In 2018, the counties of Glengarry introduced an important innovation to the kilt skate phenomenon. For the first time, a skate was held in an indoor arena, combined with a social full of music, food and beverages and lots of fellowship in the warmth of an arena hall. Glengarry kept the event indoors again in 2019, and within a few days, a video of the skating had 200,000 likes on Facebook.
Read MoreBut by the 13th century, a distinctive culture was indeed evolving in the Highlands, where clan chiefs would confer lands upon warriors in exchange for their services. By the 17th century the stronger clans had overwhelmed the weaker and were able to defy efforts by the monarchs in the Lowlands (who had become monarchs of England as well) to assert control. At this time, the plaid had emerged as Highland garb.
Read MoreFor some parishioners, the Church is a faith community; for others, it’s a social justice action group. By now, few are surprised to find that, for some others, the Church is a real estate development organization with certain tax advantages. But as some at the Sunday gathering pointed out: the church is not a building. The church is the people who gather to worship and to serve God through their works.
Read MoreWhen Canada purchased the HBC’s western territories in 1870, the firm’s vaccination efforts had slackened considerably and Gimli, Man., suffered a smallpox outbreak in 1876 among Icelandic settlers and nearby natives. This reappearance posed an existential threat to plans for opening the West to widespread settlement, and Ottawa swiftly appointed Dr. D.W.J. Hagarty as medical superintendent for the region with the monumental task of vaccinating the entire Indigenous population. Annual Indian Affairs reports describe in detail the seriousness with which this task was engaged, as some communities actually achieved the desired 100 per cent vaccination rate.
Read MoreThe Glengarry counties (North and South) are branded “the Celtic Heart of Ontario.” It wasn’t hard to see why on Saturday, February 23, when about 150 kilted and tartaned enthusiasts showed up at Maxville and District Sports Complex. A piper and drummer took to the ice.
Read MoreThis winter has been one of the coldest in memory — one of the snowiest as well. Nowhere is the cold more biting than on the cities of the plains. On Sunday, February 10, both Saskatoon and Calgary celebrated their fifth annual Great Canadian Kilt Skate. Not necessarily with “bare knees and ice” — not this year. But with customary Scottish fortitude and sense of fun.
Read MoreThe kilt skate phenomenon made a spectacular jump over the Canada-U.S. border and has landed a Salchow in midtown Manhattan. The first-ever Tartan Kilt Skate NYC was held on February 2 — a day that found New Yorkers experiencing another Canadian import: the polar vor
Read MoreThe kilt skate phenomenon continues to grow. An event that began as a house party has now expanded to include the City of Lethbridge on the southern prairies of Alberta.
Read MoreHosting a kilt skate outdoors leaves it vulnerable to the vagaries of weather. For the second year in a row, extreme weather warnings in Montreal have forced the St. Andrew’s Society to postpone for a week. The Great Canadian Kilt Skate is rescheduled for Saturday, January 26, 2-4 p.m.
Read MoreDue to a social media hiccup, an erroneous message went out on some platforms, We confirm that the Tartan Kilt Skate in New York City will certainly take place as scheduled on February 2 at the iconic Bryant Park.
Read MoreSunday’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate was one of the best attended that Winnipeg has seen.
Read MoreIt’s estimated that 40-50 kilted skaters joined in the fun. The day’s entertainment included a skating piper and the Kids in Kilts Highland dance troupe. The event was covered by CBC Radio, CTV, City TV, and Global News — all of which augers well for future kilt skates as more Manitobans learn about this uniquely Canadian way to celebrate Scottish heritage.
Read MoreWe can surmise what a man with Macdonald’s intelligence, charm and wily pragmatism might do with the current pipeline issues. He was not a man of ideology and visions. His strength came from his ability to work with others, bring out the best in others, and take the many small steps that it takes to cover a vast distance over time. And today, on his birthday, we can use his example. As the old slogan goes: “You’ll never die, Sir John A!”
Read MoreAfter weeks of preparation, the Rideau Canal Skateway will open for it 49th season this morning at 8:00 a.m. The section from Bank Street……to Pretoria Bridge will be open. This section contains many favourite locations on the Skateway, including Fifth Avenue…Patterson Creek…And Pig Island. For up-to-date information on the Rideau Canal Skateway including ice conditions, including web cams, check the National Capital Commission website.
Read MoreIt’s been an early winter in Ottawa. The community associations were at work early to prepare the outdoor rinks. The city rinks with refrigeration coils opened early.
Read MoreAn outdoor ice rink at Fort George makes an ideal location for a kilt skate, and the suggestion was put to the Friends of Fort George. The mandate of the Friends and of Parks Canada doesn’t encompass celebrating Scotland’s contribution to Canada with bare knees and ice, but they have certainly come forward with a wonderful event, to be inaugurated on January 5, 2019: a Regency Skating Party.
Read MoreThe kilt skate phenomenon has made a quantum leap with the announcement that the event has migrated beyond Canada’s borders. The first annual “Tartan Kilt Skate NYC” will be held in Manhattan’s Bryant Park on Saturday, February 2, 2019.
Read MoreLast Friday’s announcement that Toronto was named the 2018 Kilt Skate Capital of Canada caps a remarkable story of growth and achievement — and shows how skating in a kilt to celebrate Scotland’s contribution to Canada is catching on.
So how, from among these successful events, do we choose the city that will join Ottawa (2015), Saskatoon (2016), and Montreal (2017) as the Kilt Skate Capital of Canada? There are many considerations that come into play. The total number of kilted and tartaned skaters certainly counts. We’re especially impressed if the numbers show a significant increase from last year — in the order of 1000% in this case! We like it when the event captures the essence of the annual theme. For 2018 it was: “Year of Young People.” The opening ceremonies bring together representatives from the community and from various levels of government. The media comes out to cover the event. There’s ample opportunity to showcase Scottish culture. A Kilt Skate Capital draws on the strength of its volunteers who come out and set up the hospitality tents.
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across canada, communities host kilt skates to celebrate scotland’s contribution to our multicultural fabric.
