Safe Sport

This Notice applies to every individual who is a Participant of Curling Alberta. Consistent with the Curling Alberta bylaws and policies, Participants include:

• athletes, coaches, instructors, officials, and team support personnel;
• directors, officers, committee members, employees, contractors, and volunteers of Curling Alberta or any affiliated club or organization;
• members and registered participants of any affiliated club or organization;
• parents and legal guardians of participants who are minors; and
• any other individual who is bound to comply with the Curling Alberta bylaws and policies, including the AB UCC, through registration, participation, employment, engagement, or affiliation.

If you are a Participant in any of the capacities listed above, the ABSSCM applies to you.

The AB UCC defines what conduct is not acceptable in sport in Alberta. Conduct falling within the AB UCC is known as prohibited behaviour and includes:

• Psychological maltreatment – such as repeated humiliation, threats, manipulation, intimidation, or degrading comments;
• Physical maltreatment – such as hitting, grabbing, shaking, physical punishment, or forcing participation through injury;
• Sexual maltreatment – such as inappropriate touching, sexual comments, sexual relationships involving power imbalance, or sexual exploitation;
• Neglect – such as withholding medical care or failing to provide for basic care;
• Grooming – such as gradual boundary testing, secretive communication, isolating a participant, or building trust for the purpose of future exploitation;
• Discrimination – including harassment based on race, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or other protected characteristics;
• Retaliation – punishing someone for raising or supporting a safe sport concern; and
• Related behaviour – including aiding and abetting, failure to report, false or vexatious reports, and interference with the ABSSCM process.

The AB UCC applies to conduct that occurs in person or online, in Alberta or elsewhere, and in connection with Curling Alberta, an affiliated club or organization, or the sport of curling more generally. The full AB UCC is available at https://curlingalberta.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/AlbertaUniversalCodeofConduct.pdf

If you have experienced or witnessed conduct that may be prohibited behaviour under the AB UCC, or if you have a concern about safe sport in the Curling Alberta community, you can make a report directly to ALIAS through the ABSSCM. Reports go directly to ALIAS – they do not go to Curling Alberta or to your club first.

Online: https://app.alias-solution.com/contact/en/AB240
 Phone: 1-855-603-0483

In an emergency, call 911 first. The ABSSCM does not provide emergency assistance. If there is an immediate threat to anyone’s safety, contact 911 or local police before or in addition to making an ABSSCM report.

Reports may be made by anyone. You do not need to be the person directly affected to make a report. Reports may also be made anonymously, although that may limit the ability of ALIAS to fully investigate.

ALIAS will review your report and follow the process set out in the ABSSCM Reporting and Independent Resolution Policy (the RIRP), available on at [insert URL]. In summary:

• Receivability: ALIAS first determines whether the report falls within the scope of the ABSSCM. If it does not, ALIAS will direct it to the appropriate forum.
• Provisional measures: Where appropriate, ALIAS may impose provisional measures during the process to protect the safety of participants.
• Investigation: Trained investigators gather information and provide all parties with a fair opportunity to be heard.
• Resolution: ALIAS may resolve matters through mediation, a hearing, or other means provided for in the RIRP.
• Sanctions: Where prohibited behaviour is found, ALIAS may impose sanctions in accordance with the AB UCC.
• Appeal: All parties have a right of appeal in the circumstances provided for in the RIRP.

Reports and information related to a report are handled professionally and confidentially, in accordance with the RIRP and applicable privacy laws. Retaliation against a person who makes a report, or against a participant in the process, is itself a violation of the AB UCC.

By participating in Curling Alberta or any affiliated club or organization, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information by Curling Alberta, ASLA, ALIAS, and the agents appointed under the ABSSCM, as necessary to give effect to the AB UCC and the RIRP, in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta), the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada) where applicable, and other applicable privacy laws.

Personal information may be shared with Curling Canada, Sport Integrity Canada, the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, other competent sport authorities, and law enforcement or child protection authorities where required by law (including for mandatory reporting). Detailed privacy practices are described in Curling Alberta’s Privacy Policy and in the participant waivers each Participant accepts at registration.

Sanctions imposed under the AB UCC and the ABSSCM are recognized and enforced by other sport organizations through deemed-equivalence and reciprocation arrangements. This means a sanction imposed under the ABSSCM may also apply across Curling Canada, the Canadian Safe Sport Program, and other adopting organizations of the ABSSCM. Curling Alberta will implement provisional measures and final sanctions imposed by ALIAS against Participant registrations as an administrative matter, in accordance with the AB UCC and the Curling Alberta Safe Sport Policy.

