2020 Skate Canada International Cancelled

[gsk8]

In consultation with the City of Ottawa and the Government of Ontario, Skate Canada has made the difficult decision to cancel the 2020 Skate Canada International. The event was scheduled to take place from October 30-31, 2020 in Ottawa, Ont., at TD Arena. We are incredibly thankful for the effort and support provided by the International Skating Union (ISU), the Skate Ontario Section and all our partners over the past months and are saddened that the hosting of Skate Canada International is no longer viable.

Skate Canada has closely monitored the federal, provincial and municipal health authorities position on COVID-19. Given the evolution of the health crisis and our prudence for the health and safety of the athletes, coaches, officials, and volunteers, the appropriate course of action was to cancel the event.

“This year is unlike any year before and we’ve seen significant challenges on the operation of competitive events due to the global pandemic. As a result of the continuous shift in requirements across the country and the recent 28-day shut down in Ontario’s hot spots, which includes Ottawa, it became clear that it would not be possible to host this event,” said Debra Armstrong, CEO, Skate Canada. “The inaugural Skate Canada International was first held in 1973 in Calgary and since we’ve hosted 46 incredible events across the country. We look forward to continuing the legacy of Skate Canada International in 2021.

 

[lariko]

Gosh, they just can’t catch a break... both Montreal and GP. Totally expected it, and stuff, but gonna miss the Canadian skaters so, so much. Aww, hard year...

 

[Edwin]

Will Canada have its internal grand prix, Canada Cup akin Russian Cup or the USFS equivalent?

 

[readernick]

Jason I have heard his training is going great, and I really wanted to see his programs! Also Satoko and G/P...... Of course, the safety of skaters and the vulnerable in the population is more important, but I am still sad.

 

[ladyjane]

Jason I have heard his training is going great, and I really wanted to see his programs! Also Satoko and G/P...... Of course, the safety if skaters and the vulnerable in the population is more important, but I am still sad.

Exactly!

 

[Colonel Green]

Will Canada have its internal grand prix, Canada Cup akin Russian Cup or the USFS equivalent?

If you’re referring to national qualifying competitions, those are still (for the moment) happening, but most top skaters never go to those.

 

[rain]

I'm super disappointed. There were so many skaters I was excited to see. But I'm not surprised. I wish they could have moved it somewhere that the caseload wasn't as high, but I guess they were worried about travel. Damn!

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

If you’re referring to national qualifying competitions, those are still (for the moment) happening, but most top skaters never go to those.

Didn't they just announce that Skate Canada Challenge is online? Maybe itll be overrun by top skaters lol

 

[Edwin]

They should and get their programs on ice in front of judges.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Canada is wise. Is the life of one senior citizen coach worth an event? One skating mom? The US isnt taking the pandemic seriously. A Sweet 16 party just turned into a super spreader event....off campus college parties are driving numbers up. How many times you go out in public and see people who wont even pull up their mask above their nose? And The US is not alone. I live in a country where only half the people get flu shots, not caring about how many old people they kill.....
Geezer lives matter....

 

[Colonel Green]

Didn't they just announce that Skate Canada Challenge is online?

Yes, but at present the sectionals aren’t, I don’t believe.

 

[Supernovaimplosion]

Yes, but at present the sectionals aren’t, I don’t believe.

Considering they dont know how they're formatting sc, I doubt they'll know soon enough for sectionals. But if they cancell sectionals, who will go to skate canada

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

After reading what ancientpeas posted on Saturday, I am not at all surprised by this.

Well done to Skate Canada for doing the right thing.

Hopefully the USFS will see sense and follow suit soon.

Canada is wise. Is the life of one senior citizen coach worth an event? One skating mom? The US isnt taking the pandemic seriously. A Sweet 16 party just turned into a super spreader event....off campus college parties are driving numbers up. How many times you go out in public and see people who wont even pull up their mask above their nose? And The US is not alone. I live in a country where only half the people get flu shots, not caring about how many old people they kill.....
Geezer lives matter....

Couldn't agree more. Preserving lives is more important than holding entertainment and sporting events.

For most of this year, the council area that my hometown is in had one of the lowest COVID-19 rates in Northern Ireland (by any way of measuring it). Then in September, a motorbike race was held a couple of miles from my house. And about 10 days later, cases started increasing. We now have one of the highest rates in Northern Ireland.

So, I can relate to what you are saying about events speading the virus.

Ottawa has a much larger population than my hometown. And it has a much higher population density. These are factors can help the virus to spread. So, better not to take the chance.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[ancientpeas]

I think a major factor would be traveling from Toronto and Montreal to another hotspot, Ottawa (which apparently has a higher positive covid test rate per capita than Toronto 70/57 per 100,000 people).

