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Canada’s national governing body for skating, Skate Canada, is not allowing any of its national and international events to take place in Alberta amid the province’s law banning biological trans male athletes from participating in women’s sports.
“Skate Canada considers a variety of criteria when selecting host locations for its national events. After careful evaluation of the Alberta Sports Safety and Equity Act, Skate Canada has determined that we cannot host events in the province while maintaining our national standards for safe and inclusive sport,” the organization told Pak Gazette Digital.
“This decision applies only to national and international level events and does not impact the ability of Alberta skaters to participate in Skate Canada programming and competitions. We will continue to monitor legislative developments in the province and will re-evaluate hosting opportunities as circumstances evolve.”
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Protesters demonstrate in Churchill Square in support of trans youth in Alberta after the “Sing With Love” concert at McDougall United Church. The demonstration took place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on February 11, 2024. (Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Alberta was not scheduled to host any upcoming national or international events. The province last hosted the Skate Canada Challenge last month and the national championships in January 2024.
Alberta’s Sports Equity and Safety Act “requires in-scope organizations to create and implement policies for athlete eligibility that align with the requirements set out in the regulations, including limiting eligibility for all-female divisions to biologically female athletes.”
Skate Canada’s decision to sanction the province drew swift criticism from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, who condemned the organization in a statement on X.
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“Women and girls have the right to play competitive sports in a safe and fair environment in front of other biological women. This view is held by a large majority of Albertans and Canadians. It is also common sense and common decency. Skate Canada’s refusal to hold events in Alberta because we choose to protect women and girls in sport is shameful,” Smith wrote.
“We hope they will apologize and adjust their policies once they realize that they are not only compromising the fairness and safety of their athletes, but are also out of step with the international community, including the International Olympic Committee, which is moving in the same direction as Alberta.”
The issue of trans athletes in women’s sports has been a controversial topic in Canada, as well as in the United States, over the past year.
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The issue was the origin of a dispute between two Canadian women’s college basketball teams last season; Vancouver Island University, which added a trans player to its women’s team, and Columbia Bible College, which was punished after allegations of abuse against that trans player.
Meanwhile, the president of a Canadian Pride festival organizing group resigned in November amid immense backlash over comments questioning the impartiality of transgender athletes in women’s sports during a radio interview.
