32nd annual Skate Canada Manitoulin event will be the last, but next year will see a SuperSeries event on the Island
LITTLE CURRENT—Skate Canada Manitoulin’s Island has been an annual rite of passage for figure skaters from the Manitoulin, Sudbury and Algoma Districts for 32 years, but after this past weekend’s event at the Little Current Recreation Centre the venerable event will be hanging up its skates, figuratively of course, as the organization has announced this was the last Island Skate—but as is often the case, this end heralds a new beginning.
“With this being our last Island Skate, we want to offer our heartfelt thanks for all the memories and support that each of you has contributed over the years,” said Island Skate 2018 Chair Brenda Francis as she welcomed skaters, coaches, club representatives and officials to Manitoulin Island. “Your participation has always been a gift to our community.”
Although this year will be the last Island Skate program, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there will never be another Skate Canada sanctioned event on Manitoulin.
“Skate Canada is changing their structure of skating events,” said Ms. Francis. “Moving forward there will only be so many skating events in the province.” The more limited roster of events will require clubs to bid on holding those events. “So we will be able to put a bid in the future to host one of the events.”
“It is bittersweet,” admitted Jane Drolet, one of the main driving forces behind figure skating on Manitoulin, Ontario and Canada for the past 30 years. “Island Skate started in Manitowaning 32 years ago, and I became involved two years later when they weren’t able to do it anymore and it moved to Little Current.” Together with Lee Ashley, Betty Ferguson and a host of other volunteers the event thrived over the next three decades, attracting skaters from across the region.
Ms. Drolet recently retired from figure skating, having held posts locally, provincially and nationally over those many years. During her tenure, she could be found working late into the night printing, sorting and collating programs and forms in preparation for Island Skate.
“It was a lot of work,” laughed Ms. Drolet, “but I don’t regret a minute of it. We brought a lot of wonderful skaters to Manitoulin over the years and helped to develop the strong programs we have today. I just figured that with the end of Island Skate and the changes coming to how Skate Canada Ontario is structured it was a good time to retire from it all. This will be the first time in 30 years I am not involved at some level.”
Not involved apparently means running the hospitality suite for this year’s event. “Well, I still like to help out,” she laughed. “That is where they needed me the most this year.” Going forward Ms. Drolet will also be designing and creating skating dresses for figure skaters. “It is something I love to do,” she said.
Abbie Drolet, Jane’s daughter, has been involved in figure skating for decades as well, coaching for the past 20 years and before that a figure skater in her own right. It was a bit of a bittersweet moment for her as well. “It was bittersweet, but at least we knew it was the last one, so we were able to say our good-byes,” she said. “Island Skate went really, really well, there were a lot of skaters who came out this year and that was a great way to end on a high note.”
So that’s the bad news, this was the last Island Skate, but the good news is that Skate Manitoulin was successful in bidding on one of the new Skate Canada events, so come February 22 to 24 next year, Manitoulin will see a very large skating event taking place in Little Current.
“At this point, at least, we are the event for the Sudbury area taking place next year,” said Abbie Drolet. “We were successful with our bid, and that is thanks in large part to the supportive reception we have had from the facility and the town.”
The new event will have some changes, but for an outsider looking in it will look very familiar—including a lot of the faces.
“Skate Canada has taken over the administration load, such as registration,” explained Ms. Drolet. “That will take a load off of our plate. But it will still be very much the committee.” Figure skating events are very much volunteer driven at all levels, explained Ms. Drolet. “We will still have a lot of local input.”
But a definite downside to the end of Island Skate is the impact that it will have on local fundraising. Island Skate was a significant part of the fundraising mix for Skate Canada Manitoulin. “We are definitely going to feel the pinch from this,” admitted Ms. Drolet. “The money raised from Island Skate helped to offset ice rental costs.”
The restructuring of Skate Canada Ontario saw the four Ontario sections of the organization amalgamated on April 1 of last year. Critics have suggested that the reorganization will gravely reduce the number of smaller events that skaters who are not going onto the upper reaches of the competitive stream of figure skating. In order to progress from the Star 5 level and enter the provincials, skaters must compete at two SuperSeries events. The top 18 of those competitors go on to the provincials.
SkateOntario officials are holding town halls across the province to gain input into the new system, and there will be a web-based consultation on April 17 for those who cannot attend one of the in person events. A great deal of the details of how programs will operate going forward remains uncertain.
Among the Island skaters at this final Island Skate were: Morgan Dedman, Kate Chapman, Avery Sutherland, Jasmine Clark, Kendra Jordison, Kirsten Bowerman, Brooklynn Ferguson, Violet Sutherland, Kali Francis, Nicole Boyle, Alexis Lewis and Shaylee Taylor of Skate Canada Manitoulin.
Officials at this year’s Island Skate included Diane Bellmore, Angela Hunter-Schumacher, Amelia Schaffner, Ashley Qyackenbush, Bre-Ann Viau, Justin Woodley, Sylvie Jeanneault, Kirsten Swanson and Dawn Robinson. Data specialists were Teresa Perdicou, Kelly Langevin and Heidi Duhamel. Technical representative was Abbie Drolet.
