Hockey Canada responded to the lack of equitable offerings in their new Hockey Canada Development Hub launch in British Columbia saying it is due to the new program being a pilot project.
Hockey Canada admits their new Hockey Canada Development Hub launching in British Columbia this spring is not equitable when it comes to offerings for boys and girls.
The new program will welcome up to 25 boys or girls in the U-9, U-11, and U-13 divisions, but only boys in the U-15 and U-18 categories, and another men's division for U-20 athletes without a women's offering this summer for their next session.
According to Hockey Canada, the reason the offerings are not equitable is because this is a pilot program.
"The development hub model is a pilot project that is being tested with various groups to better understand how the model can best serve athletes moving forward, and feedback from participants will help guide where this initiative goes moving forward," a Hockey Canada spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Hockey News.
The current pilot has no stipulations for equity in involvement. Although there are 25 spots available in the U-9, U-11, and U-13, all of these positions could potentially be filled by boys.
The program is being run in conjunction with the WHL's Victoria Royals, whose coaching staff will lead on-ice programming alongside Hockey Canada qualified skills coaches.
In a previous email correspondence, Hockey Canada asserted that "a pilot project that includes girls with a men’s/boys’ CHL team...is ground-breaking in itself..."
By definition, a pilot project is "a leading effort to attempt to determine viability" of a project, concept, product, or program. It can be a "simple concept test" or a project that "provides invaluable product or concept data or information."
General objectives for pilot projects can include "a study outlining concept feasibility;" "a report outlining a yes or no business decision (to proceed or not); "a fully useable product, service or process;" and/or "a template to create or replicate."
It's unclear if Hockey Canada's current pilot program will adequately assess the viability or value of the Development Hub for women and girls without sufficient or equitable participation from women or girls, including the absence of programs for girls beyond the U-13 age group. Hockey Canada stated however, that they do offer other women's and girls' programs across the country. Hockey Canada also offers additional programming specific to thousands of men and boys in Canada.
"It is also one program that Hockey Canada is operating in partnership with other stakeholders, and while this pilot includes programming for boys and girls, there are additional women’s and girls’ programs that continue to run each season across the country specifically designed for thousands of women and girls," Hockey Canada wrote about the Development Hub offerings.
"As part of our vision for the development hubs, we would like to see it expand to have additional programming for women and girls and para athletes, although as you have pointed out, it will include girls participants in year one as we assess the viability of the entire development hub model," Hockey Canada continued.
Hockey Canada's Development Hub was the first program announcement following the governing body's release of their Rise As One blueprint, "for building women’s and girls’ hockey in Canada" which included 14 national recommendations and identified six key barriers to achieving those expectations.