Skate Canada

History

In 1939, the Figure Skating Department of Canada was renamed as the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA). In 1947, it became independent from the Amateur Skating Association of Canada, and instead operated in direct affiliation with the International Skating Union, and an ISU national office was correspondingly established in Ottawa by Charles H. Cumming. The office was run on a volunteer basis from 1947 until 1958, when Cumming was hired as the first full-time employee of the CFSA.

In 1973, Calgary hosted the CFSA's first Skate Canada International in Calgary. This event would later be incorporated into the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating when it was established in 1995 and is the oldest Grand Prix event.

The CFSA's first national team was conceived in 1981, followed by its junior national team in 1991. In 1990, the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame was established and the first members were inducted in a ceremony at the CFSA's annual meeting in Edmonton.

In 2000, the Canadian Figure Skating Association changed its name to Skate Canada.

In 2020, Skate Canada announced a SafeSport program for the prevention and management of misconduct, injury and general disputes. In 2021, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Skate Canada held its first virtual competition, the 2021 Skate Canada Challenge.

Skate Canada has worked for some years to make its sport more inclusive, regardless of gender. It has reworked the language of its bylaws and in 2019 it provided that teams in its non-elite programs would be defined as two skaters, rather than one male and one female. In 2022, it adopted that definition for its podium pathway as well, becoming the first national skating federation to do so.

On December 16, 2025, Skate Canada announced that it would no longer host any national or international events in Alberta, in response to that province's legislation requiring participants in sporting events to compete based on their gender assigned at birth. Skaters in Alberta could continue to participate in local skating events and Skate Canada events in other parts of the country. Premier Danielle Smith has condemned the policy, calling it disgraceful, and stating that she expected Skate Canada to apologise and revert the policy.

Organizational structure

Skate Canada's headquarters are in Ottawa, Ontario. The organization also has 10 sectional offices which coordinate much of the local activity within their respective areas.

Ontario formerly had four offices, Eastern Ontario, Central Ontario, Western Ontario and Northern Ontario. However, these merged in 2017 to receive provincial funding.

Notable people

• Lou Lefaive, executive director of the Canadian Figure Skating Association from 1983 to 1986

References

References

1. "Skate Canada – About SC".
2. Hines, James R.. (2011). "Historical Dictionary of Figure Skating". Scarecrow Press.
3. "Figure Skating {{!}} The Canadian Encyclopedia".
4. "History – Skate Canada".
5. [http://skatecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10-Skate-Canada-International.pdf "Skate Canada International"] (PDF). Skate Canada. September 2015. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160201050707/http://skatecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/10-Skate-Canada-International.pdf Archived] (PDF) from the original on February 1, 2016.
6. (2020-08-05). "Figure skating: ISU Grand Prix Series to go ahead, events targeted at domestic skaters". Reuters.
7. "Skate Canada launches enhanced National Safe Sport Program – Skate Canada".
8. Jennifer Keiller, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/skate-canada-inclusion-history-9.7020373 "How Skate Canada pushed for inclusion in the years leading up to stance on Alberta's transgender policy"], ''CBC News'', December 18, 2025.
9. Kelsea Arnett, [https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/skate-canada-events-alberta-transgender-9.7018092 "Skate Canada to stop holding national, international events in Alberta"], ''CBC News'', December 16, 2025.
10. "Skate Canada – Skate Canada Sections".
11. Ferguson, Bob. (2005). "Who's Who in Canadian Sport, Volume 4". Fitzhenry & Whiteside Ltd..