Murray Wood: Of Easter bunny bells and Juicy Fruit gum
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Groups overseeing hockey, speedskating, boxing and table tennis in Canada say their Alberta event schedules haven’t changed, even though the body that governs figure skating has iced the province over its law banning transgender athletes from female amateur sport.
Hockey Canada, Speed Skating Canada, Boxing Canada and Table Tennis Canada say none of their events have been cancelled in Alberta.
Skate Canada announced Tuesday it’s unable to host its events in Alberta over the provincial Fairness and Safety in Sport Act.
The law prevents transgender Albertans who are 12 and older from competing in female-only sports.
Christopher Lindsay, a spokesperson for Boxing Canada, said in an email Thursday that not changing its Alberta schedule doesn’t “represent support for, or against, the actions taken by Skate Canada.”
“All sports are different … boxing, where points are literally awarded for successfully hitting your opponent, should not be subject to the same rules as sports where success is dictated by time taken, speed achieved, distance covered, weight lifted, or artistic impression made.”
Speed Skating Canada’s CEO said although the group values its participants and wants to be inclusive, it’s important to be pragmatic.
“One of our national training centres is based in Calgary,” said Joe Morissette.
“We have over 25 athletes there. We host numerous national and international championships there each and every year. The calendar has been set for many, many years from now.”
The Alberta act went into effect in September. It’s among three transgender laws the government guarded earlier this month by using the notwithstanding clause to override certain Charter rights and prevent court challenges.
On Tuesday, Smith called Skate Canada’s decision disgraceful and said she expects an apology from the figure skating group. She said even the International Olympic Committee is moving in the same direction as Alberta.
David Shoemaker, CEO of the Canadian Olympic Committee, said Skate Canada’s decision has prompted other sport organizations to consider whether Alberta’s law is right for their sports.
“Nuances and differences among sports in terms of how the sports are played, where the sports are played, in particular, will have an important bearing on what they might decide,” Shoemaker said.
“We talk frequently as a sport system about how we think about sport in this country, how we think about trying to make sport as inclusive as we possibly can in this county. And of course that’s why I’m not entirely surprised by (Skate Canada’s) decision.”
Among the groups still considering the law is Wrestling Canada Lutte, the body for Olympic-style wrestling. It said it’s still determining if it will change its event hosting policies.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 18, 2025.
— With files from Lisa Johnson in Edmonton
Fakiha Baig and Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
