Canada's 2020 Kilt Skate Capital
The 2020 kilt skate season seems long ago and a world away. In this year of pandemic, it’s good to remember how, last winter, we were able to gather together in numbers and celebrate Scottish heritage with food, dance, and lacing up the skates. All in all, it was an outstanding season for bare knees and ice.
The kilt skate phenomenon continued to grow beyond Canada’s borders last winter with events held in Dublin, New York City, and Boston. The first Canadian skate this year was held in the city where it all began: Ottawa where many of the skaters (some of them pipers) have been coming to the kilt skate for the past six years.
Next on the calendar was Winnipeg where in past years, skates had to be cancelled because the temperatures were too warm; other years, Winnipeggers braved minus-40 temperatures. This year — for the second year running — Winnipeg decided to host the event indoors.
Montreal is another city that has had to reschedule kilt skates because of the vagaries of weather. This year, it joined those cities that have moved the event indoors and therefore had no difficulty hosting its event on Robbie Burns Day.
As February rolled around, Lethbridge held its second annual kilt skate — doubling its numbers from the previous year.
This was the year in which Toronto decided to join the trend toward hosting kilt skates indoors, teaming up with the Toronto Marlies in their game against the Rochester Americans.
Saskatoon, on the other hand, has been holding its kilt skate outdoors at the Cameco Meewasin Skating Rink every year since 2015.
Calgary, too, exhibited that characteristic Scottish fortitude, determination and stubbornness by hosting its sixth annual kilt skate outdoors as well. This year, the temperatures cooperated for a change!
Towards the end of February, the newest member of Canada’s kilt skate family held its inaugural event. In the summer, the Fergus Scottish Festival draws visitors from around the world; in the winter, Fergus has now added kilt skating as a way to celebrate Scottish culture.
The days were getting longer, the sun was growing brighter, and the maple sap was beginning to stir. As February gave way to March, there were news stories coming from the other side of the world about a strange new virus that was making a large number of people very sick. That seemed a world away from Williamstown, Ontario, where South Glengarry Township had decided to combine the annual kilt skate with an outdoor winter festival.
The neighbouring township of North Glengarry had introduced the innovation of hosting kilt skates at indoor arenas. This year, with the torch passed to South Glengarry, the community pulled out all the stops to throw a Scottish themed party.
The welcome at the Char-Lan Community Centre included Scottish saltire face tattoos given away by the local girls.
Indoors, the festivities included opening ceremonies with a parade of local dignitaries.
There was complimentary hot chocolate,,,
And shortbread.
There was singing…
And dancing…
And pipes and drums.
And lots of people in the arena — on the ice…
On the sidelines…
And watching from a distance.
But outside the arena, there was more action. They’d built a toboggan hill for the festival.
You could go for a wagon ride through the historic town.
And if you wanted to warm up — or roast a marshmallow — there was a firepit.
The townships of North and South Glengarry share a proud Scottish tradition. They’ve found a way to share the responsibilities for hosting the kilt skates year after year. In fact, last year North Glengarry took the honours as the Kilt Skate Capital of Canada, joining the past champions:
2015 Ottawa
This year, we’re very pleased and proud to name South Glengarry as the 2020 Kilt Skate Capital of Canada.
We’re heading into a kilt skate season that will surely be different than past years. The COVID protocols may force organizations to rethink whether they will be able to host events indoors. The Scottish Society of Ottawa has been reaching out to the kilt skate organizations across Canada and in the United States to share ideas on how we will proceed. Already some organizations have expressed their determination to hold a kilt skate in their community this winter. Watch for details as they develop.