Amateur Skating Association of Canada for speed and figure skating formed by Louis Rubenstein of Montreal.
Our History
The Amateur Skating Association of Canada was formed in 1887 and by 1914 a separate organization for figure skating had been established. This was known as the Figure Skating Department of the Amateur Skating Association of Canada and the initial members were Ottawa ‘s Minto Club and the Earl Grey Club in Montreal. The first official annual figure skating championships of Canada were held in the same year under the new organization.
Louis Rubenstein was the first president, a position he held until 1930. The department became known as the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA) in 1939 and in 1947 the CFSA joined the International Skating Union and dropped its membership in the Amateur Skating Association of Canada. In 2000 the organization changed its name to Skate Canada.
In 1947 the CFSA national office was set up in Ottawa by Charles H. Cumming, the Association’s Secretary-Treasurer. The office was run on a volunteer basis until 1958 when Cumming became the first full-time employee of the CFSA.
Milestones
1887
1890
Louis Rubenstein competes at the first unofficial World Championships in St. Petersburg and places first in two of three departments.
1911
Denman Arena first artificial ice rink built in Vancouver, B.C.
1914
First official Canadian Figure Skating Championships held in Ottawa.
The Figure Skating Department of the Amateur Skating Association of Canada formed to promote skating in Canada.
1928
First year Canadians participate at an ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
1930
Cecil Smith is the first Canadian to place in top three at ISU World Figure Skating Championships (2nd place).
1932
The first time Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal.
1939
The Department renamed the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA).
1945
Barbara Ann Scott (King) is the first female to win the Lou Marsh Trophy, age 17.
Barbara Ann Scott (King) is the youngest competitor to win North American Championships, age 17.
1947
The CFSA joins the International Skating Union and establishes a national office in Ottawa.
1947
Barbara Ann Scott (King) is the first and only Canadian to win European title.
1948
Barbara Ann Scott:
The first Canadian to win Olympic figure skating title.
The first North American to win European and Olympic titles in the same year.
The first Canadian to win back-to-back world championship titles (1947, 1948).
The first athlete to win the Lou Marsh Trophy three times (1945, 1947, 1948).
Wins Senior Canadian, European, World and Olympic titles, becoming the first North American to win all three in the same year, the first Canadian figure skater to win an Olympic gold medal and the first to win back-to-back World titles.
1948
Suzanne Morrow and Wallace Distelmeyer perform first death spiral at international competition in its present-day low position at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Davos, Switzerland.
1951
Suzanne Morrow is the first woman in the history of Canadian figure skating to win national senior championship titles in all three disciplines (1947, 1948 – Pair; 1948 – Ice Dance; 1949-1951 – Singles).
1954
Frances Dafoe and Norris Bowden are the first Canadian pair to win the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
1958
Charles H. Cumming hired as the CFSA’s first full-time employee.
1960
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver, BC.
1960
Barbara Wagner and Robert Paul have won the most world championships titles by a Canada pair team (1957-1960).
The first Canadian pair to win gold at the Olympic Winter Games.
1962
Petra Burka is the first woman to complete a triple Salchow at a Canadian Championships.
1962
Donald Jackson performs the first triple Lutz in competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Prague Czechoslovakia.
1963
First CFSA logo developed.
1963
Donald McPherson becomes the first Canadian male to hold three titles simultaneously: Canadian, North American and World title, without having won any of them previously.
1963
Donald McPherson is the youngest male to win a world title.
1965
Petra Burka performs first triple Salchow in competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Colorado Springs, USA.
1972
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Calgary.
1972
Brian Pockar is the youngest male to compete at a Canadian Championships in senior at age 13.
1973
After being named Canada’s Female Athlete of the Year in 1971 and 1972, Karen Magnussen wins the world title in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia.
1973
Skate Canada International is held for the first time in Calgary, Alberta.
1978
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Ottawa.
1978
Vern Taylor performs first triple Axel in competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Ottawa, Ontario.
1979
Brian Pockar is the first to perform a triple Salchow/double flip series in an international competition.
1981
For the first time Canada hosts the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in London, Ontario.
1981
National Team concept conceived.
1984
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Ottawa.
1985
The CFSA reconfirms its mandate to promote recreational and elite skating.
1986
The CFSA adopts a new logo to reflect its continuing commitment to excellence.
1987
Canada hosts the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Kitchener, Ontario.
1988
Kurt Browning performs first quad toe-loop in competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
1988
Tracy Wilson and Robert McCall become Canada’s first ice dancers to medal at an Olympic Winter Games in Calgary, Alberta (bronze medal).
