Canada’s governing body for figure skating says Alberta is now a no-go zone for national and international events because of its law on transgender athletes participating in female-only sports.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith called the organization’s refusal to hold events in the province “disgraceful” and said her government expects an apology.
Skate Canada, in a statement Tuesday, said its new policy is due to the provincial law — the Fairness and Safety in Sport Act — that prohibits transgender athletes from participating in female-only sports.
The law, which came into effect Sept. 1, blocks transgender athletes from Alberta who are 12 and older from competing in female amateur sports.
Skate Canada said the decision comes after long consideration.
“Skate Canada considers a variety of criteria when selecting host locations for its national events,” the statement said.
“Following a careful assessment of Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, Skate Canada has determined that we are unable to host events in the province while maintaining our national standards for safe and inclusive sport.”
Smith, on social media, accused the organization of refusing to hold events in Alberta “because we choose to protect women and girls in sport.”
“We expect (Skate Canada) will apologize and adjust their policies once they realize they are not only compromising the fairness and safety of their athletes, but are also offside with the international community, including the International Olympic Committee, which is moving in the same direction as Alberta.”
She said her United Conservative Party government’s view reflects common sense and popular opinion.
Smith’s chief of staff doubled down on Alberta’s laws, saying on social media “I guess Skate Canada has a problem with protecting women and girls from having to compete against men in competitive sports.”
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Rob Anderson said he was proud to be from a province that “protects the rights and safety of women.”
“I suspect that within a few years Skate Canada will be apologizing to their athletes and to our province when their women athletes rebel against such absurd policies,” he concluded.
Alberta Tourism and Sport Minister Andrew Boitchenko echoed the premier’s remarks, saying he was disappointed in Skate Canada “refusing to support and protect their own female athletes,” adding Alberta’s policies aimed at ensuring female athletic competitions are fair and safe.
“No athlete should have an unfair advantage, and no athlete should have to put themselves at risk of harm to participate in the sports they love,” Boitchenko said, pointing out the International Olympic Committee plans to look into the concern next year.
“By choosing to forgo events in Alberta’s world-class venues, Skate Canada is denying their female athletes opportunities to compete on a safe and level playing field.”
Skate Canada said the decision doesn’t prevent Alberta athletes from participating in its programming or competitions.
No upcoming national or international events are scheduled to be held in Alberta. The 2025-26 Skate Canada Challenge was held in Calgary last month, and the city also hosted the 2024 national championships.
The bill affecting transgender citizens was passed earlier in December and marked the fourth time in under two months the Alberta government used the Charter’s notwithstanding clause.
The notwithstanding clause is a provision that allows governments to override certain sections of the Charter for up to five years.
The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is one of three Alberta laws affecting transgender people passed last year by Smith’s government. The other laws prohibit doctors from prescribing puberty blockers and hormone therapy to those under 16 and require parental permission for students under 16 to change their names or pronouns at school.
The laws polarized debate and sparked legal challenges, prompting the government earlier this month to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause on all three to prevent them from being overturned in court.
Proponents, including Smith, have said the laws protect children and the sports legislation is specifically about making sure girls are not battling opponents with biological advantages. Detractors say the laws are about stigmatizing and punishing those in the transgender community to appease members of Smith’s party.
Regulations under the sports act allow transgender athletes from outside the province to compete in Alberta. Boitchenko’s ministry has said it doesn’t have the authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions.
Skate Canada said it will reassess its Alberta event ban if circumstances change.
The organization’s transgender inclusion policy states it’s “fully committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all, regardless of any actual or perceived differences based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, language, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or disability.”
With files from Karen Bartko, Global News and Daniel Rainbird, The Canadian Press
© 2025 The Canadian Press
