OTTAWA, ON: The nation’s best figure skaters are headed to Mississauga, Ont., for the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships. The week-long championships will be held at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre from January 13-19, 2020. The event will feature approximately 250 skaters in the men, women, pairs, ice dance disciplines, competing in three levels: senior, junior and novice.

“We are so excited to be back in Mississauga for the 2020 Canadian Tire National Skating Championships,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “This event always sheds a spotlight on Canada’s brightest skaters and this year will be no different as these athletes continue their pursuit of excellence.”

The all-Canadian competition will begin with the novice and junior events taking place from Monday, January 13, to Thursday, January 16, followed by the senior events beginning on Friday, January 17 to Saturday, January 18, and finishing with an Exhibition Gala on Sunday, January 19. Athletes will vie for spots on the Skate Canada National Team and the Canadian teams that will compete at the 2020 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2020 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 2020 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

The senior events will be the highlight of the week as Canada’s top skaters will look to build their resume’s. Nam Nguyen, 21, Ajax, Ont., is the reigning national champion in the senior men’s discipline and will be aiming to be on top of the podium again this year in Mississauga. Keegan Messing, 27, Sherwood Park, Alta., will be aiming for the top spot, having finished third at last year’s event.

Aurora Cotop, 17, Thornhill, Ont., will be eyeing another podium finish after winning silver at the 2019 championships. Two-time Canadian champion Gabrielle Daleman, 21, Newmarket, Ont., will be looking to return to the podium  in Mississauga after finishing 5th last year.

Senior ice dancers Piper Gilles, 27, Toronto, Ont., and Paul Poirier, 28, Unionville, Ont., finished second in 2019 and will be eyeing the top of the podium in Mississauga. They will be challenged by  2019 junior national champions and first-time senior ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie, 18, Boucherville, Que., and Zachary Lagha, 20, Saint-Hubert, Que.

Senior pair team Kirsten Moore-Towers, 27, St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro, 27, Sarnia, Ont., will look to repeat as national champions in Mississauga. Also looking for another spot on the podium will be 2019 silver medallists Evelyn Walsh, 18, London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud, 23, Trenton, Ont. New pair team Lubov Ilyushechkina, 28, Toronto, Ont., and Charlie Bilodeau, 26, Trois-Pistoles, Que., will be making their nationals debut as a team.

Other notable national team members that will not be attending are ice dancers Laurence Fournier Beaudry, 27, Montreal, Que., and Nikolaj Sørensen, 30, Montreal, Que., pair team Camille Ruest, 26, Rimouski, Que, and Drew Wolfe, 25, Calgary, Alta, and Stephen Gogolev, 14, Toronto, Ont. All athletes had to withdraw due to injury but hope to compete later this season.

The novice and junior categories will display Canada’s up and coming talent as they look to leave their mark at the national level. All novice and junior competition, and select senior events, will be live streamed on the Skate Canada Dailymotion page. For full entries and event start orders, please click here.

Fans will also be able to tune into Facebook Live on the segments called The Inside Edge, which will be hosted by Skate Canada Digital Host Elladj Balde and will feature an assortment of figure skating guests throughout the week. The show will air on the Skate Canada Facebook page and will host a daily pre and post show.

Off the ice, three-time Canadian champion and 2018 world Champion, Kaetlyn Osmond, will be this year’s Athlete Ambassador. During the event, Osmond will handle speaking engagements, media interviews, make appearances on behalf of the competing athletes and interact with fans.

On Sunday, January 19, Skate Canada will celebrate the achievements of the skating community and will be inducting two new members into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will take place before the exhibition gala and will see Olympian and six-time Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson and renowned figure skating journalist Steve Milton both officially enter the hall.

Tickets for Thursday’s senior practice are $16.00 ($10 ticket + $6 venue fee) and includes novice pairs free and junior pairs free. Single session tickets for seniors begin on Friday at $38.65 ($30 tickets + $8.65 venue fee) and pricing varies by session and seating level. Ticket prices for the novice and junior competition fall earlier in the week and are $28.35 per day ($20 ticket +$8.35 venue fee). Tickets can be purchased online, by phone at 905-615-3200 x2814 or in person at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre Box Office.

Having previously hosted the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in 2013, this will be the second time that Mississauga will welcome Canada’s best skaters. The city has also hosted four Skate Canada International competitions (2000, 2003, 2011, 2016) and the 2017 World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships.