Well, wasn’t 2022 a curious kilt skate season! On the one hand, the kilt skate family is bigger than ever: this year it grew to 14 Canadian and 2 American cities. On the other hand, the rise of the Omicron Covid virus forced the cancellation of community kilt skates in 10 of those cities. But individuals and families carried on, holding their own socially-distanced “Home Edition” kilt skates.
Read MoreIt’s 2022 and the Great Canadian Kilt Skate is back in full force for community skating. This marks the eighth year in which the Scottish Society of Ottawa has helped organize kilt skates — not only in Ottawa but across Canada. After last year’s very successful “Home Edition” where skaters took to the ice in their own socially distanced bubbles, this year provided an opportunity at last to get together socially.
Read MoreOn a sunny but cold afternoon, Scots and Scots-at-heart from near and far gathered at the skating pond at White Park in Concord, NH. The event was organized and hosted by the New Hampshire Scots, who were pleased with the turnout and impressed that some skaters had driven more than an hour to take part in the first-ever kilt skate in their state — the first-ever in New England..
Read MoreFor the second year in a row, the Home Edition of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate is proving very popular. It was initiated in response to the Covid social distancing protocols, but in recent weeks, as public health officials relax some of the measures, two cities that had originally cancelled their community events in favour of Home Edition have announced new dates for their community events.
Read MoreThere have been many elements that have led to a particular community being named the Kilt Skate Capital. But since the pandemic began, one of the most important has been the number of photos and video submission to the SSO’s gallery. It doesn’t matter whether your community’s event has been cancelled due to COVID. It doesn’t even matter whether your community has had plans for a kilt skate at all. Send us your pictures and videos!
Read MoreBut as Rabbie Burns might have said, the best laid plans of mice and kilt skaters gang aft agley. The rise of the Omicron virus has forced many organizations to reconsider whether to bring people together. Some organizers have opted to promote the “Home Edition” of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate. It was launched last year in response to the pandemic, but it’s now one of those pandemic innovations that was such a good idea that now it’s here to stay.
Read MorePhotos from kilt skaters across the country were posted on the Gallery at ottscot.ca. And for the first time, the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO), which organizes the Great Canadian Kilt Skate nationally, undertook a survey of kilt skate participants.
Read MoreOur guide for the whisky tasting was Mike Brisebois, the Brand Ambassador for Distell Group, the South African company that has a long history in wines and brandies and is now earning a global reputation for Scotch whiskies. Mike led us through the expressions from three of the company’s distilleries in: Bunnahabhain on the remote northern tip of Islay; Deanston in southwest Perthshire; and Tobermory on the Hebridean island of Mull.
Read MoreThe Scottish Government will once again partner with the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) to support kilt skating in Canada as a unique and colourful way to celebrate Scottish culture with bare knees and ice. An agreement has been reached between the government and the SSO that will see eight Canadian cities host kilt skates this year.
Read MoreIn the nation’s capital, Scottish Month is about to get even bigger with the traditional Rabbie Burns dinner expanding to become a full fledged charity gala, with a ceilidh added for good measure. Mark your calendars for January 19, 2019.
Read MoreThe potential withdrawal of the Scottish Government's support for anything associated with Sir John A. Macdonald has drawn the attention of the media in Britain to the kilt skate phenomenon. The Scottish Society of Ottawa has been in discussions with the Scottish Government on the future of the event. On Tuesday, August 21, Mhairi Stuart of the BBC Scotland drive home show "Newsdrive"interviewed the originator of the kilt skate and the former organizer of the national event, Don Cummer, on the issue.
What happens when you bring 2,000 runners together to race eight kilometers while dressed in kilts? You have the makings of the worlds largest kilt run.
Read MoreDon Cummer and Sue MacGregor have announced to the Scottish Society of Ottawa that they are stepping down as national organizers of Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate. Cummer, who began the tradition of kilt skating to celebrate the birthday of Canada's first Prime Minister, helped organize the first national kilt skate in 2015 and has been the event's public face ever since. MacGregor volunteered in hosting the 2016 Ottawa event when she and her husband had returned from diplomatic postings, and organized the operations of the national events in 2017 and 2018.
Read MoreThe national event was the most successful yet in the four years of Sir John A’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate. With $15,000 in funding from the Scottish Government, sponsored events were held in seven cities (two more than last year), and the attendance numbers in most of the cities increased significantly from the previous year.
Read MoreIn past years, Bryan Lyall organized a full Burns dinner for the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO), complete with remembering the Immortal Memory, toasts to Lassies and, of course, the Address to the haggis. This year, with Brian away on other responsibilities, we gathered for the fun and the fare at The Highlander Pub, where anyone wearing tartan gets a complementary dram.
Read MoreThe Ottawa version of Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate continues to grow. This year, about a hundred kilted and tartaned skaters gathered at the Lansdowne Park Skating Rink, milling about the tents and taking to the ice on a beautiful winter day. Skating, eating birthday cake and, of course, playing the bagpipes.
Read MoreFor the second straight year, the Scottish Government has come forward with funding to help communities across Canada celebrate their Scottish Heritage with bare knees and ice. It has signed an agreement with the Scottish Society of Ottawa that will see the SSO distribute money that will support Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate.
Read MoreEverywhere there will be dinners, toasts, and memories of the auld country. But perhaps most important of all, there will be kindness, caring and giving. This year, let's do more than celebrate St. Andrew. Let's #BeLikeStAndrew .
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across canada, communities host kilt skates to celebrate scotland’s contribution to our multicultural fabric.
