Edmonton's Community Services Committee voted Wednesday to lift the city's year-long ban on combative sports events more than nine months early, and City Council is expected to vote on the recommendation in the coming days.
The year-long moratorium was issued in December, 2017 by councillors who cited concerns with operations of the Edmonton Combative Sports Commission's (ECSC) Administrative branch following the June 2017 death of local boxer Tim Hague.
A third-party review into Hague's death by accounting firm Meyers Norris Penny (MNP) put forward 18 recommendations to improve fighter safety standards.
On Wednesday, Mayor Don Iveson said the moratorium has had the desired effect.
“The message that council was sending, which is that this industry has to be cleaned up in some ways, that seems to have gotten through to everybody,” Iveson said.
Since the ban was put in place, those in the combative sports community in Edmonton have been fighting back.
Promoter Mel Lubovac has pleaded with council on multiple occasions to try and keep her business afloat.
“I think that the mayor realizes that this is something that needs to be done, or we’ll be back here again,” Lubovac said.
Wednesday’s vote came after City administration and the ECSC presented a report updating progress on nine of those recommendations.
Councillors were told “significant progress” had been made on policies regarding medical suspensions and fight history. The review into Hague’s death found those policies had not been followed consistently.
City Council is expected to vote to lift the ban February 27.
