Dispute with Skate Canada keeps youth skaters on the sidelines

The future of an Ancaster figure skating club may be on thin ice without formal accreditation from Skate Canada, its members say.
The Verve Academy of Skating, based at the Ancaster Business Park, is appealing for support in its bid to be recognized by Canada’s national figure skating governing body. Without accreditation, Verve skaters cannot compete in Skate Canada events. A 2007 application for status was rejected by Skate Canada, leaving more than 15 competitive skaters ineligible for future Skate Canada events.
Verve skaters train at the Mohawk 4 Pad Arena in Hamilton. The club also offers power skating and hockey skating instruction.
Kim Duchesnay has gone to great lengths to help her daughter, Kara, stay with the Verve club while continuing to compete. Last season Kara registered with a club in Amherst New York to maintain her competitive eligibility. She could have joined another Hamilton area skating club. But changing clubs would also mean finding a new coach and abandoning her local Ancaster club. This year Kara has given up her membership with Amherst. She has not skated competitively since last April.
Duchesnay said the Verve Academy’s application was rejected by Skate Canada with no explanation.
“We just want to know, what information did you use to make that decision?” Duchesnay said.
Jeff Young’s daughter Victoria is also affected by the club’s lack of accreditation. Young has launched a petition in support of Skate Canada membership. He collected more than 50 signatures in three days, starting on Jan. 15.
“We’re looking for support to get to the bottom of this issue,” Young said. “Our kids are hurt by this. They can’t compete.”
Young noted the club has already lost some skaters who have moved to other clubs to maintain their competitive eligibility. Young and other club parents appealed to MP David Sweet during Ancaster councillor Lloyd Ferguson’s new year’s levee on Jan. 17. Young has also sent e-mails to several Hamilton area politicians requesting assistance.
Barbra Draper, Skate Canada’s director of member services was not immediately available for an interview on Monday.
In an e-mail to Verve Academy parents, Draper states Skate Canada’s rules committee reviewed an application for membership in 2007.
In making its decision, the committee weighed an impact statement submitted by another Hamilton area skating school.
“Based on the information made available, the Committee believed that there already exists a sufficient number of clubs to properly support skating in this area,” Draper states in the e-mail.
The Committee also considered the impact statements and information from the two nearest Skate Canada clubs, Draper notes.
The Verve’s application for membership was reviewed by Skate Canada’s Western Ontario board of directors who voted to deny the application. The decision was upheld by Skate Canada’s rules committee.
“No further appeal for membership will be considered at this time for the Verve Academy of Skating,” Draper states in the e-mail. “Meeting minutes are not distributed to the general public and will not be made available to you.”
Young said the Verve Academy has still not received an explanation of Skate Canada’s ruling, more than two years after the initial application process.