2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

Dr. Jane Moran Named to Most Influential Women List of 2013

OTTAWA – Twenty outstanding women have been named by the Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) to the Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity List of 2013. CAAWS publishes its Most Influential Women List annually to celebrate and highlight Canadian leaders who influenced sport and physical activity in Canada and on the international stage.

“This is the 12th edition of the CAAWS Most Influential Women List and it is great to see the number of strong leaders who contribute so much to our country and on the international scene,” said CAAWS Executive Director Karin Lofstrom (Ottawa, Ontario). “Our goal is to assist in raising the profile of these leaders as well as celebrate women who make a significant contribution to physical activity through to high performance.”

The 2013 List includes athletes, officials, coaches, professors, administrators and volunteers. A few of the women have been named to the List several times, such as Anne Merklinger (Own the Podium) Caroline Assalian (Canadian Olympic Committee); while some are newcomers such as Monique Levebvre (AlterGo), Michelle Stilwell (Paralympian), Carol Huynh (Olympian) and Jane Riddell (GoodLife Fitness Clubs Inc.).

THE CAAWS MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN LIST FOR 2013 IS (alphabetical order):
Note: profiles are available for editorial use at caaws.ca

  • Caroline ASSALIAN, Chief Sport Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee (Montreal, QC)
  • Beverly BOYS, Official; “A Level” International judge; coach / diving (Surrey, BC)
  • Jill BREWER, Coach; Mentor; Master Learning Facilitator and Evaluator / diving (St. John’s, NL)
  • Jennifer CAMPBELL, Chef de mission of Team Canada, Special Olympics (Winnipeg, MB)
  • Jane EDSTROM, Official, International Association of Athletics Federations / athletics (Winnipeg, MB)
  • Cyndie FLETT, VP Research and Development, Coaching Association of Canada (Ottawa, ON)
  • Jennifer HEIL, Because I am a Girl Campaign / freestyle skiing (Spruce Grove, AB)
  • Kaillie HUMPHRIES, Olympian; role model / bobsleigh (Calgary, AB)
  • Carol HUYNH, FILA Panellist to IOC to Save Olympic Wrestling / wrestling (Hazelton, AB)
  • Monique LEFEBVRE, Executive Director, AlterGo; founder of Défi sportif AlterGo (Montreal, QC)
  • Monique F. LEROUX, President, Sherbrooke 2013 Canada Summer Games (Montreal, QC)
  • Anne MERKLINGER, CEO, Own the Podium; Board, Special Olympics Canada (Ottawa, ON)
  • Dr. Jane MORAN, Chair, International Skating Union’s Medical Commission / figure skating (Victoria, BC)
  • Dr. Margo MOUNTJOY, FINA Sports Medicine Committee; IOC Medical Commission (Guelph, ON)
  • Jane RIDDELL, COO GoodLife Fitness Clubs Inc. / fitness (London, ON)
  • Christine SINCLAIR, Captain, Canadian Women’s Soccer Team / soccer (Burnaby, BC)
  • Tricia SMITH, VP, International Rowing Federation / rowing (Vancouver, BC)
  • Michelle STILWELL, Paralympian; MLA; Advocate / basketball & athletics (Parksville, BC)
  • Lisa THOMAIDIS, Head coach, Canada’s senior women’s basketball team / basketball (Dundas, ON)
  • Dr. Joan WHARF HIGGINS, Professor & Research Chair; Volunteer / physical education (Victoria, BC)

Each year, in addition to publishing its Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity List (MIW), CAAWS also highlights Ones to Watch. For 2013, CAAWS has selected the following women as Ones to Watch in order to highlight their initiatives and impact: Andrea BRAZEAU and Julia ST-AUBIN (Kangiqsualujjuaq, QC); Ashley HOWARD (Vancouver, BC); Monali PATEL (Kitchener ON); and Carrie SERWETNYK (Mississauga, ON).

