Ottawa's Tenth Kilt Skate

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Having spent the past few winters in Ireland, I was delighted to be in Ottawa this year for its tenth annual Great Canadian Kilt Skate. The date corresponded with the last weekend of Ottawa’s annual Winterlude carnival, so the Ice Hog mascots — suitably tartaned up — were on hand to welcome kilt skaters.

After ten years, Dave Johnston and his team of volunteers from the Scottish Society of Ottawa have the logistics of hosting a kilt skate down to an art. Their information table and their hospitality table were set up.

Free hot chocolate….

And kilt skate cookies!

Also on site were information tents set up by the Ottawa branch of the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society…

As SSO’s Director of Volunteers and organizer of the Ottawa event, Dave Johnston served as master of the opening ceremonies.

The ceremonies began with the Ottawa Celtic Choir singing O Canada and Flower of Scotland,

They included greetings from the Government of Scotland delivered by John Devine, Head of Scottish Government in Canada. Looking past his shoulder is Ottawa City Councilor Laura Dudas.

And a proclamation by Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe declaring that Sunday, February 18, 2024, was officially Great Canadian Kilt Skate Day in the city.

And what would an opening ceremony be without a ribbon-cutting?

But wait a minute… The more astute of blog readers may have observed that, while there is a plethora of kilts in these kilt skate photos, there’s an absence of skates!

Fear not, gentle readers! Meanwhile on the benches along the sidelines (the change trailers were locked up for the day) a hundred or more kilted or tartaned participants were lacing up.

Among them were many kilt skate veterans who had attended many of the community events and who, during Covid, contributed their own kilt skate to the “Home Edition.”

Other afficionados had driven many miles to attend the Ottawa event. These guys had come up all the way from Mississauga for the February 18 event; they had already participated in the February 3 event in Toronto; and they plan to drive to Fergus for the February 25 event there. I wonder if they know that Orillia has just announced its first-ever kilt skate for March 2?

And soon the rink was lively with skaters,

They wore their kilts.

They found innovative ways to substitute for kilts. Bath towels, anyone?

They brought their families.

Even very young families.

They promoted their causes and clubs.

They waved the flag.

They showed their skating skills.

They took their photographs.

And everyone had a good time.

All to the skirl of the bagpipes.

After so many years of being away during kilt skate season, it felt great to be back.

Congratulations to Dave Johnston and his team from the Scottish Society. Thanks for the photographs to James Gilles Coughlan, Don Cummer, Patrick Dionne-kudo, Linda Gallagher Johnston, and Elizabeth MacLeod.