Dear members and registrants,

Recognizing the need to have open dialogues about race, to listen to the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC), and to keep our community engaged, Skate Canada is pleased to announce the first Talking About Race in Skating Panel on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7pm ET. This virtual panel will be available for all community members to watch and will be recorded for later viewing.

The virtual panel will feature BIPOC voices in skating discussing why talking about race will strengthen our community. The virtual panel will feature:

Uzoma Asagwara (they/their) – Asagwara will act as the moderator for the panel. They are a former basketball player with the University of Winnipeg and the Canadian National Basketball team. They are currently an elected MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba and a leading activist and voice for social justice.

Elladj Baldé (he/him) – Baldé was a member of the Canadian figure skating team from 2007 to 2018 and was the 2008 Canadian Junior Champion. He retired as a competitor in 2018. Baldé is founder of Skate Global, and co-founder and President of the Figure Skating Diversity & Inclusion Alliance (FSDIA).

Patrick Chan (he/him) – Chan is the most decorated male figure skater in Canadian history with three Olympic medals, three world championship crowns, and 10 Canadian titles. He retired from the competitive sphere in 2018 and currently provides coaching and choreography services in the Vancouver area.

Vanessa James (she/her) – James is a French-Canadian pair skater. She has represented France at two Olympic Winter Games, most recently placing 5^th in 2018. James is a Global Ambassador for the Figure Skating Diversity & Inclusion Alliance (FSDIA).

Andrea Satar (she/her) – Satar is an active member of the synchronized skating community for the last 20 years. From 2005-2007, she competed with Black Ice, one of Canada’s most decorated synchronized skating teams. She currently works in the finance industry and is also a Skate Canada coach and section volunteer.

Megan Wing (she/her) – Wing is an Olympic ice dancer and was prominent on the Canadian ice dance scene for more than a decade, finishing on the Canadian podium for ten consecutive years from 1997 to 2006. In 2006, she retired from competitive skating, and remains active in the sport as one of Canada’s top ice dance coaches.

During the premiere of the panel, the YouTube Q&A chat function will be available for viewers to join the conversation and representatives from Skate Canada’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group will be available to respond to written questions and comments.

Please save the date for Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 7pm ET and join us on YouTube!