Ottawa residents are celebrating Scottish heritage this month with various events taking place in connection with Robbie Burns Day on Jan. 25 and the anniversary of Sir John A. Macdonald’s birthday on Jan. 11.
About 50 people gathered at the Lansdowne Park skating court on Jan. 16 to participate in the second annual Great Canadian Kilt Skate, which also marked the 201st anniversary of Glasgow-born Macdonald’s birth in 1815.
Participants were encouraged to dress up in their kilts, tartans and other attire linked to Scottish heritage while they took a leisurely skate on the rink.
At the beginning of the event, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson declared Jan. 16 Sir John A. Macdonald Day.
Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna and MPP Yasir Naqvi assisted Watson and “skater-in-chief” of the event, Don Cummer, in cutting a tartan-patterned ribbon to officially start the skate.
“It was quite an honour to have so many politicians come out to the event,” said Heather (Macleod) Theoret, board secretary of the Scottish Society of Ottawa.
“The tradition of the Kilt Skate started off as a house party event,” said Cummer. “I share a birthday with Sir John A. Macdonald and I would go skating on the canal with my friends in my kilt to celebrate. Last year, the Scottish Society of Ottawa asked if I would run Kilt Skate as a community event for Sir John A. Macdonald’s 200th birthday.”
The first Great Canadian Kilt Skate drew a crowd of 200 participants and took place on the Rideau Canal. This year’s Kilt Skate was also scheduled to take place on the canal, but was moved to the Lansdowne Park rink since the canal was still closed due to warm weather.
Milestones restaurant supplied hot chocolate and discount coupons at the event and participants could grab a slice of Sir John A.’s birthday cake at the
Scottish Society tent set up next to the rink.
When the Kilt Skate concluded at 2 p.m., participants were invited to a post-skate party at the Lansdowne Milestones location to socialize and dine with other skaters.
“What I want people to take home from this event is something fun to look forward to year after year, and an opportunity to release their inner Scot,” Cummer said.
In other noteworthy January events, the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band is scheduled to perform on Saturday (Jan. 23) at the largest Burns event in Eastern Canada, hosted at the Delta Ottawa City Centre Hotel in celebration of the Scottish poet’s birthday.
The event will feature ballroom and Scottish dancing, singers, bagpipes and drums, said Ron Drummond, a past chief of the Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association.
The Scottish Society of Ottawa is also hosting a supper in celebration of Robbie Burns Day at the Heart and Crown, located in the Byward Market, on Friday (Jan. 22).
“We are expecting about 130 people and we will have all sorts of traditional Burns supper activities such as the ‘Ode to a Haggis’ and bagpipes,” said Theoret. “We also have a few people coming to give some toasts, and it should be a fun night.”