January 27, 2017

Ottawa Changes Venue -- and a crack team goes into action

January 27, 2017/ Don Cummer

When it comes to organizing outdoor kilt skates, Mother Nature always has the last word. And so, with last week's warm spell continuing into the weekend across Eastern Canada, the Third Annual Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate had to be moved off the Rideau Canal. We're moving it to the Lansdowne Park Skating Court, where we held it last year. It's a great place for a kilt skate: refrigeration coils to keep the ice from melting; Zamboni service to keep the ice smooth; changing rooms to keep skaters warm; electrical outlets to keep our costs down.

January 24, 2017

Toronto's first Sir John A Skate brings out the Scots

January 24, 2017/ Don Cummer

alk about making a big entrance in the big smoke! Toronto's first-ever Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate took over one of Canada's most famous skating rinks at Nathan Phillips Square. It was an unseasonably warm afternoon. The refrigeration coils and the Zamboni maintained an ice surface that was fine for skating.

January 19, 2017

Montreal launches the 2017 season

January 19, 2017/ Don Cummer

The morning of Saturday, January 14 dawned windy and cold. Certainly cold enough to put colour to the cheeks -- both upper and nether. Nevertheless, some hundred people braved the winter weather to launch the 2017 kilt skate season at Montreal's Old Port for the Third Annual Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate in that city.

January 15, 2017

Lloydminster's First Annual Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate

January 15, 2017/ Don Cummer

With the temperatures in the previous week in the minus-42 range, Kendra Jones McGrath wasn't sure how many people to expect for the Lloydminster's inaugural kilt skate. The great thing about Canadians, though, is we tend to be infinitely adaptable to the vagaries of winter. After a cold spell of 42 below zero, when the temperatures rise on the weekend to a balmy minus-11, well the weather seems almost tropical.

January 10, 2017

Then there were 7: Lloydminster joins kilt skate family

January 10, 2017/ Don Cummer

Another city has stepped forward to host Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate, bringing the total across Canada to seven -- the highest number yet seen in a growing winter tradition. Lloydminster is a city of 30,000 that straddles the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The kilt skate will be held at Bud Miller All-Seasons Park. "The City of Lloydminster clears the ice on the lake for outdoor skating," says Kendra Jones McGrath, who owns and operates the Jones Studio of Pilates and Highland Dance. "There is also an indoor spot with a fireplace to warm up."

January 04, 2017

Scottish Government supports kilt skates across Canada

January 04, 2017/ Don Cummer

“More than five million Canadians trace their ancestry to Scotland,” says Chris Maskell, Scottish Government representative. “We’re incredibly proud of that Scottish heritage, and we want to celebrate the enormous contribution that Scots and those of Scottish descent have made here in Canada – perhaps none more so than Sir John A. Macdonald.” The Scottish Government is keen to help the Scottish Canadian community maintain their connections to Scotland. “This year marks the 150th birthday of Canada, but it is also Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology,” says Maskell. “There’s never been a better time to come and visit Scotland.”

January 02, 2017

Hogman-eh! rings in 2017

January 02, 2017/ Don Cummer

The Scottish Society of Ottawa has been throwing a hogmanay party for five straight years now. For the third year, it was held at the Aberdeen Pavilion in Lansdowne Park. Each time it gets bigger and better. With this year's "Hogman-eh!" coinciding with big celebrations on Parliament Hill to launch Canada's 150th birthday party, the organizers wondered if the public would come out in big numbers. They soldiered on with the set up at the Aberdeen pavilion. The banners...The stage...And a team led by Jenny Bruce, who is travelling the world displaying "The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry."

December 26, 2016

Hogman-eh! Ottawa celebrates New Year's Scottish-style

December 26, 2016/ Don Cummer

Should auld acquaintance be forgot? Not when Ottawa gets together for another great New Year’s Eve celebration at the Aberdeen Pavilion. For the third straight year, the Scottish Society of Ottawa will host its “Hogman-eh!” celebration at Lansdowne Park. As in past years, thousands of people are expected to gather in the old “Cattle Castle” to bring in the new year with live music, dancing, fireworks, and special entertainment for the kids.

December 18, 2016

Giving mother nature a little help

December 18, 2016/ Don Cummer

We ...take great pleasure – and pride – in what is reportedly the best natural outdoor skating rink in the National Capital Region. Windsor Park has the best outdoor ice for a reason. For one thing, weather permitting, an army of community volunteers work together so that, every night, a team goes out go out to flood the rink.

