Speed Skate Nova Scotia President’s Report

Speed Skate Nova Scotia President’s Report

Skating participant numbers in Nova Scotia grew by 22 skaters from 315 to 337. Three clubs in the Halifax region and a club in the Annapolis Valley continue to thrive.

After the club in North Sydney suspended operations last season SSNS made efforts to host an open house and a coaching clinic to revive it. The club was able to run fall and winter sessions this season.

Learn to Speed Skate sessions on the Halifax Emera Oval were oversubscribed for the first time since 2011. The program was amended to make it a continuous 6-week program, rather than a series of drop-in sessions, providing greater continuity to the participants.

SSNS continues to strive to build officials capacity. This past season SSNS officials were newly trained and/or assisted at regional and national events thanks to support from SSNB, SSPEI, FPVQ, and SSC.

Bruce Gray, from New Brunswick, trained 19 new officials during a Level-1 clinic prior to the Atlantic Cup Long Track competition in January.

Brent Thompson attended the Level-3 Referee clinic in Calgary this season. In addition to his referee duties in Nova Scotia he also assisted at the Atlantic Cup Short Track in Charlottetown, Coupe Quebec #1 Long Track in Quebec City, Canadian Age Class Long Track in Quebec City, and Canada East Short Track in Charlottetown.

In addition to their starting duties in Nova Scotia Don Mosher assisted at Atlantic Cup Short Track in Charlottetown, and Stephan McMurray assisted at Quebec Cup #1 Long Track in Quebec City and Canadian Age Class Long Track in Quebec City.

Capacity will further be boosted next season with two Level-2 officials’ clinics planned; Sandra Chenard is helping organize these. There is excellent funding support through Sport Nova Scotia to further these efforts.

Building coaching capacity at the development and high-performance levels was undertaken with FUNdamentals courses hosted in Halifax and North Sydney, and a coach participating in SSC’s Competition-Development pilot course.

Coach Carolyn Jarock received funding support through the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage, Sport and Recreation Division’s Female Mentorship Program to enrol in the Competition-Development course. Unfortunately a job transfer means Carolyn will start next season coaching in Saskatchewan.

Competitions

Eight competitions, with 433 total entrants, were hosted in Nova Scotia this season in both long and short track.

Two 2-day, and four mini-competitions were hosted on the Halifax Emera Oval. SSNS hosted Atlantic Cup Long Track and the Speedy Kids Oval Program hosted the Oval Melt Down. Both offered a full schedule of Olympic Style and mass start racing for skaters. Four clubs supported running the Sunday Racing Series events, which cram as much Olympic Style and mass start racing as possible into a 90-minute ice time.

The Halifax Regional Speed Skating Club hosted the weekend-long Citadel Cup to close out the short track season in the Atlantic Region. The Annapolis Valley Speed Skating Club hosted a half-day mini-meet with an invitation for other clubs to participate.

Through the summer and fall of 2015 SSNS participated in the first wave of Sport Nova Scotia’s Nova Scotia Performance Pathway Initiative (NSPPI) overseen by consultant Peter Davis. SSNS’s committee of Lisa Gannett, Lainie Smith, and Todd Landon were successful in submitting an application that received significant funding for athlete programs.

High performance skaters receive regular coaching and training through the Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic (CSCA). An outcome of the CSCA programs skaters from outside of Nova Scotia are continuing their skating development as they attend post-secondary education in Halifax.

Four Nova Scotia skaters competed at Canada Cups with one finishing top-8 at the Canadian Junior Championships. Five Nova Scotia skaters competed at the Canadian Age Class Long Track Championships. Two Nova Scotia skaters competed at Canada East Short Track.

The Halifax Emera Oval is a valuable development resource for speed skating in the region. Adequate ice time for developing skaters is provided by the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM). However unsafe conditions around the perimeter of the Oval is becoming a large concern as the numbers and speed of skaters’ increases. SSNS continues to share the concerns with HRM and SSNS acknowledges the advice received from Robert Tremblay of FPVQ with respect to the identification of an appropriate crash protection system for the Oval.

SSNS is working with HRM to prepare for the opening of the Dartmouth Crossing 4-pad in September 2017, which will have an Olympic size ice surface, dedicated storage for pads, and room for spectator seating. Plans are in progress to run speed skating sessions as a part of summer camps at community centres this summer, and Learn to Skate and Learn to Speed Skate programs in Dartmouth next fall and winter, to build participation in anticipation of this opening. This facility is in a prime location and will be an excellent venue for hosting short track events. It will complement our long track programs and provide short track training opportunities for athletes in that program outside of the oval season. Attending university in Halifax should be an attractive option for skaters wishing to continue their training in both short track and long track.

A new permanent pavilion opened this season at the Halifax Emera Oval. The indoor changing facilities and washrooms are a welcome change from the trailers and port-o-lets used during the previous 4 seasons.

SSNS receives support from Sport Nova Scotia for a quarter-time Sport Administrator. Lainie Smith was a great asset to SSNS filling roles ranging from leadership during the NSPPI application process to timing duties during competitions. SSNS thanks Lainie as she moves to another role within Sport Nova Scotia. SSNS now welcomes and looks forward to working with Ryan Francis.

SSNS if fortunate to have Speed Skating Canada's Regional Development Mentor and Canadian Sport Centre Atlantic's Long Track Coach working in the region. The role supported the NSPPI application, competition coordination, coach development, and high-performance skater development in Nova Scotia this season.

Respectfully submitted,

Troy Myers