This Saturday, Montrealers will take to the ice in their kilts, tartans, and other Scottish regalia to defend the city’s title as Kilt Skate Capital of Canada for 2018 in the Old Port.
“We had an outstanding event last year,” said Dr. Gillian Leitch who organizes the events on behalf of the St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal — and who also happens to lecture about genealogy and research her own Scottish-Montreal family history. “The Highland dance clubs and the curling clubs came out in numbers, even though the weather was very cold.”
Free tickets to the first 100 tartan-wearing people
With support from the Scottish Government, the St. Andrew’s Society will pay the admission fees for the first hundred people who come to the rink wearing tartan. There will also be birthday cake for everyone, and live entertainment, including Highland dancers and a piper.
“You don’t have to wear a kilt to be part of the kilt skate,” said Dr. Leitch. “You don’t even have to be Scottish — it’s an opportunity to celebrate the inner-Scot that lives in many of us, even if you’re not one of the five million Canadians who trace their ancestry back to Scotland. And after all, tartan is Canada’s favourite colour!”
Skating in Montreal’s Old Port. Courtesy kiltskate.com.
The title of Kilt Skate Capital was conferred on Montreal by the website kiltskate.com. It was chosen over kilt skates that were organized for Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Lloydminister, and Calgary. Many of these cities will be back this year to wrest the bragging rights from Montreal.
The St. Andrew’s Society of Montreal hosted its first kilt skate in 2015 as part of a cross-Canada event to celebrate the bicentennial of Sir John A. Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister. This year’s kilt skate will showcase the Government of Scotland’s theme of “The Year of Young People.”
The Montreal event runs Saturday, January 13, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Natrel Skating Rink, Old Port. Opening ceremonies and cake-cutting at 2:30 p.m.
Admission is $6.95 + tax; Kids under 6 are free
Skates are available for rental on site for $10.45
There is a changing room with lockers – bring a padlock or rent one on site
There is a bistro on site for food and a place to warm up.
Metro station: Champ de Mars
For updated information, check Events at kiltskate.com and check out the St Andrews Society of Montreal Facebook page.
Events across Canada
Other dates for 2018 have been announced for the following, but communities still have time to organize their own kilt skate:
• January 20 – Ottawa (Ontario), organized by the Scottish Society of Ottawa
• January 27 – Saskatoon (Saskatchewan), organized by the Saskatoon Highland Dancing Association
• January 28 – Toronto (Ontario), organized by the Clans and Scottish Societies of Canada
• February 3 – Alexandria (Ontario – North Glengarry township), organized by the Clan Donald
• February 11 – Calgary (Alberta), organized by the St. Andrew-Caledonian Society of Calgary.