The ABSSCM is the primary safe sport mechanism for Participants of Curling Alberta. In some circumstances, however, a safe sport report may be routed to another body rather than to the ABSSCM. This is determined at intake, and you do not need to identify the correct forum before making a report. ALIAS, Curling Canada, or any other body that receives a report will route it to the appropriate forum.

The principal other systems that may apply are:

• The Canadian Safe Sport Program (administered by Sport Integrity Canada, with appeals to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada). The Canadian Safe Sport Program applies where the respondent is a designated CSSP Participant of a national sport organization, regardless of where the conduct occurred.
• Curling Canada’s non-CSSP independent third party. Curling Canada retains its own independent third party for matters that occur in the Curling Canada environment (such as national championships and Curling Canada-employed roles) and that are not within the scope of the Canadian Safe Sport Program.
• Curling Alberta’s internal pathways. Conduct that is not within the scope of the AB UCC – such as team selection disputes, refereeing decisions, scheduling issues, or other day-to-day operational matters – continues to be handled internally by Curling Alberta or your club through the usual processes.

The body receiving a report determines the appropriate forum and refers the report where necessary. The goal is for every report to land in the right place.

Curling Alberta-approved resources

• Alberta Universal Code of Conduct (AB UCC)
• Reporting and Independent Resolution Policy (RIRP)
• Curling Alberta Safe Sport Policy

Reporting

• Online: https://app.alias-solution.com/contact/en/AB240
• Phone: 1-855-603-0483

This FAQ offers additional information regarding the Alberta Safe Sport Complaint Mechanism (the ABSSCM). For more details, please review the full Notice to Participants. If you have a question that is not answered here, please contact Curling Alberta at [email protected].

About the ABSSCM

1. What is the ABSSCM?
   The ABSSCM is Alberta’s independent system for reporting and resolving maltreatment in sport. It is the same system that most provincial sport organizations in Alberta are using. Curling Alberta joined it on March 23, 2026, with public go-live on May 25, 2026. Safe sport means that everyone in our sport — athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers — should be able to take part without being mistreated. The ABSSCM is Alberta's independent system for reporting serious concerns like abuse, harassment, and other forms of mistreatment in sport. Reports go to trained professionals at an independent organization, not to Curling Alberta.
2. Who runs it?
   The system is administered by the Alberta Sport Leadership Association (ASLA). It is operated by an independent organization called ALIAS Solutions Inc. ALIAS is the organization that actually receives and handles reports. They are professionals trained in safe sport, and they are independent of Curling Alberta and your local club.
3. Why use an independent third party? Why not just have Curling Alberta handle complaints?
   Because handling reports of serious abuse takes specific training and oversight, and because reports should be review by independent parties who do not have a stake in the outcome. An independent third party is fair to everyone – the person reporting, the person being reported on, and the community. It also means people are more likely to come forward, because they know their concern will not be handled by someone who might be conflicted in the matter.
4. What is the Alberta Universal Code of Conduct?
   The AB UCC is the set of rules that the ABSSCM applies. It defines what kinds of conduct are not acceptable in sport. Curling Alberta has adopted it as a binding policy.

Safe sport and maltreatment

1. What is “safe sport”?
   Safe sport means an environment where everyone – athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers, and others – can take part in the sport without being at risk of serious abuse. It covers things like how coaches treat athletes, how teammates treat each other, and how adults treat minors in the sport.
2. What is “maltreatment”?Maltreatment is the catchall term used for serious conduct that crosses the line and is not acceptable in sport. The AB UCC lists the main types of maltreatment:

• Psychological maltreatment – things like repeated humiliation, threats, intimidation, or degrading comments.
• Physical maltreatment – things like hitting, grabbing, shaking, or forcing someone to keep playing through an injury.
• Sexual maltreatment – things like inappropriate touching and sexual abuse.
• Neglect – failing to provide basic care or withholding medical care.
• Grooming – testing boundaries, secretive communication, isolating someone, or building inappropriate trust with the aim of future exploitation.
• Discrimination – harassment based on race, gender, disability, religion, or other protected characteristics.
• Retaliation – punishing someone for raising or supporting a concern.

