Hockey Canada: A second secret fund uncovered.

A new report regarding the finances of Hockey Canada has uncovered yet another fund that was set up for the purpose of dealing with matters including but not limited to sexual assault claims, a fund whose existence was not disclosed to members of parliament during parliamentary hearings that were held following an explosive sexual assault scandal earlier this year. It was a scandal that brought into question the use of funds at Hockey Canada, an organization that is subject to government oversight and one that benefits from public money.

At the heart of the issue was the National Equity Fund, a fund built up with player registration fees and one that was used to settle a $3.55-million lawsuit filed by a woman earlier this year, a woman that claims she was sexually assaulted by several members of Canada's 2018 World Junior team. While the National Equity Fund has come under extreme scrutiny since the story was made public, a new report from Grant Robertson and Colin Freeze of the Globe and Mail has revealed the existence of yet another fund, one that is once again earmarked for things that include potential sexual assault cases.

The fund, known as the Participants Legacy Trust Fund, was originally set up in 1999 for the purpose of dealing with cases that stem from an era before Hockey Canada began purchasing insurance for sexual assault claims and other liabilities. According to this latest report, the fund, which was originally set to be dissolved in 2020, saw its lifespan prolonged until 2039 when Hockey Canada went to court to alter the terms of the trust. Once again public money is at play here, with money from the National Equity Fund being siphoned off to create the Participants Legacy Trust Fund to the tune of more than $7.1 million.

Unsurprisingly this has already caught the attention of public officials, with several Canadian MPs already condemning the existence of the fund as well as the lack of disclosure on the part of Hockey Canada during the parliamentary hearings that have already taken place.

"The name of the fund is designed to conceal and there is no doubt that that is the attempt,” said NDP MP Peter Julian. “This is another example of stonewalling and concealing of information that hockey parents and the general public need to know."

Unsurprisingly, this is one issue that everyone seems to agree on regardless of political affiliation.

"When families put their money into registration fees, they assume it’s going to be related to their kids, to their families, their participation in the sport," said Conservative MP John Nater. "And to hear that funds are being used for matters of significant wrongdoing, this fails the test on transparency."

The hearings on this matter are set to pick up again on the 4th of October, and it seems very likely that this topic will be brought up during the course of those hearings.