Terms used:
Active Officials
An official who has officiated a minimum of one event within the past 24 months.
Board
The board of Directors of Skate Canada.
Categories
The name for each level of competition within a discipline. Examples of categories are STAR 1, STAR 2, Pre-Juvenile, Juvenile, Pre-Novice, etc.
Club
A not-for-profit organization that is operating for the general purpose of providing Skate Canada skating programs and is managed by a volunteer board of directors.
Data Specialist
An individual sixteen years of age or older who has been trained and appointed to calculate the results of sanctioned figure skating competitions.
Data Specialists
An individual sixteen years of age or older who has been trained and appointed to calculate the results of sanctioned figure skating competitions.
Evaluator
An individual sixteen years of age or older who is responsible for evaluating assessments in the STAR 6-Gold structure. Evaluators are qualified to assess in one or more disciplines.
Event
The name given to a group of skaters entered in a category. There may be one event per category or several events per category depending on the number of total entries. Each event is independent of the other events within the category.
Events
The name given to a group of skaters entered in a category. There may be one event per category or several events per category depending on the number of total entries. Each event is independent of the other events within the category.
Good Standing
The state or condition of a person who has paid all dues outstanding to Skate Canada, a Club, or a Skating School (as applicable) and whom the Board has not declared not to be in good standing and in the case of Members, a Member whose Membership has not been terminated pursuant to Article 3 hereof.
International Competitions
Within Canada, these are defined as competitions/championships conducted according to the rules of the International Skating Union, where teams from at least one foreign country are invited by Skate Canada.
International Skating Union
The International Skating Union (ISU) is the exclusive international sport federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee administering the sports of Figure Skating and Speed Skating throughout the world. The ISU is composed of a number of national associations called ISU Members that administer ISU sports at the national level and recognize that all international matters are under the sole jurisdiction and control of the ISU.
Judge
An individual sixteen years of age or older who has been trained and appointed to officiate at or below a specified level of competition in one or more of singles, pairs, ice dance or synchronized skating.
Judges
An individual sixteen years of age or older who has been trained and appointed to officiate at or below a specified level of competition in one or more of singles, pairs, ice dance or synchronized skating.
Member
Each person that meets the requirements of any of the three Member classes as defined in Article 3 hereof and that has been duly admitted as a member of Skate Canada.
President
The president of Skate Canada. The President is the chair of the Board.
Referees
A referee of an event within a competition is an experienced judge who has received further training to conduct an event and monitor the performance of the panel of judges. Referees are qualified to referee or judge at or below a specified level of competition in one or more of singles, pairs, ice dance or synchronized skating.
Section
An organization incorporated or organized in a particular province or territory (and in some cases, a combination thereof) strategically aligned with Skate Canada, that may receive funds from provincial or territorial Governmental Authorities and be subject to applicable sport recognition programs and transfer payment arrangements. Each Section is held to the governance and operating requirements of their respective province and / or territory(ies) and is responsible for skating in their respective jurisdictions.
Skating School
An organization other than a Club that is operating for the general purpose of providing Skate Canada skating programs.
Technical Controllers
An individual sixteen years of age or older who is responsible for accurate technical panel process and authorizes, corrects, deletes and adds elements to the list of elements performed during an event. Technical controllers are qualified to act on panels at or below a specified level of competition in one or more of singles, pairs, ice dance or synchronized skating.
Technical Specialists
An individual sixteen years of age or older who identifies elements and levels of difficulty of elements in competition. The technical specialist also identifies falls and illegal elements. Technical specialists are qualified to act on panels at or below a specified level of competition in one or more of singles, pairs, ice dance or synchronized skating.
2025-2026 Award Criteria for National Awards
During the past season the Skate Canada Awards Program was reviewed and the award categories have been revised. The award categories for the 2025-2026 season and beyond are:
- National Coach Award
- National Official Award
- National Volunteer Award (one selected from each section)
- National Club/School Award (one selected from each section)
National Coach Award
The National Coach Award celebrates outstanding coaches who inspire and support skaters across Long-Term Development (LTD) stages of development within the Star and/or Podium pathways. This award recognizs exceptional dedication, excellence, and positive impact on skaters' growth, both on and off the ice.
Eligible Candidates:
- Registered Skate Canada coaches in good standing
- An individual coach or a team of coaches
- SC coaches who are actively coaching in one or more LTD pathways:
- FUNdamental & STAR Pathway: CanSkate, StarSkate, PowerSkate
- Podium Pathway: Train to Train, Train to Compete, Train to Win stages in one or more skating disciplines (singles, pair skating, ice dance, synchronized skating
- Coaches with a minimum of an NCCP certification status in one of the following:
- FUNdamental/Star pathway: CanSkate Coach Certified or higher
- Podium Pathway; Provincial Coach Certified or higher
Criteria:
- Coaches that inspire skaters to achieve their best and strive for individual and/or team excellence.