December 13, 2016

Skating Season opens in Ottawa

December 13, 2016/ Don Cummer

The Rideau Canal is not frozen yet. It will be a few weeks before we'll be able to glide down the Skateway. But the City of Ottawa has opened its rinks at City Hall and Lansdowne Park. The refrigerated coils keep the ice cold so we can get our first outdoor skating experience of the season. At night we come out to the Aberdeen Pavilion where, last January, we held our second annual Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate.

December 04, 2016

St. Andrew's Gathering at Sir John A.'s House

December 04, 2016/ Don Cummer

Each year at around St. Andrew's Day (November 30), the Scottish hordes descend from the Hill (or up from the Valley) to occupy a grand house overlooking the Ottawa River. They eat the food, drink the whisky, and make their announcements, then roll up their sleeps, hike up their kilts and get ready to present several weeks of Scottish themed activities in the Nation's Capital.

Once again, His Excellency, Howard Drake, British High Commissioner, and Mrs. Gill Drake opened their home to those celebrating the patron saint of Scotland.

November 26, 2016

The canal freezes over -- but not for long

November 26, 2016/ Don Cummer

But the skating weather is definitely on its way. Over the next days, ice started to form on the Rideau Canal. The temperatures at night did more to help turn November's canal into January's skateway.

November 15, 2016

Preparing a canal to become a skateway

November 15, 2016/ Don Cummer

There's probably 6-8 weeks left before the Rideau Canal Skateway is open for the season, but before the snow flies and the water freezes, the preparations have begun. This week the Rideau Canal looks like this.

November 04, 2016

Canada 150 Kilt Skate: the biggest yet!

November 04, 2016/ Don Cummer

As Canada approaches the launch of its celebrations of 150 years as a nation, the Scottish community across the country is preparing to begin the party this winter with a kilt skate. As of the beginning of November, six cities have begun to organize their events. In the coming weeks, they may be joined by several more. The kilt skate is gaining momentum as a uniquely Canadian way to celebrate Scottish heritage.

September 22, 2016

Considering some options

September 22, 2016/ Don Cummer

After the summer break, the Scottish Society of Ottawa met to plan events for the coming year. There's a lot on our plate, but this year the plans take into account that Canada will celebrate its 150th anniversary in 2017. Time to pull out the stops and throw a party!

August 31, 2016

The long, hot summer -- and winter memories

August 31, 2016/ Don Cummer

Here it is: the last day of August and ice skating on the canal is far from anyone's mind. Here's the "skating court" outside the Aberdeen Pavilion. It's now a basketball court.

June 27, 2016

Perth: if you can skate in 30 below, try running in 30 above!

June 27, 2016/ Don Cummer

What a weekend for the annual World Record Kilt Run in Perth Ontario. By early afternoon, the temperatures had climbed to over 30 degrees Celsius, but that didn't prevent some 4000 kilted runners from gathering on Gore Street in the Eastern Ontario town that boasts one of the best preserved historical main streets in the country.

May 10, 2016

"The Scottish Banner," May 2016 issue

May 10, 2016/ Don Cummer

“Sir John A’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate has grown to become an annual tradition that is both uniquely Canadian and undeniably Scottish,” says Kevin MacLeod, Chair of the Scottish Society of Ottawa, which organizes the national event. “It highlights Canada’s nordicity in a way similar to the New Year’s Day polar bear dips in some communities.”

March 16, 2016

Preparing for Kilt Skate 2017

March 16, 2016/ Don Cummer

More than five million Canadians claim Scottish heritage. The mission of the Scottish Society of Ottawa is to promote awareness and appreciation of Scottish culture, and its contribution to the fabric of Canadian society and identity. We do this by engaging many Canadians of all backgrounds. The kilt skate is not just for people of Scottish descent. We want everyoneto join in, and we’re greatly inspired that Canadians of a wide range of ethnic backgrounds wear tartan in their scarves, shirts and hats. So we will encourage Canadians to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday by wearing Canada’s favourite colour – tartan!

March 07, 2016

The brier puts the focus on indoor ice

March 07, 2016/ Don Cummer

The warm weather has put an end to the skating season on outdoor rinks, speed ovals and the Skateway, but this week all eyes are on the indoor ice at TD Place for the Tim Hortons Brier. For an explanation of the game, or to keep up with the latest results, check out Curling Canada's website.

Fourteen teams representing the clubs across Canada plus the winner of last year's brier (represented as "Team Canada") vie for the Canadian curling championship.

We may update the curling news in the coming days, but in the meantime, the Scottish Society of Ottawa is working on a letter it will send to potential kilt skate partners as we plan events for Canada's 150th birthday next year. We hope to make the 3rd Annual Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate the biggest and best ever.

Under the Kilt

Kilt Skate