Safe sport advocates affiliated to kinesiology at the University of Windsor — Krista Loughead, Margery Holman, Vicky Paraschak — and St. Clair College — Alex Wiseman — are hosting two events targeting safe sport in Canada.

The first, Tuesday, March 12, at the St. Clair Centre of the Arts, is geared to the community, addressing the impact of various forms of abuses within Canadian sport through five panelists who have all experienced these issues:

• former Canadian national gymnasts Abby Spadafora and Melanie Hunt,
• former hockey player Mark McGuire,
• University of Manitoba expert on hazing Jay Johnson, and
• Windsor swim parent Ginny Rychman.

Windsor West MP Brian Masse sponsored the petition last year calling for an independent inquiry into abuse in Canadian sport He will start the evening by addressing the Future of Sport in Canada Commission.

The event, 6 to 8 p.m. in the centre’s Skyline Room A, will welcome university faculty, staff, students, local coaches, parents, athletes, sport administrators, and media to a conversation about how to holistically change toxicity in sport at all levels of competition.

Admission is free but registration in advance is encouraged.

The second event, a conversation with Spadafora and Hunt, will be held Wednesday, March 13, from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. in room 140, Human Kinetics Building. It is open to interested members of the University, college, and broader communities.

The discussion will inform first-year human kinetics students and other attendees about the ramifications of abuse faced by athletes. It will also explore how to prevent and recognize abuse in addition to what can be done when abuse has occurred, reinforcing the significance of ethical principles and moral conduct in relation to sport and physical activity. No registration required.