This year the Canora Skating Club’s achievement day was themed “Happy Birthday Canada,” and was dedicated to Canada’s 150 birthday, according to Shyla Yannoulis, club president.
Organizers chose music by Canadian artists and costumes such as beavers, geese, pioneers and Mounties, which are symbolic of the country, as well as red-and-white colours, represented in the nation’s flag, she said.
“During our finale, all the skaters held flags. We had a flag represented for every province in Canada.”
The Canora club’s skating season runs from November to March, according to information received from the club, with a total of only 14 hours on the ice for a lot of their young skaters this year.
“They all worked hard this year, and it showed as their faces lit up while performing for their families (at the carnival),” said Yannoulis.
“Our goal as a club is for our skaters to achieve confidence while being on the ice and having fun doing so,” she said. “Physical activity can be a learning and fun experience for everyone,” she said.
Most of the groups performed two numbers on the ice during the achievement day held in the Canora Civic Centre on March12.
The performances were: Reid Kitchen, Samuel Collingridge, Logan Bakke and Colby Fast to the songs Good Old Hockey Game and The Mountie Song; Elley Tomcala, Mya Wolos, Courtney Sheptak and Haydyn Parmley to Last Saskatchewan Pirate; Makayla Heshka and Kaira Kuhn to I Believe in You; Mahra Collingridge, Addison Burym, Falyn Ostafie, Mathew Knox, Michael Derosiers and Erica Sweeney to The Farmer’s Back and Alberta Bound; Heidi Parmley and Mary Bakke to Northern Girl and We All Play for Canada; Jameson Parnetta, Drew Kitchen and Odin Fullawka to When Canada Rules the World andBeaver Song; Katherine Hauber and Irena Yannoulis to I Am Canadian; Talia Collingridge, Sage Nehaj, Courtlyn Heshka and Abigail Boulanger toBlue Jay Song and Canada Geese Dancing; Paisley Wolkowski, Isabelle Chabun, Madison Dutchak, Luca Propp, Natalie St. Mars, Mikayla Tratch and Rhianna Stefanyshyn to Green is the Colour and Up; Brookelyn Tratch and Kayla Sheptak toCall Me Maybe; Courtney Sheptak and Haydyn Parmley to I Feel Like a Woman; Kaylie Donovan and Maranda Donovan to I’m Like a Bird; Katherine Hauber, Makayla Heshka, Irena Yannoulis and Kaira Kuhn to Ordinary Day and a duet by Elley Tomcala and Mya Wolos to Canadian Please.
All the members of the club took to the ice to perform the finale, holding flags that represented every province in Canada.
“Our club would like to thank Leona Kitchen for being the best coach for our little guys and girls,” said Yannoulis.
Cathay Wagantall, the MP for Yorkton-Melville, made an appearance and spoke during the carnival, and Sabrina Moshenko sang the Canadian anthem.
Sponsors of the event included: Cathay Wagantall, pins and flags; Terry Dennis, Canora-Pelly MLA, flags; Carnation Street Florist; Candace Doogan; Crossroads Credit Union, program printing, and Saskatchewan Lotteries.