The final List was compiled by a CAAWS selection panel, from both public nominations and from contributions from knowledgeable sport and physical activity leaders. The panel reviewed the submissions and based its decision on accomplishment and scope of activities in the 2013 calendar year. Past Lists can be found at http://www.caaws.ca/influentialwomen/e/past_Lists.htm

The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable sport and physical activity system in which girls and women are actively engaged as participants and leaders. CAAWS provides a number of services, programs and resources to a variety of clients, including sport and physical activity organizations, teachers, coaches, athletes, volunteers, health professionals and recreation leaders. Since 1981, CAAWS has worked in close cooperation with government and non-government organizations on activities and initiatives that advocate for positive change for girls and women in sport and physical activity. Follow @CAAWS on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Celebrations planned for the 100th Anniversary of the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Ottawa

OTTAWA, ON: This week Skate Canada will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in its birthplace of Ottawa, Ont. The event will take place from January 9-15, 2014 at Canadian Tire Centre with additional festivities around the city that will also be open to the public.

CANADIAN TIRE CENTRE
Over 250 athletes in senior, junior and novice will vie for Canadian titles and the opportunity to represent Canada internationally. The event will act as the final step in the 2014 Olympic qualification process.

OLYMPIC ANNOUNCEMENT
On Sunday, January 12 at the conclusion of the senior events, Skate Canada will nominate the 17 member Olympic figure skating team to the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) for selection to represent Canada at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

CANADA SKATES
To celebrate this rare historic milestone, Skate Canada presents a mini-ice show “CANADA SKATES! 100 YEARS OF CHAMPIONS” with daily performances from January 10-12 at Ottawa City Hall’s Rink of Dreams. Admission is free!

Choreographed by Olympic bronze medalist, World and Canadian Champion, Jeffrey Buttle, and performed by top-level skaters primarily from the Ottawa area, the 10-minute show will guide viewers through an artistic representation of the century-long development of the sport in Canada. The show depicts how Canada’s love for skating began in the early 20th century and has progressed to the artistic and athletic modern competition.

Schedule

Friday January 10 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 & 20:00
Saturday January 11 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 & 20:00
Sunday January 12 12:30

FREE SKATING LESSONS
If you want to learn-to-skate or brush up on your skills, Skate Canada will have coaches and skaters from Ottawa area skating clubs on hand at the Rink of Dreams to interact and provide personal instruction.

Schedule

Friday, January 10 Minto Skating Club 14:00 to 18:00
Nepean Skating Club 18:00 to 22:00
Saturday, January 11 Goulbourn Skating Club 14:00 to 18:00
Patinate Gatineau 18:00 to 22:00
Sunday, January 12 Gloucester Skating 12:30 to 16:30

LIVE VIEWING
Watch coverage of the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships on the Skate Canada big screen set up at the Rink of Dreams. Canada’s best and brightest will be competing for national titles and a spot in Sochi.

TICKETS
Fans can purchase their tickets for the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships online at www.capitaltickets.ca, by phone at 1.877.788.FANS (3267) or 613.599.FANS (3267), or in person at the Canadian Tire Centre box office.

 

Skate Canada Appoints Chief Marketing Officer

OTTAWA, ON:  A seasoned marketing and television executive, Mark Halliday, has been appointed as the Chief Marketing Officer for Skate Canada. He begins his new duties today, almost on the eve of the start of the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Ottawa, Ontario.

A native of Montreal, Halliday is fluently bilingual and brings almost 25 years of progressive marketing experience to Skate Canada.  In the 1990s he was a global product manager for the Bauer/Nike Skate division and in the early 2000s he served as a Brand Manager for Cadbury Adams.  He continued his career as Senior Product Manager for Rogers Cable where he managed premium TV products, including dealing with rights holders to negotiate programing.  More recently Halliday worked for the CTV/Rogers 2010 Olympic Broadcast Consortium and helped create integrated multiplatform partnerships for Olympic broadcast sponsors creating digital, broadcast and promotional and general content programs.  The last three years Halliday has been the Senior Director Marketing, Content & Pay Per View for UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).

Dan Thompson, Skate Canada’s CEO, was pleased that after an extensive search, a new Chief Marketing Officer has been added to the executive ranks of Skate Canada.  “Mark brings a tremendously rich background to this newly created position. He is a seasoned marketer with a passion for athletes, competition and sport, and knows how to build a brand as well as a having a keen understanding of the multiple media platforms that is today’s marketing reality.  With this addition and the recent appointments of our new Chief Sport Officer, Patricia Chafe and Chief Operating Officer, Bethany Tory, we now have a powerful leadership team that I’m certain will guide Skate Canada boldly towards the implementation of the  association’s 2014 to 2018 strategic plan.”

