(Photo courtesy CBC.ca)
UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre met with Canadian Federal lawmakers on Wednesday to help educate them about the sport of mixed martial arts in an effort to move along legislation to add the sport to the Criminal Code of Canada alongside boxing on the list of legally sanctioned combat sports in the country.
St-Pierre’s visit was a result of an invitation by Canadian Heritage Minister Jim Moore, a vocal MMA fan who helped with the push for legalization in his home riding of Vancouver, BC, which approved sanctioning on a two-year trial basis late last year and is playing host to UFC 115 next month.
It was no coincidence that GSP’s trip to Parliament Hill coincides with the UFC’s latest trek to Canada for this weekend’s UFC 113 event in Montreal. According to an interview with MMAJunkie last week, Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Regulatory and Governmental Affairs said that members of the company’s legal team and lobbying group were also expected to join St-Pierre for the engagement.
Several provinces including Alberta, British Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, New Brunswick, North West Territories and Nova Scotia all actively regulate MMA. As it stands now the only provinces that don’t allow the sport in their jurisdictions are Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, Saskatchewan, Prince Edward Island and Nunavut. Unlike Ontario, where the Ontario Athletic Commission refuses to acknowledge the sport, the other non-sanctioning provinces don’t regulate MMA because they have no commission.
At a provincial level in Ontario, there are some closed door meetings being held and I’m told by sources involved in these talks that there could be movement towards setting the wheels into motion towards establishing a ruleset and governing body in the coming months. As it exists in its current form, the Ontario Athletic Commission, which consists of commissioner Ken Hayashi (who opposes the sport and is unfamiliar with the judging criteria and ruleset) and his occasionally employed wife, son and handful of contractors, will likely not be able to handle regulation of the sport when it goes legit. If provincial legislators give the sport the OK in Ontario, an amendment will be made to the Athletics Control Act to allow the sport.
That’s it. It could be done in an hour and the policy instituted the next day.
If the current government in the province doesn’t move towards sanctioning, the opposition is waiting in the wings to pick up the ball. Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has been vocal about his support of MMA sanctioning and has blasted Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty and his Liberal cabinet for not legalizing the sport and effectively bringing millions of dollars in tourism and tax dollars into the local economy of major centers such as Ottawa and Toronto.
In an interview with the Toronto Sun this week, Toronto mayoral candidate Rob Ford declared that, if elected, he would welcome MMA in the city and would personally put pressure on McGuinty and Consumer Services Minister, Sophia Aggelonitis to get it done.
"What are we talking about here?" said Ford. "We’re talking about bringing business to Toronto. It’s good business and it will bring in big money to the city. I’m not promoting violence here. That’s not what this is about. This is an entertainment product. You may like it, you may not like it, that’s your choice. People who don’t like it don’t have to watch it. It’s not like we’re playing it in the middle of the Gardiner Expressway or anything. In my mind, we have to be open to business ideas that bring money and excitement to the city. This will generate millions of dollars for the city. I don’t know how you can be against this."
Hopefully the bureaucrats can get their heads out of their asses long enough to realize that MMA is a legitimate sport whose injury and mortality rates are minuscule compared to those of other mainstream sports. If they do and Ontario follows in the footsteps of BC, we could very well see a show in Toronto this New Years Eve.
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Comments
Thu, 05/06/10 - 08:57
That smile could sell rollerblades to Lieutenant Dan.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:03
I certainly hope they can get their thumbs out and make it happen. Ken Hayashi is a dinosaur who needs to throw on some skates and get in the game. I call this one GSP by rear naked choke, in the centre of the floor of the House of Lords. The Speaker of the House will officiate.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:13
Georges thought he heard chants of 'GSP, GSP' coming from inside parliament so he went inside to investigate. Once in, he realized it was the politicians yelling for more 'GST! GST!'
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:14
Holy shit, an article on CP today that is not full of a bunch of canned gay jokes from 1985. Quick dude edit some in before everyone reads it.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:18
That guy has the private pyle stare perfected.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:20
What is GST????
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:21
What exists here is the one and only picture GSP has ever taken without the other person in the picture making a fist. Seriously though, Ontario, get your shit together. BC as well. I happen to live near two of the cities where MMA is actually sanctioned in BC, but still.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:22
Great, more blatant homophobiaphobia posts... :S
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:23
@ Smitty GST (Goods & Sales Tax) is a Federal tax that everyone in Canada has to pay on goods they purchase.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:36
@GoTWhisKeY: and now in BC we get raped with the HST (Harmonized Sales Tax).. so all the things that were PST (provincial sales tax) exempt we now get to pay for. Im lucky that I make good money and it wont effect me much, but for the people making minimum wage it is another taser to the back/knee to the neck from the government.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:47
GSP was really there trying to get the government to drop all tax on plum smugglers, it is a cause near and dear to his heart.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:52
@ GotWhiskey - it's Goods and Services Tax. "Sales" tax is provincial tax. Just so our American friends know.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:52
GSP is a contrebandier de la mirabelle for sure
Thu, 05/06/10 - 09:56
The mayoral candidate's name is RON Ford, as it says in the first line of that linked article. Despite his support of MMA, I'm not sure I want that fat fuck as my mayor.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:10
If the world was run by GSPs there would be less gun crimes, more work related injuries, an increase in spandex sales, less jokes about French Canadians, and generally more smiles that are actually pleasant to look at. Thank god there's only one GSP? No not really.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:19
So....Progressive Conservatives....what's next Reactionary Liberals. Did they not notice the contradiction inherent in their name?
