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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Thursday, October 18, 2012 · 32 Major milestones in Skate Oakville history · 1937 ­ `The Oakville Figure Skating Club' formed by Tod Lewis, Manager of the Bank of Commerce, who organized a group of families to skate Sundays on town's natural ice arena. Sunday sessions cost each member 25 cents. · 1938 ­ Club moves into new facilities on John and Rebecca Streets. Membership is roughly 400 skaters. Club also skates on outdoor rink at Appleby College. · 1939 ­ One of skating rinks in Scotland is requisitioned as a barracks for World War II, prompting the resident professional to emigrate to Canada. This professional, along with a girl from the Toronto Skating Club, formed first paid professional staff of Oakville club. · 1945 ­ Following end of World War II, Town of Oakville builds Town Arena as form of memorial to local servicemen. This arena guarantees club five months of ice each year. · 1952 ­ Club produces its first-ever skating carnival, with assistance from the Rotary Club. These carnivals provided Rotary Club opportunity to perform a service to the community and raise money for charitable projects. · 1960-62 - Club members Otto and Maria Jelinek compete on the world stage. The brother and sister team finishes fourth at the 1960 Winter Olympics, wins the North American championship in 1961 and wins the world championship in 1962. Following worlds, Jelineks retire from competition to tour professionally with Ice Capades. · 1972 ­ Club renamed `The New Oakville Figure Skating Club' after `The Oakville Figure Skating Club' suspends operations due to financial difficulties. · 1974 ­ Club based out of Oakville Ice Centre has rebuilt to 331 skaters and 34 hours of ice a week. Ice time included two hours at Maplegrove Arena for higher-test skaters. Annual skate and dress sale established. Club wins first prize of $100 for its float in Santa Claus Parade. · 1975 ­ Club competition established as a big event. The 1975 club competition was enjoyed by 100 club skaters and followed by a family skate and potluck supper. · 1977 ­ Club becomes a corporation. · 1980 ­ Club offers two hours of shinny each Monday and Wednesday. Hours offered were during school time. · 1981 ­ The birth of synchro skating in Oakville as Oakville's first precision team, coached by Marion Gowing, places in the top 10 of competitions in Buffalo and Whitby. · 1983 ­ First night of Bingo fundraising. Proceeds from the first 14 Bingo events were $18,842.32. · 1984 ­ Club moves to River Oaks Recreation Centre under direction of club president Joan Stevens. · 1984-85 ­ Ontario Sports Council names club Central Ontario Section's `Club of the Year' in consecutive seasons. · 1987 ­ Club hosts Central Ontario Section Precision Skating Championships. At this time, club's older teams were known as Oakville Crystal Lines and younger teams known as Oakville Crystalettes. · 1988 ­ Club celebrates its 50th year with a reception and ice show titled Solid Gold Express. In this season, club had membership of 615; one gold test passed; four competitors at sectionals; and four precision teams. · 1989 ­ Opening of Glen Abbey Recreation Centre enables club to offer programming in northwest section of town. · 1992 ­ Club's synchro teams rebranded to `Ice Expression' and represented by novice, junior, senior and adult teams. · 1993 ­ Club president Greg Young introduces first formal strategic planning process and mission statement. Club's objective is `to provide comprehensive, high-quality programs to individuals and groups of all ages on a basis which will allow members to develop skating skills, competitive spirit and life skills, in a manner consistent with the Canadian Figure Skating Association.' · 1993-96 ­ Club skater Sean Rice wins two Canadian pairs bronze medals (1993, 1995) with partner and wife Jodeyne Higgins. Rice also wins Canadian fours championship each year from 1993-96. · 1996 ­ Club updates its logo, introduces skills tests and phases out figure tests. · 2000 ­ Addition of Olympic-sized pad at River Oaks met with great excitement once music challenges and new office concerns are addressed. Old office converted into a dedicated coaches' room. · 2001 ­ Club, in co-operation with Town of Oakville, takes over Parks and Recreation skating programs and doubles `Learn to Skate' memberships. · 2003 ­ Recognizing need for full-time professional director, club hires its first fulltime executive director, Harold Sher. · 2008 ­ Synchro teams rebranded once again. Name changed to `Oakville Edge.' · 2009 ­ Club hosts Central Ontario Sectionals Competition at River Oaks. · 2010 ­ New logo and name change to Skate Oakville announced in conjunction with move to Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. At new arena, club enjoys spacious office, a club room, signage in arena, logo on the ice, board advertising and 40 hours of daytime shinny. · 2012 ­ Club's membership is 2,500 and skaters combine to pass 39 gold tests. Club sends 19 competitors to sectionals and has eight synchro teams. Plans begin for 75th anniversary season celebrations, which will include events throughout the year and an ice show in the spring. THE CAT'S MEOW: Skaters perform the Broadway musical Cats during the Oakville Skating Club's biannual ice show in 2008. Ice shows have always been a signature event on the figure skating association's calendar. OAKVILLE BEAVER FILE PHOTO Sport changed, but experience remains same Continued from page 31 down ramps and onto the ice. My brother was swinging from a trapeze. Other kids whose parents were on the board were being lowered by pulleys onto Oakville Arena. This would never get through insurance now, but this was the '70s. You can still see those ropes when you go to Oakville Arena. Just look in the rafters." But even as the sport has evolved, Theobald said, the experience Skate Oakville gives its members has remained a constant. "The sport has changed. The club has grown. But the whole thing kids get out of it is quite similar," she said. "It's very much like belonging to a hockey team, going and meeting with your group of buddies in whatever sport. Getting some exercise, getting some lessons of what you put in, you get out. I think what we're providing these kids is very similar to what was happening in the '70s and '60s." Club can now 'offer it all' As Skate Oakville reflects back on its first 75 years, it also appears well-positioned for the next 75. "It's the strongest I've seen (the club) since I skated as a competitor," Varteressian said. Much of the credit for the current state of the club is given to Joni McPhail, who took over as technical director five years ago. McPhail, a former high-performance director in British Columbia, has addressed issues within Skate Oakville's competitive and synchronized skating programs while also maintaining a balance with the recreational system. "We're the biggest skate club in Canada," McPhail said, "but not everyone wants to be a certain type of skater. The more options we have for the skaters who come through here, the more they'll enjoy what they're doing for the long term." The influx of quality coaching during McPhail's regime has been key, Shelley said. "People had this perception that they could only skate in Oakville until they got good enough, then they would go somewhere else," said the president. "(Joni has) brought in a significant coaching staff to prove to the skating community at large that Oakville is serious about this vision of appealing across the spectrum, sending skaters to the national level as well as teaching the youngest skaters to skate." Theobald often saw elite skaters, such as two-time national champions Karen Preston and Tracey Wainman, leave Oakville in search of the coaching and ice time they needed to be competitive on the world stage. "I'm thinking, for the first time in our history, they don't need to do that anymore. We can offer it all here," Theobald said. "Whether you just want to learn to skate so you can make your hockey team or you want to go to (nationals), we've got every base covered. That's the first time we've had our act together to this point." McPhail said ensuring elite skaters continue to fly the Skate Oakville flag benefits the club in several ways. "If you don't (provide opportunities for top skaters), eventually they start leaving sooner and sooner, and pretty soon you have nobody," said McPhail. "People won't go to places where they can't develop higher. "I (also) think it's important to have success at the top to inspire the young skaters. We know not everyone coming through our door wants to be a figure skater. But, if we can teach them great basic skating skills and send them on their way to be a hockey player, speed skater or just a recreational skater, we're doing our job." www. 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