Ottawa Valley — Kiltskate Heartland

Ottawa hosted its ninth annual Great Canadian Kilt Skate on the Sunday of Family Day weekend. That same day, 80 km down the Ottawa Valley, the Township of North Glengarry hosted its biennial kilt skate, which it alternates each year with South Glengarry. There’s strong Scottish traditions throughout the Ottawa Valley and no surprise that kilt skating has been taken up as a unique way to celebrate Scotland’s contribution to Canada.

Kilt skating began at a Burns Day house party in 2013. In 2015 the Scottish Society of Ottawa organized the first community kilt skate in Ottawa and helped promote kilt skates in other Canadian cities. Several of the skaters at the 2023 event have attended each year.

That original 2015 kilt skate launched several traditions that remain to this day at Ottawa’s event. There are opening ceremonies, for example, attended by the mayor and other VIPs. There are ceremonial gold scissors…

…with which the ceremonial ribbon is cut.

There are always pipers.

There’s always refreshments, and an information booth where you can learn more about the many activities of the SSO.

In recent years, there’s been a photo-op cutout where you can get your picture taken with “Nessie.”

After a couple of hours on the ice, there’s an apres-skate party at a nearby restaurant.

And in between? Well lots of skating of course,

Lots of friends.

Lots of flags — especially the “hockey stick saltire.”

The Ottawa version of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate has always been held outdoors — since 2016 at the Lansdowne Skating Park behind the iconic Aberdeen Pavilion.

This contrasts with the kilt skates held in Glengarry North and Glengarry South which, since the first one in 2018, have been held in hockey arenas. This was a terrific innovation at the time. It opened the kilt skate event into the possibilities of combining it with a ceilidh. A few years later, the innovation expanded to include a full blown winter festival with activities indoors and outside.

This year, the Great Canadian Kilt Skate was held at Maxville Arena as part of an extensive Family Day program organized by the Township of North Glengarry. Outside, wagon rides were available,

Inside, at the ceilidh help upstairs, music was provided by the Quigley Highlander Pipes and Drums.

Dance entertainment came from the MacCulloch Dancers.

The VIPs on hand included a T-Rex and Pikachu — both wearing kilts.

Both Pikachu and T-Rex were very popular with the kids. They joined the skating down at the arena ice.

All in all, it was a great day for getting together with family and friends.

We’re building up toward the final kilt skates of 2023, to be hosted in Fergus, Ontario, and Winnipeg, Manitoba. Both have strong kilt skate traditions and will be vying with 9 other cities for the title of Kilt Skate Capitol of Canada.