Dana Dass from Trinidad and Tobago and Rafael Godoy from Brazil learn to skate on the canal.
International students Dana Dass and Rafael Godoy have some things in common.
They both came three years ago to study at the University of Ottawa. They each come from hot countries – Dass is from Trinidad and Tobago and Godoy is from Brazil.
And they both lace up their skates at least twice a week to race down the canal.
“This is the big attraction for Ottawa, skating on the Rideau Canal,” said Dass. “It’s terrific ice to skate on.”
Neither Dass nor Godoy knew how to skate when they arrived in Canada. But they took some lessons through the university, which encouraged international students to learn.
“The university was really good at having organizational trips and skating days, at taking groups of international students to the canal,” said Dass.
But not everyone is choosing to learn how to skate.
Like a triple axel, the future of skating in Canada is a dizzying affair. Once upon a time, being Canadian meant knowing how to glide. Kids were out on the ice as soon as they could walk.
But now, with Canada’s changing demographic and the country’s ever increasing reliance on immigration, many people move here without knowing how to strap on a pair of skates.
This was the situation for Humayun Kabil, a 22-year-old student, when he moved here from Bangladesh.
“It’s a country that doesn’t get any snow, so nobody skates there.”
When Kabil moved to Ottawa, he started a program to learn English at Carleton University and found himself too busy for the ice.
“It’s difficult to learn how to skate; it’s hard for me,” he said.
Across the country, the sport seems to be declining in popularity. A study by Statistics Canada, Participation in Sports, reveals that in 1998 golf replaced ice hockey as Canada’s most popular sport. The study also reveals that in 2005, barely three out of 10 Canadians participated in sports.
But hockey still has a strong following among many Canadians.
Stittsville resident Marvin McElheran has three sons. Two of them, age six and four, have already hit the ice.
“It’s just part of being Canadian,” said McElheran. “My guys play hockey, they love it. It’s just something they’ve always wanted to do.”
Canada’s Josée Chouinard, a two-time Olympian figure skater, said she feels the activity is part of a national identity.
“There’s a rink on almost every street corner here,” she said. “If you’re a Canadian, you have to learn how to skate – it’s just part of our heritage.”
The demand for skating lessons reflects this sentiment.
Sonia Bougie, a head instructor for the City of Ottawa skating programs, said the sessions are booked solid.
“We’ve added about 10 extra hours of classes during the last two years,” she said. “There are waiting lists that never end.”
Even private clubs are filling up.
Don Jackson, executive director of the Minto Skating Club, said a strong winter has helped amplify the demand for lessons.
“The skating programs are filling up quickly; the groups are larger,” he said. “When the City of Ottawa programs fill, we always get the overflow.”
Jackson said several of the club’s students are immigrants.
“Quite often we have people from the embassies that have just moved to Ottawa and want to feel comfortable skating on the canal,” he said. “It’s a large attraction for a lot of people”
For Chouinard, just living in Canada is reason enough to skate.
“Not every country has winters. We need to use our resources,” she said. “I think everyone here should own a pair of skates.”