THE COMING DAYS WILL REQUIRE A NEW STYLE OF COURAGE

 by Pierre Filion pierrefilion@bell.net

April 21^st will be an important day for Lacrosse Canada and for the Members.

The Members (the provincial presidents) have been called for a special meeting of Members to decide upon a ‘’resolution for the removal of the following individuals as Directors of Lacrosse Canada: Matt Shearer and Barbara Lockhart.’’

Matt Shearer is the president of Lacrosse Canada and has been a director with the Association for the last two years. Barbara Lockhart is a ‘’Director-at large’’ at Lacrosse Canada and has an impressive résumé. The invitation to the meeting does not indicate any reason for the removal of the Directors. But, in itself the resolution is a serious issue.

There is no need for a publicized reason for the meeting; the provincial presidents are fully aware of the reasons for the removal of the President and of the Director-at Large. If they can count, they know.

What they will need however, if Shearer and Lockhart do not resign before April 21^st, is the courage to act on the removal of the two individuals. They are part of the problems at Lacrosse Canada and they condoned the last two deficits (194,749$ and 850,155$, for a flashy total of 1,044,904$). They were on the Board and failed to oversee the Association’s financial disasters as did other Board members whose removal is, surprisingly, not the issue of the day. Everyone on the Board was also aware of the upcoming disaster with the 2025-26 finances! They were there and they blindly and passively condoned the ‘’colorful fling-flang’’ at the Association of which they were the elected and trusted Directors.

Remember, when the Hockey Canada scandal broke out in the open every Director resigned. This does not seem to be the ethical way of business at Lacrosse Canada largely because the financial disasters and failed governance are not public issues. Lacrosse Canada ‘’operates with transparency’’ but behind closed doors. With situational ethics, if I may say!

The Executive Director (Terry Rayner) has been fired; two heavyweights at the Board (Brad Cann and Alan Preyra) have resigned; and now two more Board members (Shearer and Lockhart) might be removed if the Members act with courage and with a perspective towards the future.

If Shearer and Lockhart are removed the Board members would now be the following: Ted Goldthrope, Stephanie Pagan and Hannah Lazare (the three are ‘’new’’ to the Board); the other ‘’experienced’’ Board members are Stephen Leblanc and Zach Currier. Not a comfortable situation but, a clear evidence of a very weak Board of Directors. A very weak Board of Directors if I may say! This is one more reason for the Members to act with courage.

The courage to promote and elect credible new Board members; maybe someone with past experience at the Board of Directors; maybe a past president or vice president; maybe someone from the business community but passionately connected to the game. The Members need to bring in new honest and credible individuals who will work for the game and not just promote the National Teams and High-Performance programs. It’s open season for quality recruitment.

The Members will need the courage to increase the Members’ Council responsibilities and financial resources to become more credible and politically stronger. The Members will, in 2026, turn in 1,894,619$ in membership fees to Lacrosse Canada; you have read correctly; close to 2 million dollars!! surely some of that money could be returned to the Members to facilitate the Council’s work and political action. Specially if Lacrosse Canada believes in their own statement: ‘’We achieve more working together in a climate of collaboration and trust’’.

The Members will need to have the courage to go to the bottom of the disasters and lack of governance at Lacrosse Canada; not just replace individuals but to ‘’openly clean house’’ and develop some sense of trust towards the new leaders. The game was hurt; the Members were ignored. They need to acknowledge this but to move forward trusting each-other while also demanding open governance and improved communication.

The Members will need to have the courage to review the Association’s strategic plan and to create a new plan of action where Lacrosse Canada works FOR THE GAME and not just FOR ITSELF. The existing plan indicates that lacrosse Canada works for Lacrosse Canada. Period.

The Members will need to have the courage to change the Association’s vision which, at this time, is ‘’to ignite a nationwide passion for the game, cultivating a vibrant and inclusive lacrosse community that engages participant of all ages, abilities and backgrounds’’. This is a vision for the Association not for the game. It’s a bellybutton-oriented statement. A ‘’rah rah’’ social statement for people interested in closed doors but inclusive passionate gatherings.

Hey let’s not be shy; a positive vision statement for the game could be: ‘’Lacrosse on every field, in every arena and in every gymnasium throughout Canada’’. Would that not be what we would all love to see? Far more than a vibrant community!!! We all need the courage to say this and to demand that this would be Lacrosse Canada’s vision FOR THE GAME.

The Members will need to have the courage to review the ‘’pillars’’ of our so-called strategic plan and to consider them as tools for goals, not as goals in themselves. Presently Lacrosse Canada has no goals for the game; it has identified tools for its own development and performances. Tools are not goals; they are tools; resources, but not goals.

Today, Lacrosse Canada operates a 4 million-dollars corporation but has no goals and no objectives FOR THE GAME; it performs for itself going around in circles and claiming progress. ‘’We are growing the game’’; ‘’We are growing the game’’. Nothing is further from reality than this boring and repetitive statement. In fact, Lacrosse Canada wishes to perform as best as possible FOR ITSELF. It wishes to be a great and performing corporation going nowhere. Without a vision FOR THE GAME it is serving.

No credible corporation would dare to come out in the open and declare that it has no goals and no objectives for the ‘’product’’ it is promoting. No credible corporation would dare to promote itself instead of the ‘’product’’ it is marketing and developing

Lacrosse Canada created a narrative that has forgotten the game it is supposed to serve and develop. The mission statement clearly says that Lacrose Canada is to ‘’promote, develop and preserve the sport of lacrosse and its heritage as Canada’s national summer sport’’. Yet the ‘’strategic plan’’ takes none of that but puts forward its tools to go nowhere. Let’s vibrantly jump on our horses and run around in circles amongst ourselves.

The Members will need the courage to review the 2026-27 budget and demand that it be aligned with the Association’s goals once they are established. The present budget was approved by the Board of Directors on November 12^th 2025 and is in effect as of April 1^st 2026. The Members know they will generate 52% of the foreseeable revenues of 4,143,675$; they also know they will receive 19.3% of this money for meetings, national championships and ‘’projects’’. They also know that 41.7% of the expenses will go to administration and staff while a surprising 38.8% of the said budget will go to the National Teams and Development Teams. Those expenses are in no way related to the administration’s goals because, as said again, the Association has no goals or objectives…other than to cater to itself.

The Members will need to have the courage to replace the present leaders but also to go to the bottom of everything as, presently, we are stuffing ourselves with a word salad thinking that the ‘’vibrant’’ dressing will help the game.

In the absence of a credible Board of Directors the ball is clearly in the Members’ court…if we are to go somewhere.