Former N.S. sailing team member alleges sex assault ignored by sport governing bodies

By Canadian Press on September 24, 2025.

HALIFAX — A former member of Nova Scotia’s Olympic sailing training program is suing the national and provincial governing bodies for the sport, alleging they failed to act when she reported a sexual assault.

The complainant from British Columbia says she was assaulted when she was 21 by a teammate in July 2024, while training and working as a sailing coach in Nova Scotia.

She says she reported the incident to supervisors at Sail Canada and Sail Nova Scotia, but claims the organizations ignored her and isolated her from teammates.

Other parties including the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron are named in the lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Justice of Ontario, the province where Sail Canada is headquartered.

In a statement, Sail Canada says that since it became aware of the allegations last year it has worked with partners at the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport, and has reviewed its policies to ensure it offers a safe environment.

Sail Nova Scotia was not immediately available for comment, and none of the allegations in the lawsuit has been tested in court.