With all the dust settling from BC’s recent election the Government’s new cabinet was just announced. The new Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development is Coralee Oakes. Included in the Minister’s portfolio is the newly minted BC Athletic Commission. This is the Minister who is in the best position to address my voiced concerns … More BC’s New Minister of Sport; Coralee Oaks
There was much celebration in the Canadian MMA Community yesterday with the passing of Bill S-209. Now that MMA has a legal framework in Canada it is time for stakeholders to get to work with Provincial politicians. As discussed yesterday, Bill S-209 does not in and of itself make MMA legal across Canada, it allows … More Now That We’re Done Celebrating Bill S-209, Time to Get To Work
Canadians have embraced Mixed Martial Arts since the Sport’s inception. Despite this MMA has always been illegal in Canada. The long road to legalization is nearing an end with Bill S-209 now passing Third Reading in Parliament with a vote of 267-9 allowing for a legal framework for both professional and amateur MMA along with other … More And The Yeas Have It! MMA Given Legal Framework in Canada
(Image via BC Government’s Flickr Page) There is now official confirmation that BC’s first Athletic Commissioner is Dave Maedel. You can click here to read about his background. Maedel, who recently served as the Chief Sheriff of BC Sheriff Services, is now the first acting BC Athletic Commissioner. With his formal powers coming into force … More There’s a New Sheriff in Town for BC Mixed Martial Arts
This week I had the pleasure of being interviewed by the Jim Harrison Show in Kamloops to discuss BC’s new Athletic Commissioner Act regulating professional boxing and MMA. Jim was kind enough to give me permission to rebroadcast the interview here: For those of you who listen to Jim’s show that are visiting … More Welcome Jim Harrison Show Listeners
The Office of the BC Athletic Commissioner is now open for business. Their website is now live and can be found here. It is very user friendly for anyone looking to get a licence but could use direct links to the Regulations which can be found here.
If you are a fan of combat sports you don’t have to wait for the big show to come to town to see a great live event. There is much more to combat sports than the bright lights of the UFC with local events often producing exciting action and great entertainment. To this end, I … More Support Your Local Combat Sports Community! Check Out the Hurricane Fight League this Friday
I have been vocal in my support that while amending the Criminal Code to allow a legal framework for MMA in Canada is a good thing, Bill S-209 is not without its flaws. Specifically it will make many amateur martial arts contests such as Karate and potentially even wrestling illegal by default unless Provinces act. … More Pat Reid Voices Concerns that Bill S-209 Leaves Other Martial Arts in the Dark
Research indicates that many MMA athletes compete in a “significantly dehydrated” state due to the weight cuts they put themselves through to make their contracted weight. This in turn leads to noted increased injury risks including increased risk of brain trauma. I previously highlighted this issue which led to a good discussion here, and further … More Edmonton Commission Looks into MMA Weight Cut Reform
(Image via Wikimedia) Earlier this week I was pleased to learn that Joel Fingard, the Executive Director of the Manitoba Combative Sports Commission,is among the readers of this blog. Joel asked me whether, in my view, Bill S-209 will have the effect of criminalizing fighting in hockey and other non-combat sports. The short answer is no. I … More Will Bill S-209 Criminalize Fighting in Hockey?
Combat Sports Law 