Bowls Canada Launches Pilot Safe Sport Strategy
Ottawa (ON)
Bowls Canada is pleased to release a pilot Safe Sport implementation strategy for its members and stakeholders. Based on a collaborative process that saw club representatives and safe sport experts come together early in 2021 to identify collective needs, this strategy is designed to empower provincial bowls associations and local bowling clubs to create safe, welcoming and inclusive lawn bowling club environments where members want to stay and belong.
Bowlers can visit bcbsafesport.com to learn more about the strategy and also watch a short five-minute video about safe sport and how implementation can help improve member retention in a bowls club.
Bowls Canada worked with Sport Law to create a series of resources that clubs and provincial associations can use to tailor the strategy to meet their local needs. “We were pleased to work with Bowls Canada and assist them with their safe sport journey”, said LJ Bartle of Sport Law. Policy templates, videos, implementation guidelines and other helpful resources have been integrated into a Safe Sport 101 Hub in the Log In section of the bowlscanada.com website.
To further assist with implementation, Bartle and Sport Law colleague Melissa Knox will be part of a live webinar hosted by Bowls Canada later in October to answer questions and concerns for those clubs and provincial associations who are ready to start their own safe sport journeys. Interested clubs can begin immediately by contacting Bowls Canada at office@bowlscanada.com.
“With the announcement of a national safe sport mechanism being launched in April 2022, we realize that there may be some future updates required in the policy templates,” said Bowls Canada CEO Anna Mees. “But with the number of calls we are receiving from clubs wanting to move forward in the area of Safe Sport policy, we felt it was important to get these tools out to our membership as soon as possible.”
Bowls Canada would also like to acknowledge the work of the national Safe Sport Advisory Group who provided feedback throughout the development process: Nan Hendron (Ontario), David Wilson (Alberta), Chris Stadnyk (BCB Director) and Pat Vos (Alberta).
For more information on the Bowls Canada Safe Sport Strategy and Safe Sport 101 Hub, please contact Casey Donelly at office@bowlscanada.com
About Bowls Canada Boulingrin
Bowls Canada Boulingrin (BCB) is the governing body responsible for lawn bowls in Canada. The BCB mission is to advance the sport of bowls in Canada. For more details on Bowls Canada Boulingrin and the sport of lawn bowls, visit www.bowlscanada.com.
To learn more about Sport Law, please visit www.sportlaw.ca
