A Kilt Skate for North Glengarry
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There are several communities in Canada that take particular pride in their Scottish heritage. You'll find them from Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, to Red River in Manitoba, to the Alberta city whose name in Gaelic means "clear running water" -- Calgary. But across a nation that is sometimes described as "the Scotland of North America," you'd be hard-pressed to find a community with fiercer pride in its Scottish roots than Eastern Ontario.
Read MoreRideau Canal Skateway opens for its 48th Season
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The weather has been subarctic across Canada, but for those waiting for the skating season, one of the benefits has been anticipating the opening of the world's largest skating rink: the Rideau Canal Skateway. For 7.8 kilometres it curves an arch through the centre of Ottawa -- from the Hartwell Locks at Carleton University to the canal's final descent to the Ottawa River in the heart of downtown.
Read MoreRing in 2018 at Hogman-eh!
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For the sixth year in a row, the Scottish Society of Ottawa is throwing the best New Year's party in town -- and the largest Hogmanay celebration outside of Scotland. Thousands are expected at the Aberdeen Pavilion between 5 p.m. and midnight to enjoy the food, dancing, whisky tasting, and live entertainment. And to warm the Scottish heart on one of the coldest New Year's Eves in memory -- admission is free.
Read MoreCities Vie for the Title: Kilt Skate Capital of Canada
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For the fourth straight year, skaters across Canada will be taking to outdoor rinks in a unique celebration of Scottish heritage: the annual Sir John A’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate. What began years ago as a private house party to celebrate a birthday has grown into a friendly, cross-country rivalry for the title of Kilt Skate Capital of Canada.
Read MoreScottish Government supports Kilt Skates across Canada
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“The Great Canadian Kilt Skate is growing into a truly national celebration of what it means to be Scottish in Canada,” says Chris Maskell, the Scottish Government’s representative in Canada. “The Scottish Government is delighted to be supporting again this year. We’re especially interested in reaching out to a younger generation in our Year of Young People, and we love the exuberance and sense of fun of Canada’s kilt skates.”
Read MoreNHL Goes Outdoors
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Canadians love their outdoor rinks -- the "ODR" as the teenagers call them. There's at least one in every neighbourhood, lovingly built and tended by community volunteers. Sometimes whole families get into the act -- going out on a cold, starlit night to clear the snow and flood the rink is part of growing up Canadian.
Read MoreSkating rink opens on Parliament Hill
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"If you build it, they will come." And they did. The skating rink on Parliament Hill opened to the public on Thursday, December 7. Judging from public response in the first few days of operation, this is going to be a very popular Ottawa destination this winter.
Read MoreScottish Government supports kilt skates across Canada
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For 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 MoreSt. Andrew's Day -- a time for giving
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Everywhere 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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Building a skating rink on Parliament Hill
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The rink is scheduled to open on December 7 -- in two weeks. On Friday it was announced that, rather than close at the end of the month with the Canada150 celebrations, the rink will remain open to the public into February.
Read MoreWhat a difference a week makes!
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If you believe winter comes to Canada on December 21, you haven't been paying attention! It hits different regions at different times. In Ottawa, we can expect a blast around Remembrance Day on November 11. This year, the skies were bright and clear, and so was the ice forming on the Rideau Canal.
Read MoreHosting Kilt Skates for 2018
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As a result, the amount of funding from the Scottish Government and other sponsors will depend on the size of the event and the opportunity it provides to showcase the sponsors. For 2018, there will be three different categories of participation in Sir John A's Great Canadian Kilt Skate.
Read MoreMontreal 2017 Kilt Skate Capital
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After hosting a spectacular event that brought over a hundred bare-kneed skaters out on one of the coldest days of January, the St. Andrews Society of Montreal has been awarded the laurels for Kilt Skate Capital of Canada for 2017.
Read MoreLondon Times quotes Kilt Skate blog
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The debate over Sir John A. Macdonald's place in Canadian history continues, and is being picked up on the other side of the Atlantic. In its analysis of the controversy, the prestigious London newspaper, The Times, quoted the kilt skate blog entitled "Sir John A.: Hero or Villain."
Read MoreSir John A.: Hero or Villain?
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Is Sir John A. Macdonald a hero or a villain? Should his statues be toppled and his name removed from schools? Or should we make his birthday a national holiday – and celebrate it with bare knees and ice?
Read MoreScottish Website Celebrates Alice Munro
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In its snapshot biography of the Canadian writer, the website outlines how Munro went through a tough literary apprenticeship when she began her studies at the University of Western Ontario in 1949. "Throughout the 50s, 60s and 70s there was a feeling that Canadian writers, especially female Canadian writers, were unwelcome intruders into the world of literature. This meant that for much of her early career, Munro struggled to find critical acceptance."
Read MoreSNALC! North American leadership
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Scots can be a clannish lot, taking care of our own affairs and letting others tend to theirs. But when we do get together to share ideas and compare challenges, the results can be invigorating. The Scottish North American Leadership Conference (SNALC) has been held in Chicago, Detroit, New York and Edinburgh. On August 10-11, 2017, in honour of Canada's 150th birthday, the 16th annual was held in Canada for the first time at the University of Guelph.
Read MoreGlengarry Highland Games
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But the principle focus of the Glengarry Highland Games is not reenactment but performance: both in music and in sport. More than 200 dancers attend, but the Glengarry event is especially renowned for its pipers. The Glengarry games are the home of the North American Pipe Band Championship. Pipers and drummers come from as far away as Austin, Texas, and San Diego, California, and as close by as Maxville, assemble on the field for the opening ceremonies.
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