy, safe and respectful environment for all participants in amateur sport in the province.
graphic

The Government of Saskatchewan and Sask Sport Inc., are launching the second phase of a joint marketing campaign to ensure a healthy, safe and respectful environment for all participants in amateur sport in the province.

 

“We are proud to partner with Sask Sport, recognized as a leader across Canada for their dispute resolution services and tools, on this important initiative,” Parks, Culture and Sport Minister Gene Makowsky said. “Following a growing movement of what is no longer acceptable in sport, this campaign increases awareness of the valuable tools available to assist coaches, athletes and parents.”

 

Today, the second phase of the online campaign kicks off with ads on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. This campaign first launched in October 2019 to build awareness of resources to address bullying, abuse, harassment and discrimination in sport.

 

In particular, the campaign focuses on the Respect Resource Line, where expert staff provide information, bilingual support, resources and referrals by phone, text or email. This confidential and anonymous resource is intended to assist coaches, athletes and parents in determining the most appropriate course of action.

 

“Sport enriches lives, teaches valuable life skills, and builds close-knit communities,” Sask Sport Volunteer Board Chair Kenric Exner said. “To ensure sport is a positive experience for all, Sask Sport, our members and our many partners have been leaders in preventing and dealing with negative situations when they do occur. We thank the Government of Saskatchewan for working with us on this campaign to keep sport healthy, safe and fun for everyone.”

 

The Government of Saskatchewan and Sask Sport acknowledge the ongoing partnership with Respect Group Co-Founder Sheldon Kennedy whose efforts have been foundational to this initiative.

 

“I applaud Saskatchewan for their leadership in child protection,” Kennedy said. “Giving people an outlet to seek advice on scary issues is the key to prevention and early intervention.”

 

Sask Sport provides additional resources, such as the Respect in Sport online training program for coaches and activity leaders to ensure more coaches are trained in current safe sport best practices.

 

As part of the campaign, posters will be distributed to schools and recreation facilities across the province. To access and print these materials, or for more information on the various sport resources, contacts and training, visit http://www.sasksport.sk.ca/safesport/.