A petition is calling for the resignation of the general manager of Hockey Lévis following accusations of spying on a family’s residence and blocking the transfer of two children to other teams, according to a recent Radio-Canada column.
On Tuesday, Radio-Canada published a column about a family who claimed to have been prevented from registering their children in the Sport Loisir Québec Nord-Est (SLQNE) regional sports organization in Quebec City.
The parents — whose names were withheld in the Radio-Canada report to protect the identities of the children involved — say this ordeal forced them to hire a lawyer in an effort to get their children access to hockey closer to where they worked in Quebec City.
Benoit Forget-Chiasson, Lévis city councillor for the Saint-Rédempteur district and interim leader of the Lévis Force 10 party, said he wants answers.
“From what we read, it’s concerning. I am happy to see Hockey Lévis has refuted it, but it remains to be seen who is telling the truth,” he said.
“If this is proven, it is unworthy of a sports organization in Lévis.”
Benoit Forget-Chiasson, Lévis city councillor for the Saint-Rédempteur district and interim leader of the Lévis Force 10 party, said it remains to be seen who is telling the truth. (Eugénie Emond/Radio-Canada)
In the wake of the Radio-Canada column on the matter, Manuel Charron-Paris, a parent and volunteer coach with Hockey Lévis, started a petition calling for the resignation of the organization’s general manager, André Lévesque.
Shortly thereafter, he says, he was relieved of his coaching duties.
Saying it raises questions and concerns about the Hockey Lévis leadership, the petition boasts 350 signatures at press time.
“This petition is not only an expression of my personal concerns, but also those of many parents, coaches, and young players who have witnessed the consequences of poor management,” it reads.
One of his colleagues confirmed to Radio-Canada on Tuesday that Charron-Paris had indeed lost his coaching title since the petition first circulated.
In an emailed statement Thursday afternoon, Hockey Lévis confirmed that a volunteer coach had been relieved of their duties, but said it was based on the obligations outlined in the code of ethics for coaches, and not “because this person had expressed concerns or raised criticisms regarding the organization.”
Quebec still uses residence-based eligibility rule
The family at the centre of the Radio-Canada column said this ordeal all began when they took steps to register two of their young childen, aged seven and 10 at the time, with Quebec City’s SLQNE for the 2025-26 season, after they began renting a one-bedroom condo in Old Quebec.
The family owned a home in the eastern part of Lévis, but began renting in the city, closer to their work, according to Radio-Canada.
While the parents presented documents to the SLQNE indicating a change of address, they were told the organization also needed Hockey Lévis — with which their son played at the M-11 AA level in 2024-25 season — to “release” him as a player.
The conflict arises, in part, from a Hockey Québec rule that governs player eligibility according to legal residence. The territorial restrictions help prevent hockey associations from recruiting teams.
But it’s something other federations have moved away from.
The Ontario Hockey Federation, for instance, announced a series of updates to its Player Movement Regulations to enhance accessibility for the 2025-26 season, doing away with a similar system in favour of allowing parents and players to choose their own leagues, regardless of address.
2 children blocked from playing on Quebec City teams
But in fall of 2025, Levesque, in his role as the general manager of Hockey Lévis, refused the transfer of the two children, according to Radio-Canada.
The conflict arises, in part, from a Hockey Québec rule that governs player eligibility by legal residence. (Volkova Irina/Shutterstock)
Their parents then hired a lawyer, and the hockey organization later released the two children for the 2025-26 season — committing to releasing them permanently from the following 2026-27 season if their parents could provide the proof of residence required by Hockey Québec regulations.
In January 2026, Lévesque contacted the family’s lawyer to inform them the children would no longer play in Quebec City the following season, however.
The parents wanted their son to attend the Quebec Aces’ M13 AAA training camp, but his registration was refused by the president of the Quebec Aces — citing the belief their primary family residence was located outside the recruitment territory.
This ruling came despite the family saying they handed over phone bills, condo leases, vehicle registration documents and a sworn statement of a change of address.
After “hundreds of hours” dedicated to trying to resolve the issue, the parents told Radio-Canada they will see it through until the end, arguing that they never hid the fact that they have kept possession of their house in Lévis.
The matter dragged on and the parents enrolled their son in a school team. Meanwhile, Radio-Canada reported the family’s eight-year-old daughter went before a Hockey Québec committee in 2025, during which the Quebec City sports organization, the SLQNE, was represented by its general manager, Éric Turcotte.
He opposed admitting the eight-year-old to his organization, arguing that the organization does not believe a family of five can designate a one-bedroom condo as their primary residence.
According to Radio-Canada, he said he needed to block the girl’s registration to prevent her older brother from subsequently taking advantage of the precedent to join the M13 AAA team, as previously desired.
Allegations of private investigators, spying
It was in the middle of this conflict, the parents say, that they were spied on at their home by a man who allegedly took pictures of their children.
When they shared the man’s license plate number with local police, it was flagged as belonging to a private investigator, raising suspicions from the family that someone at Hockey Lévis had hired him to potentially verify the family’s primary residence.
In an email sent to Radio-Canada Thursday, Hockey Lévis denied the allegations that it had hired a private investigator to surveil the family.
Regarding blocking the transfers, it says it is bound to uphold rules and regulations regarding the residency of its players in accordance with Hockey Québec’s guidelines.
However, the statement adds that if Hockey Québec were to review its territorial rules, Hockey Lévis would be open to participating in that discussion.
“Hockey Lévis occasionally authorizes players to play for another organization, subject to compliance with certain conditions,” read its statement.
City monitoring developments
The City of Lévis said in an emailed statement that it is monitoring developments on the matter closely, but noted it’s not its place to comment on the alleged facts.
“That being said, the well-being of young people must remain at the heart of decisions made by any sports organization,” read its statement.
“Parents must be able to have confidence in the organizations that oversee their children’s sports activities.”
Hockey Lévis declined repeated interview requests with Radio-Canada. In an email to CBC News, Hockey Québec said it would not comment on the case.