1990
The last figures are skated in international competition at the 1990 World Championships in Halifax, Nova Scotia (last man David Liu, TPE; last lady Zelijka Cizmesija, YUG).
1990
The Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame is established and the first members inducted in a ceremony at the CFSA’s annual meeting in Edmonton.
1990
The CFSA implements framework for Skating Unlimited new pre-school and adult recreational programs.
1991
The Junior National Team is created.
1991
Elvis Stojko performs first quadruple combination jump (quad-toe/double toe) in competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Munich, Germany.
1992
Canada hosts the World Junior Championships in Hull, Quebec.
1993
Kurt Browning is the first Canadian man to win four world figure skating titles (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993).
1995
Canada hosts its first-ever ISU-sanctioned international precision skating event, Precision Canada International in Toronto.
1996
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.
1997
Canada hosts ISU Champions Series Final in Hamilton, Ontario.
1997
Elvis Stojko performs first quadruple toe/triple toe loop combination in free program of the ISU Champions Series Final in Hamilton, Ontario.
1998
Canada hosts 1998 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Saint John, New Brunswick.
2000
Canadian Figure Skating Association changes its name to Skate Canada.
2000
Canada’s black ice finishes second at first ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships held in Minneapolis, USA.
2001
Canada hosts the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Vancouver and introduces SKATEFEST a cultural festival celebrating skating.
2002
Jamie Salé and David Pelletier win the gold medal in pair at the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City, Utah.
2003
Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz win the first world gold ice dance medal for North America at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Washington, DC, USA.
2003
Skate Canada hosts the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Ottawa.
2006
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the first Canadians to win a gold medal in ice dancing at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
2009
NEXXICE is the first North American team to win gold at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Zagreb, Croatia.
2010
Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are the first North Americans to win a gold medal in ice dance at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.
2010
Joannie Rochette captures a bronze medal in the ladies’ competition at the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, B.C.
2010
Ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir win their first of three titles at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.
2010
Current logo adopted.
2010
Kevin Reynolds of Coquitlam, B.C. becomes the first to land two quadruple jumps in a men’s short program. He performed them at the 2010 Skate Canada International in Kingston, Ontario, landing a quad Salchow, triple toe combination and a quad toe.
2011
Patrick Chan wins his first of three consecutive world championships with a world-record score of 280.98.
2011
The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final is held in Quebec City, Que.
2013
Canada plays host to the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in London, Ont.
2014
Canada wins three silver medals at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia: Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (ice dance); Patrick Chan (men); and the Canadian team in the inaugural team event.
2015
Canadian pair champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford win their first of back-to-back world championships.
2015
The ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships are staged in Hamilton, Ont. NEXXICE, from neighbouring Burlington, Ont., wins the world crown for the second time.
2017
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford win a record-breaking sixth consecutive national pair title.
2017
Kaetlyn Osmond wins silver and Gabrielle Daleman bronze at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, marking the first time two Canadian women stood on a worlds podium.
2018
Patrick Chan wins his record tenth Canadian title at the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Vancouver, B.C.
2018
The Canadian team had an historic showing at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, with Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir winning ice dance gold, and Canada securing another gold in the team event. Kaetlyn Osmond (women) and Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford (pair) won bronze medals. Virtue and Moir become the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history with five career medals.
2018
Kaetlyn Osmond wins the world championship, becoming the first Canadian to win the ladies’ crown since Karen Magnussen in 1973.
2018
Stephen Gogolev becomes the first Canadian man to win the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver, B.C. He also became the youngest winner of the title.
2019
Ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha win gold at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
2020
Skate Canada is awarded the 2020 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, which were to be held in Montreal, Quebec. The event is cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2022
Les Suprêmes of Saint Leonard, Québec are crowned World Champions at the 2022 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships®. This is the first world championships title for the Les Suprêmes and Canada’s third title.
2022
Natalie D’Alessandro / Bruce Waddell and Nadiia Bashynska / Peter Beaumont make history at the 2022 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships® capturing the silver and bronze medals in ice dance. This is first time in history that Canada captured two medals in the same discipline at this event.
2022
Skate Canada Unveils New Brand Identity
Skate Canada
261 – 1200 St. Laurent Blvd.
Box 15
Ottawa, ON.
K1K 3B8
Phone: 613.747.1007
Toll Free: 1.888.747.2372
Fax: 613.748.5718
E-mail: [email protected]
