NAIT has created a new policy to establish eligibility for their female athletes based on a controversial new bill from the Government of Alberta. The Government’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act (Bill 29) mandates organizations to “establish, implement and maintain policies respecting fairness and safety with respect to each relevant sport” by Sept. 1, 2025. NAIT, like other publicly-funded post-secondary institutions and provincial or federal sports organizations, was required to create policies to verify their athletes over 12 and playing in female-only leagues are biologically female.
The Alberta government’s website says the new bill aims to establish “a balanced approach to protect the integrity of female athletic competitions by ensuring women and girls have the opportunity to compete in biological female-only divisions, while also ensuring transgender athletes are able to meaningfully participate in the sports of their choice.”
HS 7.0, NAIT’s Fairness and Safety in Sport policy, says that in order to play in female-only leagues the athlete “must be of the female sex at birth.” Documentation must be submitted to prove their eligibility, and athletes, team managers or parents of athletes under 18 can challenge the validity of an athlete’s eligibility.
Athletes are still allowed to play during the process of verifying a challenge, but if they are found ineligible, they will no longer be allowed to play in female-only leagues at NAIT permanently. If they are eligible, no further challenges will be accepted.
The Act and NAIT’s policy does not apply to male athletes.
NAIT reiterated their commitment to allowing NAIT students to be themselves in a statement provided to the Nugget.
“We remain deeply committed to fostering an environment where all people feel safe, valued and included,” said Clayton Davis, VP HR, Students and International. But as a public post-secondary institution, “NAIT is subject to the regulations under the Act,” and was required to have a policy in place by Sept. 1.
Davis “recognize[s] that this policy may raise concerns and questions among students, staff, and athletes,” and encouraged anyone who requires support to visit the Centre for Community and Belonging or use NAIT’s Employee Assistance Program for staff.
James Wiebe, a NAIT business student and President of the NAIT chapter of the Trans Equality Society of Alberta, believes the new regulation will have negative effects on transgender youth across the province.
“It’s going to make them feel like they’re second-class citizens,” Wiebe said in an interview with the Nugget. “There’s a lot of closeted trans people here [in Alberta] that you’ll never know because they’re so scared.
“There is a real life impact,” Wiebe said. “They are our brothers, our sisters, our friends, they’re our parents, they’re our kids … and if we want to be good human beings, we will support their mental health.”
The new bill will not apply to intramurals and co-ed sports leagues. However, the bill’s overview included that it opens the door for “the expansion and creation of mixed-sex leagues, classes or divisions, where numbers warrant.”
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the Nugget’s October 2025 print issue. Read it online here.
