Class of 2010: Builder
For nearly forty years, William (Bill) Ostapchuk worked tirelessly to develop figure skating in Canada. He gave unlimited energy, leadership and commitment to his wide range of volunteer roles with the association.
He brought the skills of his professional life, as a Certified Management Accountant, to his role as Chief Accountant for various figure skating events including the 1978 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, six Canadian Championships, five Skate Canada International events and numerous divisional, sectional and club competitions. He developed and trained an entire generation of competition accountants through his work as Chair of the National Accountants Committee. His vision to modernize this function and to bring a level of professionalism and consistency to the role of accountants was realized through his dedication and devotion.
Bill served for many years on the National Board of Directors, and was elected President of Skate Canada from 1990 – 1992. He was widely respected for his business acumen, which served to improve the financial planning, management and reporting for the association. As a member, and then Chair of the Marketing and Communications committee, he realized that attaching title sponsors’ names to both the Canadian Championships and Skate Canada International would make sponsorship more attractive and increase its value. As a result, the association saw significant increases in the marketing and sponsorship revenue during his tenure.
He also served with distinction on the Athlete Trust, the Executive Committee and the Finance Committee. In 1991 the Hall of Fame Trust was formed and he became the first chair. In every role that he accepted, he improved and advanced the association’s processes and reputation significantly.
Inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame 2010.
