The Great Canadian Kilt Skate: 2025 Edition
By Andy MacCulloch and Don Cummer
It has been an exceptional year for our kilt skate community, with innovative ideas throughout Canada and beyond. The Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) has come to expect great participation and fun from all the communities, large or small. It is gratifying to see such enthusiasm and creativity year to year.
And that is why it is always difficult to name a Great Canadian Kilt Skate Capital with so many worthy participants. But we did, so read on.
Antigonish, Nova Scotia, known for its wonderful Highland Games, joined the Kilt skate crew a couple of years ago and continues to hold well - attended and fun Kilt Skates.
It’s unusual to single out a first year Kilt Skate event, but an honourable mention must go to the “rookie” Halifax version. Alex MacCulloch did a great job with the help of The Scots - the local Scottish society. Halifax held their Kilt Skate outside on a brisk afternoon at the Emera Skating Oval. The first ever Kilt Skate began in grand style, proclaimed open by the Town Crier and a local bagpiper. Highland dancing from the Higgins Dance school added to the afternoon as did the many kilted skaters. It was a really successful and fun day and Alex is already working on new ideas for next year. Kudos to Halifax!
Last year Orillia was stymied by lack of snow but persevered this year and were almost foiled by too much snow. They pushed on with a dedicated group of first shovellers then skaters on the shores of Lake Couchiching. The skate was followed by a Kilt and Kurl. The group is associated with the summertime Scottish Festival in Orillia and it was a successful and fun first try wintertime event.
Montreal kicked off the season on Robbie Burns Day no less, with their traditional and well attended kilt skate in Verdun Arena. Calgary found some new digs outside. They cancelled one weekend because it was too cold only to have the next weekend be even colder at -30C but they went ahead. Of course, no piping in that weather but the Choir belted out Oh Canada in English and Gaelic and everybody had at least a few turns around the ice and felt pretty invigorated.
No strangers to cold weather, Winnipeg endured windchill up to -40C! The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders somehow played as a tribute to those who handled the same weather when they arrived to settle.
Last year’s Kilt Skate capital Fergus, home of the Fergus Highland Games, repeated their success with a wonderful and well attended kilt skate. Again, with pipers, dancers, and a live Celtic Band.
The weather in Ottawa was comparatively balmy, but cold enough to have a frozen Rideau canal to skate on after the formal festivities. The Kilt skate beside Lansdowne Park was a special one and featured messages from several dignitaries including the Head of the Scottish Government in Canada, John Devine, who recognized the special relationship between Canada and Scotland, and this year’s Kilt Skate partnership between Renfrewshire, Scotland and Renfrew County, Ontario.
Glengarry North rounded out the Highland Games Kilt Skate with a super kid-friendly event that included pipers and the McCulloch dancers at the rink.
International events and this year’s winner
A wonderful and unique aspect of this year’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate season was coordinating an International Kilt Skate Weekend from February 8-10. The excitement of partnering was definitely palpable in the participating communities.
And while every skate is deserving, we are pleased to announce that Petawawa/Renfrew County and Renfrewshire Scotland are the 2025 Co-Kilt Skate Capital.
Whitney Brooks, Membership Director from the SSO who hails from Renfrew, Ontario, had the great idea for a trans-Atlantic Kilt Skate with Renfrewshire, Scotland. We worked as a team to call the Scots to pique their interest. And we did it! Even Provost Cameron (mayor) of Renfrewshire, was captivated by the idea and her ongoing support and enthusiasm were critical to the commitment and execution of a joint Kilt Skate campaign.
Whitney put together a comprehensive program with all the attributes of a successful skate, including highland dancers, the military pipe and drum band, and live Celtic music both on and off the rink. The Military Wives Choir kicked things off with Oh Canada and Flower of Scotland. The Kilt skating followed and featured Ron Roach and musicians from Music Healing Veterans playing in the rink for the skaters until 2pm. The mayor of Renfrew acknowledged Scottish heritage and how everyone worked together to celebrate it.
The rink had booked minor hockey games before and after our event, so there was lots of traffic around that increased the exposure in the community! Another win was, the event raised funds for a great cause: Wounded Warriors. More details on the Petawawa Kilt Skate can be found further below.
Over in Scotland, Lord Provost Cameron helped get the Renfrewshire event and marketing team pumped up to promote the Kilt Skate. The crafty Scots tapped into the Glasgow Clan hockey team and their Braeside Rink. The fun began with a kilt skate alongside the Clan hockey players the week before, promoted in schools and in the community. With an added touch, Glaswegian players now resident in Renfrew/Petawawa wished their hometowns good wishes for their own Canadian Kilt Skates.
A second Kilt Skate was held before the hockey game between the Glasgow Clan and Fife. There was free entry for anyone wearing a kilt, and prizes for creative dress, with pipers and highland dancers for entertainment. Lord Provost Cameron even dropped the puck!
Despite time differences, there was considerable effort to support and celebrate the two Kilt Skates. Lord Provost Cameron prepared a lovely video beforehand celebrating the special relationship between Canada and Scotland, and another wishing the Canadians success.
The mayor of Renfrew County and the Head of the Scottish Government in Canada expressed the same sentiment from Canada. The Mayor of Ottawa declared February 9th 2025 Kilt Skate Day in Ottawa. It was agreed that Canada knows a wee bit about skating and the Scots, about kilts. It was a perfect partnership - and everyone had fun making it happen.
The joint and coordinated efforts of Renfrew County and Renfrewshire presented a new growth opportunity for the Great Canadian Kilt Skate, and our objective to celebrate and build awareness of Scottish culture in Canada. The quality of the communications and promotion, the events themselves, and the support of the community were outstanding.
Congratulations and well done!
Renfrew Ontario Kilt Skate https://www.kiltskate.com/blog/2025/2/11/international-kilt-skate-weekend-petawawa
Renfrewshire Scotland Kilt Skate https://clanihc.com/news-glasgow-clan-joins-the-great-canadian-kilt-skate/
I know everybody was excited that we expanded the number of participating communities from 8-10 to 15 this year. We were truly a National event coast-to-coast and it was so meaningful and a lot of fun to add Scotland.
On a final note, we have never seen so much media coverage as this year. Some of it is captured in Don’s blogs on Kiltskate.com. Check it out!
There’s no doubt that people are interested in what we are doing, and I hope that even more people will come out next time and join us for a wee bit of wintertime fun.