1. Is every conflict in sport “maltreatment”?
   No. Most disagreements in sport are normal parts of being in a competitive activity. Playing time disputes, team selection decisions, refereeing calls, disagreements, and personality differences are not maltreatment. Those things will continue to be handled by your club or by Curling Alberta through the usual processes. The ABSSCM is for more serious conduct described above.
2. What if I am not sure whether something is maltreatment?
   That is normal. Many concerns sit somewhere in between “this is just sport” and “this is clearly wrong.” If something does not feel right and you are not sure, you can still make a report. The trained people at ALIAS will look at it and decide whether it fits within the ABSSCM. If it does not, they will tell you where it should go.

What should I do if...

1. ...I think I have experienced maltreatment?
   You can make a report directly to the ABSSCM, online at https://app.alias-solution.com/contact/en/AB240 or by phone at 1-855-603-0483. You do not need to go through your club or Curling Alberta first. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.
2. ...someone has told me about something concerning?
   You can make a report about it. You do not have to be the person directly affected. You can also encourage the person who told you to make a report themselves. Either way, the system is there for everyone in our community.
3. ...my concern is about something at a national curling event or someone in a national role with Curling Canada?
   Conduct that happens at a Curling Canada event (like a national championship) or that involves someone in a Curling Canada role may be handled by Curling Canada’s own safe sport process or by the Canadian Safe Sport Program, not by the ABSSCM. You do not need to figure out the right system before making a report – whoever you report to will direct it to the right place. If in doubt, start with the ABSSCM and they will route it as needed.
4. ...my concern is about something that is not maltreatment, like a club issue?
   The ABSSCM is only for serious matters that involve maltreatment under the AB UCC. Things like team selection, playing time, scheduling, ice time, rules interpretation, regular disputes or other day-to-day club operations are handled by your club. If you are not sure where to go, ask your club or contact Curling Alberta.
5. ...I am worried about what will happen if I report?
   Reports are handled professionally and confidentially. ALIAS does not publicly share who has made a report. Retaliation against someone who reports – or against someone who supports a report – is itself a violation of the AB UCC and is taken seriously. Making a false report under the ABSSCM is similarly a violation of the AB UCC.

Resources and contacts

To make a report:

• Online: https://app.alias-solution.com/contact/en/AB240
• Phone: 1-855-603-0483
• In an emergency, call 911 first.

To learn more:

• Curling Alberta Safe Sport page: https://curlingalberta.ca/safe-sport/

For questions:

• General questions: Curling Alberta at [email protected]
• Safe sport policy questions: ASLA at [email protected]
• Technical or case-specific questions: ALIAS at [email protected]

Printable version. 

Thank you for your part in making curling in Alberta a safe and welcoming sport for everyone

Safe Sport is a key priority for Curling Alberta, and the Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) Safe Sport Training is an important part of creating safe, respectful, and inclusive curling environments across our province.

The CAC Safe Sport Training is the accredited education program of the Abuse-Free Sport system and is aligned with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS). The UCCMS calls for all sporting environments to be free from physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. The Safe Sport Training module supports those values by equipping coaches, administrators, volunteers, officials, and sport leaders with the tools and knowledge to help create safe and positive experiences for all participants.

Through education and awareness, Curling Alberta is committed to fostering a culture where athlete wellbeing, respect, inclusion, and safety remain at the forefront of our sport.

The Coaching Association of Canada (CAC) Safe Sport Training is a free online training module available through The Locker. The course is designed to help individuals involved in sport understand their responsibilities in creating safe and inclusive environments while supporting athlete physical and mental wellbeing. (coach.ca)

The training aligns with the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport (UCCMS) and helps participants recognize, prevent, and respond to misconduct and maltreatment in sport settings.

Topics covered include:

• Recognizing and preventing maltreatment in sport
• Creating respectful and inclusive environments
• Understanding the UCCMS and Safe Sport expectations
• Best practices for participant safety and wellbeing
• Building positive sport culture within clubs and organizations
• Tools and resources to support Safe Sport principles across all levels of curling

Safe Sport training requirements vary depending on your role within curling. Whether you are a coach, official, volunteer, athlete, board member, or club representative, there are resources and certifications available to help you understand expectations, responsibilities, and best practices. Read more about your requirements here.

The Curling Canada Safe Sport Club Training and Certification Program is currently under development and will be available soon.