Speed Skating Canada Explained
Speed Skating Canada (commonly abbreviated to SSC) is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. It was founded in 1887,[1] [2] five years before the International Skating Union[6] of which SSC later became a member in 1894.[1] [2]
History
In 1854, three British army officers raced on the St. Lawrence River, going from Montreal to Quebec City, which marked Canada's first recorded ice skating race. It is believed that from then on, ice skating races became a part of Canadian culture.[1] [2] [3]
In 1887, the Amateur Skating Association of Canada was formed. That year, the first official speed skating championships took place. At that time, figure skating and speed skating shared an organization, however the needs of the speed skaters were predominant. In 1894, the Amateur Skating Association of Canada became the first non-European organization to be a member of the International Skating Union.[1] [2] [3]
In 1905, short track speed skating was created and gaining popularity in Canada and the United States.[2]
In 1939, the figure skaters formed their own organization and thus the Amateur Skating Association of Canada was made up of speed skaters only. Now that it was a speed skating only organization, the name was changed to the Canadian Amateur Speed Skating Association (or CASSA) in 1960.[2]
It was not until 2000 that CASSA changed their name, yet again, to Speed Skating Canada.[1] [2]
Structure
The organization is governed by the Board of Directors which is elected by the members. It is composed of the President, the Athletes Director, the Treasurer, and five Directors at Large.[7]
Branches
Speed Skating Canada is split up into thirteen branches, each representing a Canadian province or territory, as follows:
- Alberta Amateur Speed Skating Association
- British Columbia Speed Skating Association
- Manitoba Speed Skating Association
- Newfoundland & Labrador Speed Skating Association
- Nunavut Speed Skating Association
- NWT Amateur Speed Skating Association
- Ontario Speed Skating Association
- Quebec Speed Skating Federation
- Saskatchewan Amateur Speed Skating Association
- Speed Skate New-Brunswick
- Speed Skate Nova Scotia
- Speed Skate PEI
- Yukon Amateur Speed Skating Association
Hall of Fame
The Speed Skating Canada Hall of Fame recognizes the following athletes and contributors to the sport:[8]
Builders
- Jack Barber (1968)
- Clarence Downey (1968)
- Patricia Underhill (1972)
- Harold P. Costin (1973)
- Arthur W. Panting (1980)
- William E. Roughton (1980)
- Harry Cody (1983)
- Donald McCannell (1983)
- Carl Hennigar (1985)
- Bob Hodges (1985)
- Louis Rubenstein (1986)
- Wally Boschuk (1987)
- Bruno Comis (1987)
- John Hurdis (1987)
- René Marleau (1987)
- Leonard B. Morris (1987)
- Clara Overend (1987)
- Howard Overend (1987)
- Jack Walters (1987)
- Ken West (1987)
- Eugene Hearn (1988)
- Jean Grenier (1991)
- Marcel Laberge (1991)
- Robert Planert (1991)
- Michel Verrault (1991)
- Harold Augustine (1992)
- Howard Comfort (1992)
- Henrietta Goplen (1992)
- Peter Williamson (1992)
- Jack Jayner (1993)
- Yves Nadeau (1993)
- Iris Fletcher (1994)
- André Lamothe (1995)
- Elsie Barlow (1996)
- Bob Boucher (1996)
- Pierre Gagné (1996)
- Brian Thususka (1996)
- Doug Gordon (1997)
- Guy Marcoux (1997)
- Ron Thompson (1997)
- Ottavio Cinquanta (2000)
- William Dyer (2000)
- Jacques Thibault (2004)
- Debbie Fisher (2005)
- Ernie Overland (2016)
- Pat Leech (2019)
- David Gilday (2020)
- Marcel Lacroix (2021)
Long track
Short track
Notes and References
- Web site: About Speed Skating . 2008-01-14 . Speed Skating Canada . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717141153/http://www.speedskating.ca/about-speed-skating.cfm . 2011-07-17 .
- Web site: Speed Skating - Origins . 2008-01-14 . J. Thomas West . The Canadian Encyclopedia.
- Web site: Lace Up: Canada's Passion for Skating - History of Speed Skating in Canada . 2008-01-14 . 2007-01-19 . Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation . https://web.archive.org/web/20080128202536/http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/patins/patins06e.html . 2008-01-28.
- Web site: Structure . 2008-01-14 . Speed Skating Canada.
- Web site: Directory - Board of Directors . 2008-01-14 . Speed Skating Canada.
- Web site: ISU: Member Federations. 2008-01-14. International Skating Union. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20140107201144/http://www5.isu.org/vsite/vcontent/page/custom/0,8510,4844-161375-178590-19296-68634-custom-item,00.html. 2014-01-07.
- Web site: Board of Directors. Speed Skating Canada. 2017-09-15.
- Web site: Hall of Fame . Speed Skating Canada . 20 March 2023.