BC Soccer dispute could sideline thousands of youth players
BC Soccer dispute could sideline thousands of youth players
BC Soccer should be focused on the provincial championships, which kick off Thursday for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Instead, most people involved in the sport are talking about a power struggle that could lead to the suspension of all tournaments, games and even practices.
"Unfortunately right now, BC Soccer is currently not following a directive of Canada Soccer, our governing body, and this may lead to sanctioning from Canada Soccer to BC Soccer,” said BC Soccer’s executive director Jason Elligott in a pre-recorded video message to members.
“In simple terms, the directive is to change BC Soccer's voting structure to be more equitable."
Despite BC Soccer having about 15,000 adult members and approximately 95,000 youth members, voting power is split 50-50 between the two groups.
Canada Soccer, the federal governing body that oversees provincial and territorial organizations, wants the split to better reflect the number of players in each category.
According to BC Soccer, British Columbia is the only province or territory that is not in compliance with the directive.
"This is not an ask, this is a mandate. And so we need to be in a position to somehow make this change,” BC Soccer president Gayle Statton said in the video to members.
Changes to BC Soccer bylaws require two-thirds majority support from the membership.
A June 1 vote on changing the voting structure did not achieve that majority.
According to Statton, it is the adult league members who do not support the change.
None of the adult league organizers contacted by CTV News would agree to speak on the record about the stalemate.
BC Soccer also declined an interview.
While the adults behind the scenes try to negotiate a resolution ahead of a November deadline imposed by Canada Soccer before it may take punitive action, up to and including the suspension of all sanctioned soccer activities in B.C., it is the youth players caught in the middle who stand to suffer the most through no fault of their own.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Saskatoon woman made checklist while planning abduction, court documents allege
A Saskatoon mother made an apparent 'checklist' while planning to vanish with her son, according to court documents
Sask. Amber Alert suspect Benjamin Moore has history of sexual offences with children: RCMP
The suspect at the centre of a Saskatchewan Amber Alert has a history of sexual offences, RCMP confirmed during a press conference Tuesday.
EXCLUSIVE
EXCLUSIVE | 'Train surfer' under police investigation speaks about his dangerous adventures
The man who claims to be one of the people seen 'surfing' on the roof of a moving subway train in Toronto is speaking exclusively to CTV News about his stunts and the looming threat of a police arrest.
FBI's search of Trump's Florida estate: Why now?
The FBI's unprecedented search of former president Donald Trump's Florida residence ricocheted around government, politics and a polarized country Tuesday along with questions as to why the Justice Department – notably cautious under Attorney General Merrick Garland – decided to take such a drastic step.
Ontario nurse facing charges after alleged assault that left 2-year-old in hospital
An Ontario nurse is facing charges in connection with the alleged assault of a two-year-old boy with “significant medical limitations” in Niagara Region.
Experts voice privacy concerns over RCMP's use of 'intrusive' spyware
Expressing concerns over the RCMP's yearslong use of spyware in major investigations, privacy and civil liberties experts say the previously undisclosed tools are 'extremely intrusive' and they are calling for stronger oversight and regulation of spyware Canada-wide.
Afghan man charged in killing of 2 Muslims in Albuquerque
Police announced a breakthrough Tuesday in the killings of four Muslim men in Albuquerque, New Mexico, charging a man from Afghanistan – himself a Muslim – with two of the slayings and identifying him as a prime suspect in the other killings that put the entire community on edge.
Senegalese diplomat arrested by Quebec police owed former landlord more than $45,000
The detention and alleged beating by Quebec police of a Senegalese diplomat last week came as a bailiff was attempting to seize property at her residence to pay for a judgment against her.
Grand jury declines to indict woman in Emmett Till killing
A Mississippi grand jury has declined to indict the white woman whose accusation set off the lynching of Black teenager Emmett Till nearly 70 years ago, most likely closing the case that shocked a nation and galvanized the modern civil rights movement.
Vancouver Island
-
'It was just planted on the log': Cougar encounter caught on camera in Campbell River, B.C.
A Vancouver Island man has caught a rare cougar encounter on video.
-
UVic union staff push back against parking fee increases
Five unions representing more than 5,000 UVic staff have reignited a petition asking the university to reconsider a planned change from annual to monthly parking passes.
-
Greater Victoria teacher permanently banned from teaching after child porn conviction
An elementary school teacher in the Greater Victoria School District had his teaching certificate permanently banned after being convicted of possessing child pornography.
Calgary
-
Calgary schools, businesses improve ventilation to stop COVID-19 spread
When COVID-19 restrictions lifted in Alberta, the owner of Kaffeeklatsch decided to find a way to improve ventilation.
-
Upcoming federal import rules ban dog-import from select countries 'devastating' to Calgary dog rescue groups
Animal rescue groups that find Calgary foster placements and forever homes for dogs from international countries say a new federal ban importing dogs from a list of countries as a control measure against rabies unfairly hurts groups trying to help dogs.
-
Why do parts of Calgary seem unkempt? It’s a combination of things
If you’ve been noticing walkways, parks and other public spaces in Calgary that seem a bit less maintained than previous years this summer, you’re not imagining things.
Edmonton
-
'The process failed': Associate minister apologizes for awarding prize to controversial essay
The associate minister for the Status of Women is apologizing after the results of an essay contest.
-
Katz' name withdrawn from U.S. civil suit, claimants apologize for sex allegations
A prominent American ballerina and her husband have withdrawn a claim that Edmonton Oilers owner Daryl Katz paid for sex with an underage dancer several years ago, saying they have since learned she was 18 at the time.
-
Man charged with second-degree murder in northeast Edmonton death
A man was charged with second-degree murder after a woman was shot and killed in northeast Edmonton on Saturday.
Toronto
-
Five per cent increase in ODSP funding to be available in September
The Progressive Conservative government has said that recipients of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) will start receiving their five per cent increases in September.
-
Ontario woman scammed out of $11,000 by Texas psychic she met on TikTok
An Ontario woman says she was scammed out of $11,000 after months spent working with a Texas psychic she met on TikTok following the death of her stepfather.
-
Ontario nurse facing charges after alleged assault that left 2-year-old in hospital
An Ontario nurse is facing charges in connection with the alleged assault of a two-year-old boy with “significant medical limitations” in Niagara Region.
Montreal
-
Stricter regulations needed as Montreal sees more heat waves per year
Public health officials are warning that deadly heat waves are becoming more common and people need to learn proper ways to deal with them.
-
Quebec spending on private health-care workers up by 335% in last 5 years amid labour shortage
The amount of money Quebec has spent on private health-care workers has quadrupled in the last five years as it continues to deal with a worker shortage made worse by the pandemic.
-
'We’re standing together': NDG shop owners sign petition against city's plans for new bus, taxi lanes on Queen Mary Rd.
Queen Mary Road in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grace neighbourhood is about to get four kilometres of reserved bus and taxi lanes which the city says will save commuters six minutes and 40 seconds of precious travel time.
Winnipeg
-
Mother of man accused of impaired driving in fatal Transcona collision charged with obstruction of justice
A Winnipeg woman has been charged in connection with a fatal collision in Transcona this past May that claimed the life of 24-year-old Jordyn Reimer.
-
Toddler killed following crash in driveway of Manitoba home
A 14-month-old girl died on Sunday after she was hit by a car in a driveway in Shamattawa.
-
When to catch the 'best show' from the Perseid meteor shower in Manitoba
The peak of a spectacular space light show is expected to happen by the end of the week.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon woman made checklist while planning abduction, court documents allege
A Saskatoon mother made an apparent 'checklist' while planning to vanish with her son, according to court documents
-
A Saskatoon man stabbed in an apparent random attack at a hospital has died
A man stabbed in an apparent random attack at a Saskatoon hospital has died, according to a close friend.
-
Sask. RCMP issue Amber Alert for 7-year-old girl and 8-year-old boy
An Amber Alert was issued Monday evening by Shaunavon RCMP in Saskatchewan for seven-year-old Luna Potts and eight-year-old Hunter Potts.
Regina
-
Sask. Amber Alert suspect Benjamin Moore has history of sexual offences with children: RCMP
The suspect at the centre of a Saskatchewan Amber Alert has a history of sexual offences, RCMP confirmed during a press conference Tuesday.
-
Saskatoon woman made checklist while planning abduction, court documents allege
A Saskatoon mother made an apparent 'checklist' while planning to vanish with her son, according to court documents
-
Missing swimmer found dead in Last Mountain Lake: RCMP
The body of a 71-year-old Regina man who went missing while swimming at Pelican Pointe on Last Mountain Lake, Sask. has been recovered, according to RCMP.
Atlantic
-
Efforts underway to get food, supplies to Newfoundland towns cut off by fire
The reopening of a Newfoundland highway that had been closed for days because of raging wildfires provided hope Tuesday that much-needed supplies would finally arrive in stranded communities along the island's south coast.
-
'That’s the biggest jump I’ve seen': All Maritime provinces see doctor wait lists grow
Bernadette Landry recently lost her family doctor, someone she had been seeing for years.
-
Nova Scotia removes some restrictions for medical assistance in dying
Nova Scotia is removing the requirement that someone's natural death be "reasonably foreseeable" before they can access medical assistance in dying.
London
-
London police identify weekend homicide victim
London police have identified the city's fourth homicide victim of the year.
-
'Instead of police helping me, they victimized me': Twitch transgender activist alleges gunpoint 'swatting' by London police
“I thought I was going to die,” recalls Clara Sorrenti. “As soon as I saw the rifle I screamed.” On August 5, the popular transgender activist and streamer on the website Twitch was awakened by heavily armed officers from the London Police Service at her downtown residence.
-
Man seriously assaulted by multiple people in Stratford, Ont.
Police in Stratford are searching for several suspects after a man was seriously assaulted late last weekend.
Kitchener
-
Victim speaks out after pickup truck stolen in string of Kitchener truck thefts
Waterloo Regional Police have issued a warning after three vehicles were stolen using relay and reprogramming technology.
-
Pedestrian airlifted to hospital following Ira Needles collision
A 21-year-old has been airlifted to a Hamilton trauma centre following a collision at Ira Needles Boulevard and Erb Street in Waterloo.
-
New self-check in system at St. Mary’s emergency department in Kitchener
St. Mary’s General Hospital in Kitchener has added a touchscreen self-check-in kiosk into its emergency department. in hopes of streamlining patients through the triage system.