OTTAWA – Wrestling Canada Lutte (WCL) is pleased to announce updates from the Annual General Meeting, which took place on July 6. Updates include Board of Director (BOD) positions, Safe Sport updates, and the decision on a team selection event in September.

Board of Director elections

Lee MacKay was elected President of the WCL Board and will serve a two-year term. MacKay was previously voted in as a director.

Russ Pawlyk was selected to serve his second consecutive term as a director. Three new directors were also voted in, Rachna Kumar, Rob Moore, and David Zilberman will each serve a two-year term. Daniel Olver, who was previously appointed to fill a vacancy on the board, has now also been elected to serve a two-year term.

In keeping with good governance principles and effective this year, no director of WCL will simultaneously hold a position of director of another organization which is a member of WCL.  Any newly elected directors will be required to step down from these positions within one month of being elected to the WCL BOD.

WCL would like to extend a sincere thank you to the outgoing directors for their tremendous contributions over the many years – Martine Dugrenier, Jess Tang, Owen Dawkins as well as President, Don Ryan.

“We are extremely grateful for the contributions of our outgoing directors,” said Tamara Medwidsky, WCL Executive Director. “They have all played a major role in the growth and development of the organization, and we thank them for their contributions.”

BOD Updates

Safe Sport Policy Manual

After great efforts from the Safety First National Taskforce and the BOD, WCL is pleased to announce the approval of the Safe Sport Policy Manual. This policy manual will aid WCL in its fundamental obligation and responsibility to protect the health and well-being of the organization and its participants.

In addition to the Safe Sport Policy Manual, WCL also applauds the decision by the Government of Canada to create a New Independent Safe Sport Mechanism. The decision to select the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada (SDRCC) to deliver a new Independent Safe Sport Mechanism will greatly help promote a safer sport environment in Canada.

Additionally, the BOD also approved the Enterprise Risk Management Policy. This policy allows WCL recognizes that there are risks inherent in all facets of our governance, program delivery and business operations. WCL is committed to managing such risks to the organization by ensuring their decisions and actions reflect established standards and organizational values.

High Performance Updates

The BOD has approved the Carded Athlete Program 2022. This document will be used to present the policies and procedures for WCL’s Athlete Assistance Program (AAP) a program funded by Sport Canada.

2021 Selection Event

WCL will host a U23 & Senior World Team Selection Event in September in Saskatoon. The event is slated for September 3-6, 2021. Notwithstanding the easing of restrictions across the country, the event will operate under a “bubble” structure with a size limit of approximately 200 participants in total. The event will be limited to up to 4 athletes per weight class (regardless of any changes in COVID restrictions).

Tentative competition dates:

• U23 competition – Saturday, September 4
• Senior competition – Sunday, September 5
• NOTE: due to scheduling, up to two U23 weight classes will likely be wrestled on Sunday (will be finalized once nominations are confirmed)
• More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.