As I tried to say before there is a lot of conflicting info here on what will be closed and what will stay open if we continue to see more cases and, more importantly, hospitalizations and deaths. Ottawa was just moved into the red zone as far as hospital bed availability.

All in all I think it's a good decision. I love to watch skating but I'm not sure it is worth the risk at this point. The U.S.A. will do what it does (it's a bit baffling what you guys are doing to most Canadians I think) but I wouldn't be surprised if France follows suit. Russia seems to be going on it's own route. The Japanese seem to have it under control (thanks, in part I'm sure, to a lack of politicization of the mask issue). I don't really know enough about what the Chinese are doing so I won't comment there. So I would expect the USA, Russia, Chinese and Japanese GP to happen. I'm 50/50 on France.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Canada is wise. Is the life of one senior citizen coach worth an event? One skating mom? The US isnt taking the pandemic seriously. A Sweet 16 party just turned into a super spreader event....off campus college parties are driving numbers up. How many times you go out in public and see people who wont even pull up their mask above their nose? And The US is not alone. I live in a country where only half the people get flu shots, not caring about how many old people they kill.....
Geezer lives matter....

We also have to look at some metrics to decide how and when to reopen. Mortality from covid will never be 0%, as it isn't for other illnesses like the flu. Obviously losing one life isn't worth it to host a figure skating event, but that would be the case for any singular event. We could shut down public gatherings forever and while almost no one would die from covid, we'd see increases in drug overdose and suicide deaths, as well as domestic violence and depression that result from stressors like job loss and isolation. I fully respect any governmental decision to modify reopening based on local data, as Canada and other places are doing, but I also think it's dangerous to keep everything shutdown indefinitely if we're not weighing the other public health risks in doing so.

 

[Sabrina]

They could have done it without public. As long as Roland Garos happened in France, why figure skating is not possible? Figure skaters could wear face masks except for the time when they are alone on the ice.

 

[SnowWhite]

They could have done it without public. As long as Roland Garos happened in France, why figure skating is not possible? Figure skaters could wear face masks except for the time when they are alone on the ice.

Among other reasons, we've been struggling with our testing capacity since the schools reopened here. An event like the French Open had testing protocols in place (although I don't personally think that they were as careful as they should have been), but that really was not an option for SC. And you really can't compare a tennis Grand Slam to a figure skating Grand Prix, financially speaking, so there a a whole lot of different considerations.

 

[karne]

They could have done it without public. As long as Roland Garos happened in France, why figure skating is not possible? Figure skaters could wear face masks except for the time when they are alone on the ice.

Tennis has hardly proven itself a responsible sport thus far (karma for Djokovic to lose and I hope he keeps losing).

I think the worst part is that Skate Canada might end up being the only ones to actually cancel when other events SHOULD be but won't be because political grandstanding is more important than lives. Looking at cases, Skate America, IdF and Rostelecom should all also be cancelled.

But this is also reinforcing my view that these events should not be called Grands Prix.

 

[rain]

I was really looking forward to seeing all the Canadian ice dancers, especially Gilles/Poirier and Lavoie/Lagha. I really wanted to see Jason Brown's brilliant programs with better video. Was really excited to see Roman Sadovsky. Also Moore-Towers/Marinaro.

I can't blame them for cancelling, but I wish they'd moved it, or had some contingency plan to do it by video.

 

[Bookseller]

I think a major factor would be traveling from Toronto and Montreal to another hotspot, Ottawa (which apparently has a higher positive covid test rate per capita than Toronto 70/57 per 100,000 people).

As I tried to say before there is a lot of conflicting info here on what will be closed and what will stay open if we continue to see more cases and, more importantly, hospitalizations and deaths. Ottawa was just moved into the red zone as far as hospital bed availability.

All in all I think it's a good decision. I love to watch skating but I'm not sure it is worth the risk at this point. The U.S.A. will do what it does (it's a bit baffling what you guys are doing to most Canadians I think) but I wouldn't be surprised if France follows suit. Russia seems to be going on it's own route. The Japanese seem to have it under control (thanks, in part I'm sure, to a lack of politicization of the mask issue). I don't really know enough about what the Chinese are doing so I won't comment there. So I would expect the USA, Russia, Chinese and Japanese GP to happen. I'm 50/50 on France.

It's a bit baffling to most Americans as to what the USA is doing and has been doing. But when you elect evil, incompetent, self centered people to a powerful position. disaster is what you get. I agree that SKAM is risky at this point. I know they will do everything that they can to protect skaters and support people etc. But it's still risky.

Are we disappointed to not be able to watch Jason, and Satoko and many other skaters at SCI. Yes we are! But I'm glad that they chose not to take the risk.