Skate Canada won’t host Alberta events due to sports gender law

Skate Canada says it won’t host national and international-level events in Alberta, citing provincial law that restricts transgender athletes from participating in female-only sports.

The organization said in a statement Tuesday that its decision was made following its assessment of Alberta’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act.

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 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.”

The decision applies only to national- and international-level events and does not affect Alberta athletes’ ability to participate in Skate Canada programming and competitions, the organization said.

No upcoming national or international events are scheduled to be held in Alberta.

The 2025-26 Skate Canada Challenge was held in Calgary from Nov. 27-30, and the city also hosted the 2024 national championships.

The Fairness and Safety in Sport Act is one of three laws affecting transgender health, education and sport introduced last year by Premier Danielle Smith’s United Conservative Party government.

The laws sparked polarizing debate, and Smith’s government earlier this month invoked the Charter’s notwithstanding clause to shield them from court challenges for five years.

Proponents, including Smith, say it’s about fairness on the playing field, so girls are not battling opponents with biological advantages. Detractors say it’s about stigmatizing and punishing those in the transgender community.

But the government has offered a carve-out, saying out-of-province transgender competitors are exempt from the ban. The government said this summer it doesn’t have the authority to regulate athletes from different jurisdictions, as outside sporting organizations are bound by out-of-province or international guidelines.

Skate Canada said it will continue to monitor legislative developments in the province and reassess hosting opportunities as circumstances evolve.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 16, 2025