Skating Community Mourns the Passing of Sylvain Guibord
Sylvain Guibord’s leadership was absolute and his love of figure skating was unconditional.
And there was little doubt that the sport loved him back.
The Canadian and international skating community is in mourning after the passing of the Brossard, Que., native, an active member on the Skate Canada Board of Directors who spent much of his life committed to figure skating.
Like millions of Canadians, Sylvain learned to skate at an early age, but it was in his teenage years that he developed a true passion for figure skating. It was a passion that followed him through his university years, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications, animation and cultural research from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Shortly after graduation, Sylvain combined his schooling with his passion for sport to secure a job as the Sports Coordinator for the City of Montréal.
In 2007 Sylvain was elected to the Board of Directors of Patinage Quebec, a position he would hold for the rest of his life.
In 2009, Sylvain and his partner founded Dentiste Saint-Constant Inc., a dental office with more than 15 employees and 4,000 patients. Though his career took him in another direction, figure skating was always close to his heart.
During his tenure on the Board of Patinage Quebec, Sylvain was the chair of the Officials Committee, Skaters Development Committee and Competitions Committee. Sylvain progressed through the officiating ranks achieving world judge status in ice dance, the highest judging level possible bestowed by the International Skating Union, and international judging qualifications in the singles and pairs disciplines. This expertise and commitment resulted in Sylvain being asked to lead the High Performance area for Patinage Quebec, an ideal role for someone with an extreme passion for figure skating and sound technical knowledge.
Sylvain gave wholeheartedly to the sport that meant so much to him and took great pride in monitoring and providing mentorship to all athletes, whether budding new competitors or more seasoned world and Olympic medalists. His passion for figure skating was felt in every interaction.
Sylvain was also an engaged Director at the national level having been elected in 2016. During his tenure, he served on the Governance Committee, CEO Operational Review Committee and the Finance and Risk Management Committee.
When reflecting on Sylvain’s many contributions, President of Skate Canada, Leanna Caron, commented “Like many, I will miss Sylvain deeply. His passionate love of the sport and relentless commitment to excellence will stay with us always. As a new skating season has begun, there will be an immense void as the skating world remembers a kind, vibrant leader and dedicated official.”
Skate Canada sends its deepest sympathies to the family and many friends of Sylvain Guibord.