Halliday will be based in Toronto and will spend his first week learning firsthand about Skate Canada at the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships.

Thompson added, “Mark will have the opportunity to take in all of the activities surrounding the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, with many returning Canadian Champions in attendance and the excitement of sending off our incredibly talented 2014 Olympic team to Sochi.”

The 2014 championships take place in Ottawa from January 9-15 and will feature approximately 250 of Canada’s best figure skaters in the senior, junior and novice categories. The championships will act as the final step in the 2014 Olympic qualification process.

Tickets for the 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships are available online at www.capitaltickets.ca, by phone at 1.877.788.FANS (3267) or 613.599.FANS (3267), or in person at the Canadian Tire Centre box office.

 

Skaters contend for entries to Olympic Winter Games at the 100th anniversary 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships

OTTAWA, ON: The top figure skaters in the country are set to converge on Ottawa, Ont., for the 100th anniversary 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships, taking place from January 9-15 at the Canadian Tire Centre. This year’s event celebrates 100 Years of Champions by returning to the host city of the first Canadian championships in 1914.

“Ottawa is where it all began 100 years ago in 1914 and we are so excited to be back in the birthplace of the Canadian championships for the fourteenth time. This year’s event also adds additional excitement and pressure as it is the final competition before our team is named for the 2014 Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia,” said Dan Thompson, Skate Canada CEO. “Skate Canada is proud to be sending the biggest figure skating team in the world to Sochi and the largest Canadian team since 1988.”

“The Canadian Tire National Skating Championships embodies a spirit of hard work and dedication. We applaud the athletes, families, coaches and supportive communities, for their tremendous work in getting these athletes here today,” said Landon French, Vice President, Sport Partnerships, Canadian Tire. “We are extremely proud to be a supporter of this event and the 100 years of heritage and memories it has brought to Canadians everywhere. Our Family of Companies has been a part of skating and learning to skate for over 90 years. From equipment, to keeping parents and coaches warm in the stands, Canadian Tire, Mark’s and L’Equipeur are committed to skating in Canada.”

Approximately 250 skaters in the men’s, women’s, pair and ice dance disciplines at the senior, junior and novice level will compete for the title of Canadian champion. Athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, the 2014 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the 2014 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and the 2014 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Leading the way in the men’s category is three-time defending World Champion, six-time defending Canadian champion and 2010 Olympian Patrick Chan, 23, Toronto, Ont.

In women’s, 2013 Canadian champion Kaetlyn Osmond, 18, Marystown, Nfld. & Sherwood Park, Alta., looks to defend the title and secure a debut berth at the 2014 Games.

The 2010 Olympic Champions, two-time world champions and five-time Canadian champions Tessa Virtue, 24, London, Ont., and Scott Moir, 26, Ilderton, Ont., will compete for their sixth Canadian title in ice dance.

The pair discipline will feature 2013 world bronze medalists and two-time defending Canadian champions Meagan Duhamel, 28, Lively, Ont., and Eric Radford, 28, Balmertown, Ont.

Other Canadians ranking among the top-10 at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships® include three-time men’s Canadian medallist Kevin Reynolds, 23, Coquitlam, B.C., 2011 Canadian pair champions and 2013 Canadian pair silver medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers, 21, St. Catharines, Ont., and Dylan Moscovitch, 29, Toronto, Ont., and six-time Canadian ice dance medallists Kaitlyn Weaver, 24, Waterloo, Ont., and Andrew Poje, 26, Waterloo, Ont.

For full entries and the event start orders please click here. For further event information, click here.

Tickets still remain and can be purchased online at www.capitaltickets.ca, by phone at 1.877.788.FANS (3267) or 613.599.FANS (3267), or in person at the Canadian Tire Centre box office.

Media who have not already applied for accreditation are asked to contact Emma Bowie, Manager, Communications. She will be the onsite media contact at the event and can be reached at 613.747.1007 x2547 or at [email protected].