The Canadian sport system is riddled with abuse and in urgent need of a fundamental overhaul, according to a former chief justice leading a panel created to study the sector after revelations of a safety crisis in sport.

“Maltreatment in sport is widespread and is ongoing in all jurisdictions and all levels of sport,” said Lise Maisonneuve, the commissioner of the Future of Sport in Canada Commission, on Tuesday.

“This includes psychological abuse, neglect, sexual harm, physical harm, racism, discrimination, bullying, and hazing. These harms occur at the national, provincial, territorial, and grassroots levels in community clubs, and in high performance sports.”

Ms. Maisonneuve, a former chief justice of the Ontario Court of Justice, spoke at a press conference in Ottawa to discuss the 790-page final report issued after almost two years of study. The report recommends new approaches to funding and governance.