Achi news desk-
The Paris Figure Skating Club was a major milestone by touring through the years.
The club held their annual carnival on Saturday afternoon after a pandemic pause in previous years.
Skaters showed off their skills with a tribute to the club’s past six decades, including a routine that was originally shelved in 2020 when the carnival was suddenly canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.
Members of the Paris Figure Skating Club also dug through their personal memorabilia to compile an almost complete collection of programs dating back to the 1960s.
To celebrate the occasion, the club reached out to former students for a special presentation.
“We invited alumni from each year to participate in the alumni number,” said club president Lisa Campbell.
“I got emotional. It’s been months of planning and it was great to watch.”
The founders look back
The event had special significance for a group of women who formed the club for the first time back in 1963.
If it weren’t for founding members Vi Cormier, Honey Kolanko, and Donna Mason and original executive members Fran Jarvis, Joyce Smith, Jean Powell, Lois Patterson, and Ann Moore (then known as Ann Cunik), it wouldn’t have been the club being what it is today.
“We talk about the highs, the fun today, but the lows and 60 years strong is what I found when I was going through everything,” Campbell said.
“It’s those powerful women who start this club, incorporate, and struggle financially at some point,” added Campbell.
For Donna Mason and Ann Moore, it was hard to believe that 60 years had passed since the club started.
“We felt the kids and parents needed something to do,” Mason said during the celebration.
“The girls asked me, ‘Why don’t you start a skating club?’ I went to the recreation commission and asked them if it was okay, if we could do it. And then I asked them ‘What do I need?’ And he said you need five executives. “
That’s how Moore originally got involved.
“She called me to ask if I would be on the executive committee and I said I don’t know anything about figure skating,” Moore recalled.
“She said, ‘It doesn’t matter! We only need bodies!’ And that’s how I got involved.” Moore laughed.
“Everyone worked hard on it. And he was right. It was fun to do,” Mason said.
‘We are very pleased that it is still going ahead,’ added Moore.
Remembering Robin
One of the club’s most notable alumni is Robin Prine who died in 1993.
He was posthumously inducted into the Brantshire Sports Hall of Fame for his achievements and the skating club still presents a memorial award in his honour.
He started skating at the club at age 5, and officials said he was volunteering as a coaching assistant by age 10. He was the first skater from the club to achieve a Gold Test in Freeskate in 1983.
His mother Marilyne Prine took part in Saturday’s celebrations.
“I started my kids skating – there were four of them, so all four of them skated,” Prine told CTV News.
Prine said that Robin was part of the club for 16 years.
“And after Robin finished high school he applied for Disney on Ice and had the opportunity to skate for ten years, traveling far and wide. He traveled to Japan, and all over the United States, and Europe,” he said.
Prine said her family had done a lot of work with the skating club over the years, but it was an enjoyable time.
“I thank the parents for keeping the children involved in the process because they are off the street and doing something they love. Many go on to learn and many of our pros here are skaters who skated with my children. So it’s nice to see they’re making a living out of it.”
“It’s great to have 60 years to remember it and see all the skaters who have done it. Many have gone on to be pros. Robin loved being able to travel the world on his skates,” he said.
Looking forward to
The club’s spring skate registration will open on March 26.
The club also offers CanSkate and Teen/Adult Learn to Skate programs.
“Our Teen/Adult Learn to Skate program has really grown in recent years,” said Campbell.
Sessions include group instruction from National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) certified coaches.
