EC Commissions W&W Dispute Resolution Services Inc.
to Provide Independent Third-Party Complaints Management

Ottawa, ON, July 15, 2019 – Equestrian Canada (EC) is proud to have retained the services of Brian Ward from W&W Dispute Resolution Services Inc. to provide the equestrian community with expert and objective facilitation of complaints, and to help support EC’s commitment to Canada’s Safe Sport movement.

Independent, third-party complaints management is a directive of Canada’s Safe Sport movement, driven by the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport. EC has commissioned Ward on behalf of W&W Dispute Resolution Services to act as an independent third party to receive complaints on its behalf.

All complaints, including those related to Safe Sport, and general complaints submitted under the EC Rules will be directed to Ward, who is the official designate of EC President, Meg Krueger.

“We are proud to work with Brian Ward of W&W Dispute Resolution Services to ensure Canadian equestrians have a direct conduit to a fully bilingual complaint reporting system that meets the highest standards of ethics, confidentiality and objectivity,” said Richard Mongeau, EC Chief Executive Officer. “Brian has a long and successful history working in dispute resolution within the sport system, and we are thrilled to undertake this relationship as the next step in our continued development of education and resources to create and protect the safe and respectful environment that all participants in equestrian sport deserve.”

Ward’s role and responsibilities as EC’s Complaint Manager and designate for third-party complaints management will include:

  • Receiving complaints, allegations and concerns of possible breaches of EC’s conduct policies in both official languages.
  • Determining whether the complaint is admissible.
  • Respecting the highest standards in preserving confidentiality of complaints, allegations and concerns so that no one potentially conflicted in the organization may discover who the complainant is, who the person alleged to have breached the rules is, and what the allegations are about, to the extent required by law and the applicable policies.
  • Reporting to a designated individual within EC when complaints are received, or when investigations must be initiated.

An experienced dispute resolution practitioner with a focus on sport, Ward has built a well-established track record of effective representation of clients within court, administrative tribunal and alternative dispute resolution settings, since he was first called to the bar of Ontario in 1988. A professor since 2005, he has taught a variety of courses, including “Dispute Resolution and Negotiation” and “Legal and Ethical Issues of Sport.” Through W&W Dispute Resolution, Ward has been providing dispute resolution services to amateur and professional sport organizations since 2010.

“I congratulate EC on their commitment to Safe Sport,” said Ward. “I welcome the opportunity to work with their community to create and insure a safe sport environment.”

How to Submit a Complaint

To submit a complaint, complete the EC Complaints form found at www.equestrian.ca/programs-services/rules/dispute-resolution.

Resources for Recognizing and Reporting Harassment & Abuse

Reporting is critical in creating and maintaining a safe environment for all equestrian participants.

It is vitally important for all members of the equestrian community to familiarize themselves with EC’s Code of Ethics and Harassment Policy in order to educate themselves on how to recognize and report incidents of harassment and/or abuse. Visit www.equestrian.ca/about/safe-sport or click the links below to access these documents:

The equestrian community can also access advice, guidance and resources, and be connected to Ward as the Complaint Manager for equestrian through the Canadian Sport Helpline:

1-888-837-7678
[email protected]
http://abuse-free-sport.ca

Further resources will be posted to www.equestrian.ca/about/safe-sport as they become available.

Questions? Comments?

To reach EC Complaint Manager, Brian Ward directly, please email [email protected].

For questions regarding EC’s Safe Sport initiatives, please contact:

Richard Mongeau
Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]