Canada: 'Ice those sexism charges'

Article here. Excerpt:

'You have to give the Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association credit for political smarts. Finding itself fighting for ice time on the city's overbooked rinks, it pulled out that ace of aces, the sexism card.

The 900-member association wrote a letter to Mayor David Miller threatening to launch a human-rights complaint for sex discrimination unless the city makes sure the girls get their share of ice. The mayor rushed to the mikes to promise that he would correct this monstrous injustice, even if it meant taking the issue to a vote at city council.

A Toronto Star editorial called it a clear case of “discrimination on ice.” But where is the evidence that the Leaside girls were discriminated against because of their sex – a serious charge indeed in the year 2009? Were they told they didn't rate ice time because they were girls?

No, the charge rests on the league's struggle to find affordable ice time. League president Ron Baker said it has spent more than $1-million over the past five years booking expensive private rinks because there isn't enough time available at public arenas.
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...The way to get girls on ice isn't to wave around groundless charges of sexism. If the leaders of the girls' league would “smarten up,” says Mr. Gardner, “they would work together with the boys' groups to go after the city for more ice. That would make a lot more sense.” It surely would.'