- Coaches that contribute to growing our sport through various professional and volunteer involvement via regional, provincial, and/or national committees as NCCP coach developers, technical panel officials, seminar facilitators, and mentors, etc.
- Coaches that embrace change, innovation and the Active for Life philosophy.
- Coaches that have a human-first approach alongside the skater/athlete and provide holistic development support.
- Coaches that exemplify Skate Canada's values: safety, integrity, collaboration, excellence, and innovation.
- Star pathway coaches who demonstrate excellence in developing well-rounded skaters in learn-to-skate, learn-to-figure skate and/or learn-to-power skate programs and/or
- Podium pathway coaches who have achieved success in domestic and/or international competitions, including ISU Grand Prix and championship events, as well as the Olympic Winter Games.
Recipients are chosen by a panel including the Skate Canada President, Chair of the Coaches Committee and Senior Manager of Coaching. Teams of up to two coaches may be nominated when appropriate. Skate Canada reserves the right not to present the award in any given year.
Nomination form available here: https://forms.office.com/r/QTQs7ALx6z
Deadline for nomination: March 30, 2026
National Official Award
Active officials (technical representatives, judges, referees, technical controllers, technical specialists and data specialists) at any level are eligible for this award. Nominations should be made by officials, coaches, team managers, or any member of the Skate Canada Board of Directors, Section Board of Directors, Section Judge/Evaluator Chairs or Section Data Specialist Chairs.
Criteria
Nominees must meet the minimum criteria defined below and must consent to their nomination.
- An official who is currently registered and in good standing with Skate Canada
- Officiated at a minimum of one event or assessment day in the current season at any level.
- Demonstrated knowledge of Skate Canada programs philosophies, vision and mission
- An official who is keen to share accurate information with other officials, athletes, coaches, parents/guardians and coaches with the interest of developing skating in Canada
- An official who has given, and will continue to provide, quality service at the club, section, national and/or international level
- Embodies and exemplifies Skate Canada values of safety, integrity, collaboration, excellence and innovation
This award will be presented to one individual. The Skate Canada President, chair of the Officials Assignment and Promotion Committee, chair of the OJET Committee and Senior Manager Performance Excellence and Officials will select the winner. Skate Canada reserves the right to not present an award in any given year.
Nomination form available here: https://forms.office.com/r/HynnJ2Y116
Deadline for nomination: March 30, 2026
National Volunteer Award
This award will be presented to one person from each of the ten Sections who meets the following criteria:
Criteria
- Active and currently registered adult volunteer in good standing whose efforts have produced specific, positive results
- An individual who volunteers at a club, section, or national level and works in any capacity (e.g. board member, committee volunteer, event volunteer, etc.)
- An individual who has gone above and beyond in their role to make a positive difference
- An individual whose contributions reflect passion for the sport and its participants
- An individual who is an exemplary role model for other volunteers, skaters and/or coaches
- Has a minimum of ten years volunteer work in the sport of skating
- Shows an awareness and interest in the future direction of the sport
- Embodies and exemplifies Skate Canada values of safety, integrity, collaboration, excellence and innovation
Contact your section for nomination forms and deadlines. Each section will use its own selection process and will select one winner.
National Club/School Award
This award will be presented to one club or school in each Section that demonstrates exceptional performance, exemplifies Skate Canada values, meets or exceeds all program delivery standards, maintains or increases its registration, maintains or increases the number of assessments taken by registrants, demonstrates strong collaboration among its volunteers, coaches and administrators, employs innovative marketing and social media strategies and cultivates a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment.
Criteria
Nominees must meet the minimum criteria defined below and must consent to their nomination.
- An active and operational, registered club or school in good standing
- Demonstrates that it supports, and meets or exceeds all program delivery standards
- Maintains or increases its registration
- Maintains or increases the number of assessments taken by registrants
- Demonstrates strong collaboration among its volunteers, coaches, and administrators
- Demonstrates effective and innovative marketing and social media strategies
- Cultivates and maintains a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment
- Embodies and exemplifies Skate Canada values of safety, integrity, collaboration, excellence and innovation
- Has complied with the Club and Skating School Operating Requirements and has not received a warning or been sanctioned for not following these requirements during the current or past skating season.
Contact your section for nomination forms. Each section will use its own selection process and will select one winner.