The national learn-to-skate program run through SkateCanada, is one of many local branches that helps kids gain skills on the ice. In Shawville they currently have 66 kids registered for the season. Due to safety restrictions they now run the program twice a week for two hours a night from 5 – 7:00 p.m., with 25 skaters on the ice.

“We rely on our figure skaters, the older kids, to be helpers with . . .

teaching the younger children so they deserve a lot of credit too because they’re on the ice those two hours,” said Katie Taylor, CanSkate Coordinator

The program takes kids as young as three and adults are welcome too, noted Taylor. “They’re kind of like little penguins.”

Their learning style is game based, with bubbles on the ice or obstacles courses to learn how to balance or stand on one foot. There are three badge levels: agility, control and balance that everyone has to go through.

With COVID, last year there was a limit to who could register because some kids couldn’t join if they were outside Shawville, so Taylor pointed out that they lost a lot of skaters who couldn’t come from areas such as Quyon and Luskville.

“We’re grateful that this year we were able to skate all fall,” she said.

One of the things they missed, mentioned Taylor, was the end of the year spectacular show that the kids put on where they show off all the skills they learned.

Because restrictions haven’t fully lifted yet and the changes have been complicated to follow, there won’t be any show at the end of the year, but to make it fun for the kids they plan to have an activity night with balloons, and cupcakes.

With how hard this year has been on local organizations, Taylor admits it has been stressful, but parents have been understanding and appreciative. That has been the biggest motivator.

“Just to see the kids the first day back, even the teenagers were grinning ear to ear and were like ‘I’m so happy to be back.’ And the kids are so grateful, and that is definitely the motivating factor is to see so many happy faces and so many smiles on the ice,” she noted.

Shawville Curling Club

THE EQUITY spoke to Andrew Rowat, president of the Shawville Curling Club to tell us how they have been faring this year.

In an email correspondence he mentioned that the club first closed in March of 2020 when covid first hit, where normally they would not have closed until mid-April. Because closures was still a concern during the fall season and because not enough members supported the idea of pre-paying for the season, the curling club closed its doors for the 2020-2021 season.

“By all accounts, it was a difficult season for most curling facilities in the province (and the country),” said Rowat.

In the fall of 2021 when they decided to try their hand at opening as most curling clubs in the country, their ice plant failed, and although they were able to get the repair done locally there were some delays.

“We are truly blessed to have a local business (Pontiac Refrigeration) to help us, the repairs simply would not have happened without them,” he said.

At the beginning of 2022 they were able to get the plant running, and on New Years day they were excited to be back, only to be hit with Omicron.

Rowat explained that they were able to open for children under 18 and were allowed to play indoor sports again on Feb. 7. Adult sports returned Feb. 14 with some restrictions.

“The community response has been great,” noted Rowat. “People have just been so happy to get back into the club in any capacity they can. As restrictions continue to ease we are hoping we can get back to holding some bonspiels, banquets, the traditional events that make the club feel like a club,” he noted.

They currently stand at almost 70 full members, plus some juniors and new curlers.

They have seniors curling Monday, Tuesday and Thursdays during the day, at night they have juniors and new curlers on Mondays, with adults curling Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

They have some Saturdays booked for league play, “due to the overflowing schedule shortened season, we are still looking forward to organizing a bonspiel on a weekend before our short season wraps up at the end of April,” he said.

The CanSkate program is looking for anyone interested in joining the committee, for more information or if you want to register your child you can contact the president Kelsey Stanley at president.sfsc1@gmail.com

Macy Lance is learning how to skate and enjoys being on the ice with her friends.

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