Calgary child advocacy centre named after Sheldon Kennedy

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Prime Minister Stephen Harper, centre, Sheldon Kennedy, left, and constable Dan Allen, Calgary\'s Children at Risk Response Team, pose for a photo with a Newfoundlander therapy dog called Cagney in Calgary, Alta. on Thursday, April 11, 2013. This was part of an event renaming the Calgary Child Advocacy Centre to the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Larry Mac Dougal

CALGARY – A Calgary agency that provides co-ordinated support services to abused children is being named after a former hockey player who brought to light the sex crimes against him by Graham James.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper says the not-for-profit organization will be known as the Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre.

Kennedy played in the NHL and was one of the first to come forward about sex abuse by his one-time junior coach and mentor James.

Kennedy’s revelations led to an eventual conviction against James.

Harper says the Calgary centre will be a permanent reminder of Kennedy’s work to help victims of child abuse and neglect.

He also says the centre will be a — quote — “one-stop shop” for child victims, who will not have to relive what happened by having to tell their story to several different agencies.

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