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:20
the post-to-canada ratio has gone up considerably since homeboy got here.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:23
Actually, we both fucked up, agentsmith. It's ROB Ford.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:28
Jimbo>> I've noticed this also. Didn't realize how popular fighting was to those wacky Canadians.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:28
@Viva Hate Dude I just choked on my potato chips. It's sad that it only took me a split second to figure out what 'plum smuggling' meant.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:28
Just to be a factual asshole, Canada has 10 provinces and 3 territories. Yukon N.W.T. and Nunavut are territories, trust me I live in one. A federal law would be dope, bypass all of Quebec's flip flopping bullshit, stick it to the Dalton and Ontario. Alberta is ready for an event now. Calgary or Edmonton FTW.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:31
Why is GSP wearing a brass flying saucer on his head?
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:33
I'm a territory snob, Tai-Pan. It used to drive my HS geography teachers mad when I'd ask why the hell they don't just call them provinces and they never had a suitable reply.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:40
Tai Pan & Mike >> Do you have any MMA colonies? No? Score one for us, then.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:49
MMA in Newfoundland......hmmmmmmm. It would most likely have the most comfortable Octagon around. Maybe the sealpelt octagon with a sinew chainlink would catch on elsewhere.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:55
Mike Russell Says: Actually, we both fucked up, agentsmith. It's ROB Ford. ========== Tabarnac! So anyways, that guy sure is fat though, huh?
Thu, 05/06/10 - 10:58
Unlike the provinces, the territories of Canada have no inherent jurisdiction and only have those powers delegated to them by the federal government. The more you know...
Thu, 05/06/10 - 11:24
That member of parliament is trying not to laugh because GSP's manties don't match his coat or shoes...
Thu, 05/06/10 - 11:40
That dude in the photo is just hanging with Georges so he can absorb his riddum. Though chicks do dig Canadian Federal Lawmakers.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 12:08
You may have gotten the Sales part wrong, gotwhiskey, but you certainly cracked up this Torontonian!!
Thu, 05/06/10 - 12:12
That politician has the look of being completely outclassed and he knows it.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 01:03
Cock Chestnar - MMA in Newfoundland would be the worst thing ever. Even worse than in the North West Territories. Here's why: Newfoundland is a fucking rock. 3% of the land mass is grass with a few trees scattered around. The rest is pure rock scrubbed clean by the Atlantic. Further, although at first the crowd will be appreciated as great since they're loud, rowdy and enthusiastic, things will take a turn for the worst when they start pelting fighters with full, empty and partially empty screech bottles. It's all downhill from there. Not to mention that communication with the locals will be impossible. Trust me, it's like talking to the Randy Quaid character from Waterboy. Communication = NIL.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 01:25
Someone please buy GSP another fucking sportcoat. He's been rocking that same one for like 5 years
Thu, 05/06/10 - 01:29
On second thought maybe he just has a wardrobe like Earnest P Worrell
Thu, 05/06/10 - 07:39
I thought the same thing, does he only own one suit, or a whole closet full of identical suits.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 08:17
@Shaky Overlooking the obvious oxymoron, the name 'progressive conservatives' came about from the merger of the 'progressive party' and the 'conservative party' back in 1942. Stuff like this happens in Canada, like when the eastern and western football leagues merged to put both the Ottawa Rough Riders and the Saskatchewan roughriders in the same league. They even met in the Grey Cup 3 times.
Thu, 05/06/10 - 08:38
just for a little perspective, Rob Ford believes you can't get aids if you don't have gay sex. so, grain of salt and all...
Fri, 05/07/10 - 10:13
The Toronto Sun is to for-realsies news what Cagepotato is to hard-hitting, serious MMA reporting. Also, Newfoundland hasn't legalized MMA because 2 guys punching the beejeesus out of each other in a cage is called "Weekdays" in that province.
Fri, 05/07/10 - 11:04
@bockbjj Thanks for the explanation. On another note, sports teams called the "rough riders", I don't even know what that is supposed to mean, I don't think I wanna know...
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