2023 – Annual Report pursuant to the Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act
About this Report
This report (the “Report”) is made pursuant to Canada’s new Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act (the “Act”) and is a joint report made on behalf of L’Aréna des Canadiens Inc. and the following subsidiaries: Club de hockey Canadien, Inc., L’Aréna du Rocket Inc. and Evenko G.P. (along with its subsidiary Gestion Evenko Festival Inc.) (each a “Reporting Entity” and collectively “Groupe CH”, “we”, “us” or “our”).
This Report covers the fiscal year of July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023 (the “Reporting Period”) and constitutes the first report prepared by Groupe CH pursuant to the Act. The Report details the steps taken to reduce and prevent the risk of forced labour and child labour within Groupe CH’s activities and supply chains.
Our Organization
Groupe CH is Quebec’s premier sports and entertainment organization and provides unique and memorable experiences for its fans and spectators.
L’Aréna des Canadiens Inc. is incorporated under the Business Corporations Act of Quebec and is a privately owned corporation headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Groupe CH owns and operates two professional ice hockey teams, the Montreal Canadiens, a National Hockey League team and the Laval Rocket, an American Hockey League team. Through its entertainment activities, Groupe CH promotes and presents nearly 1,600 music, family and sports events each year. Groupe CH operates in multiple venues which it either owns or manages, including, without limitation, the Bell Centre in Montreal, Place Bell in Laval, MTELUS, Studio TD and Beanfield Theatre and runs some of the most renown festivals in Canada, including, without limitation, Osheaga.
As of June 30, 2023, Groupe CH had approximatively 3,000 employees.
Our Supply Chains
We strive to work with suppliers who align with our values and expect our supply chains to adhere to fair and equitable practices which strictly prohibit forced labour and child labour. Our suppliers are located primarily in North America. Our supply chains include third party suppliers of products and services which are required for our sports and entertainment operations and includes suppliers in the following areas:
- Hockey operations
- Festival and event operations
- Marketing operations
- Administrative operations
- Food and beverages
- Retail, merchandising, apparel & product licensing
- Facility maintenance
Our Policies and Due Diligence
We are committed to seeking to ensure that forced labour and child labour do not exist in our business or supply chains, and such engagement forms part of our broader commitment to conduct our business in an ethical and lawful manner.
Code of Conduct (the “Code”)
Groupe CH adopted the Code in July 2016, and as subsequently amended from time to time, this Code states the principles of integrity and standards of ethical behaviour that Groupe CH expects from its employees, including part-time employees, non-unionized and unionized employees, as well as permanent and contract employees. The Code requires that all employees adhere to the highest standards of integrity and comply with all applicable laws and regulations, including labour and human rights legislation.
Supplier Code of Conduct
Although outside of the Reporting Period, it remains relevant to indicate for the purposes of this Report that in 2024, Groupe CH drafted and will shortly start to implement a Supplier Code of Conduct to assist us in ensuring that our suppliers abide by applicable employment standards, labour and human rights legislation. This Supplier Code of Conduct includes specific provisions prohibiting child labour and forced labour, as follows:
“2.1.2. Child Labour
Groupe CH will not engage in nor support the use of child labour, and will not tolerate the use of child labour at any level in its supply chain. For the purpose of this Supplier Code, child labour covers all types of work carried out by employees under the age of 14 years old, excluding when such employment is authorized by law. However, for employment or work which by its nature or circumstances is not suitable for a person under the age of 18 years old, child labour shall mean employees under the age of 18 years old.
2.1.3. Forced Labour / Modern Slavery / Human Trafficking
Groupe CH will not engage in any form of human trafficking or use any type of forced labour or modern slavery, nor will it tolerate their use at any level in its supply chain. Suppliers must not demand any work or service from any person under the menace of any penalty. For example, suppliers’ employees (regardless of their employment status) must be free to leave work or terminate their employment with reasonable notice, and they must not be required to surrender any government-issued identification, passports, or work permits as a condition of employment. Supplier must be in compliance with Bill S-211 – Fighting Against Forced Labour and Child Labour in Supply Chains Act.”
Legal Agreements
We are also in the process of updating our template supplier agreements and our standard terms and conditions to include express terms requiring our suppliers to comply with all applicable laws relating to forced labour and child labour and with our Supplier Code of Conduct.
Risks and Remediation Measures
During the Reporting Period, as no incidents of forced labour or child labour were identified in our activities or supply chains, no remediation measures were taken.
In order to address and limit risks of unethical behavior, our Code requires all employees to promptly and in good faith report actual or possible misconduct. If encountering a situation where it is difficult to determine the ethical course of action, if a situation seems wrongful or in contradiction with our Code, or if the employee is unsure of the action to take, they are encouraged to seek advice from their supervisor or the Talent, Culture, and Diversity department.
Training
Our employees receive regular training on various topics. New employees also receive an onboarding training which covers our policies and our Code. In 2024, we undertake to identify those employees who engage suppliers or conduct contract negotiations and who therefore require specific training with respect to forced labour or child labour in the supply chains.
Assessing Effectiveness
We are confident that our Supplier Code of Conduct will help us combat forced labour and child labour in our activities and supply chains, if any. During the Reporting Period, Groupe CH did not yet have specific policies and procedures in place to assess our effectiveness in preventing and reducing those risks. We intend to put in place such policies and procedures in the near future. Such may include a continued monitoring of our suppliers’ compliance with our Supplier Code of Conduct and due diligence of new suppliers.
Attestation pursuant to section 11 of the Act
This Report was approved pursuant to subparagraph 11(4)(a) of the Act by the Board of Directors.
In accordance with the requirements of the Act, and in particular section 11 thereof, I attest that I have reviewed the information contained in the report for the entity or entities subject to the Act. Based on my knowledge, and having exercised reasonable diligence, I attest that the information in the report is true, accurate and complete in all material respects for the purposes of the Act, for the reporting year listed above.
Signed by
Geoffrey Molson, President
May 31st, 2024
I have the authority to bind L’Aréna des Canadiens Inc.
