Safe Sport

Triathlon Canada has adopted the Canadian Safe Sport Program (CSSP), which is in effect as of April 1, 2025.

Through the CSSP Rules, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport (CCES) independently administers the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) for federally funded, national-level sport organizations by receiving and responding to reports of prohibited behaviour, and by developing and carrying out education, prevention, and policy activities.

The CSSP Rules clearly and publicly set out how that will be done, including defined timelines at each stage of the reporting process. The CSSP also offers support services to connect participants with help along the way.

For more information about the CSSP and the UCCMS, click here.

For issues occurring in a Club, Regional or Provincial Event/Activity, please contact Triathlon Canada’s independent third party case manager designated to receive your complaint.

Independent Third Party: Integrity Group
Case Manager: Heather MacKenzie
Email:
Phone: (604) 689-4244

Where there are admissible allegations of abuse, harassment or discrimination, the Independent Third Party conducts independent investigations and recommends sanctions against individuals who violate Triathlon Canada’s Code of Conduct and Ethics.

As of April 1, the CCES will accept reports through an online report form and by phone – both methods allow you to remain anonymous if you wish. If you choose to share your name when you make a report, the CCES will not share it with your sport organization unless it is necessary to keep you or someone else safe, and will make every effort to get your consent beforehand.

Report Online: https://cces.ca/report-safe-sport
Report by Phone:1-866-971-2777

Get help and information
You can contact the CSSP team with questions or for support here: https://cces.ca/contactCSSP

Triathlon Canada will notify all designated participants who are subject to the CSSP. This includes, but is not limited to, specified athletes, board members, employees, casual staff, volunteers, and contractors, support staff, and medical staff.

Everyone who is subject to the CSSP must complete the e-learning course and sign the participant consent form. Triathlon Canada will distribute an invitation that includes a link to sign up, instructions, and a code to access the course from the CCES online education portal. If you have questions about your education requirements, email .

A full list of Triathlon Canada’s core policies can be found at https://www.triathloncanada.com/publications/#corepolicies.

Of particular relevance to Safe Sport are the following documents:

• Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent & Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS 6.0)
• Triathlon Canada Code of Conduct & Ethics
• Triathlon Canada Discipline & Complaints Policy
• Triathlon Canada Safe Sport Policy
• Triathlon Canada Concussion Policy

Open, observable, and justifiable interactions and communications are strongly recommended to foster safety, enhance protection, and help reduce vulnerability of both the athlete and adult(s) in a position of trust.

Commonly referred to as the Rule of Two, it means that there will always be two screened and safety-trained adults with a participant, especially a minor athlete, when in a potentially vulnerable situation.

Vulnerable situations include but are not limited to:

• Closed doors meetings
• Medical treatments
• Travel to and from training, competitions, events, or activities
• Any training or competitive environments without a second coach or responsible adult present (in the gym, in the weight room, etc.)
• Electronic communications

Triathlon Canada is requiring that all licenses coaches, licensed technical officials and other key systems involved with the sport across the country take safe sport training available via the Coaching Association of Canada.

Concussions can occur in triathlon and should be taken seriously. Triathlon Canada has developed the Triathlon Canada Concussion Policy to help guide the management of athletes who may have a suspected concussion as a result of participation in Triathlon Canada Activities. You can find the concussion policy here.

All licensed coaches and technical officials are required to take the free E-learning module ‘Making Head Way’ from the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC). The CAC have many other helpful concussion resources found here.

Parachute is Canada’s national charity dedicated to injury prevention and they have a great concussion protocol resource available here: https://parachute.ca/en/professional-resource/concussion-collection/canadian-guideline-on-concussion-in-sport/.

Triathlon Canada believes the mental health and safety of athletes is vital to strong performances. The Canadian Centre for Mental Health and Sport (CMHS) is a registered charity supporting the mental health and performance of competitive and high-performance athletes, coaches, and performing artists. The CCMHS is the first Centre in Canada to offer collaborative sport/performance-focused mental health care services designed to help athletes, coaches, and performing artists achieve their performance goals while preserving their mental health and well-being. The CCMHS provides mental health services to competitive and high-performance athletes and coaches, as well as competitive performing artists. Here are the eligibility criteria:

• Must be 16 years of age or older
• Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Must participate in a sport or performance domain at a competitive or high-performance level
• Must be experiencing mental health challenges

Click here to learn more.

Disclaimer: The Canadian Centre for Mental Health is not a partner of Triathlon Canada, they are a resource for mental health, we do not control who is approved for treatment.

Kids Help Line
If you are feeling depressed or anxious, please tell someone you trust or contact the Kids Help Line: 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868.