posted Feb 15, 2012 4:35 AM by Tim Bouma
Ottawa Pacers competed in the Canadian Age Class Long Track (CACLT) meeting in Fort St. John, BC
More to come...
|
posted Feb 12, 2012 10:20 AM by Tim Bouma
 MARCELLUS, Cyril Arnold "Cy" December 2, 1928 - February 10, 2012 Unexpectedly, after a short, courageous battle with cancer. Dearly beloved and devoted husband of 55 years of Bernadette "Bunny" Cote. Loving and generous father to Stephen (Francine Landry), Jeffrey (Melinda), Julie O'Connor (Jim) and Christopher. "Papa" to Christina, Kelsey and Kevin O'Connor and "Grandpa" to Stephanie Burger (Jamie) and Alexandra Marcellus. Great-grandpa to Lilith. Beloved brother-in-law of Yvonne Kerr (late Orville) and Wyn Marcellus (late Graydon). Uncle to three nieces and one nephew. Past President of The Pacers Speed Skating Club of Ottawa and life-long member of CASSA. Avid reader and enthusiastic golfer for decades. He will be greatly missed by all whose lives he touched. Friends may call at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road (at Albion Road), on Wednesday, February 15th from 2-4 pm and 7-9 p.m. Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, February 16th at 11 a.m. at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, 1758 Alta Vista Drive. Interment Hope Cemetery. A reception to follow back at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Ottawa Mission would be greatly appreciated. |
posted Feb 9, 2012 6:24 PM by Tim Bouma
Ottawa Pacers Speed Skating Club is a recipient of the Women in Sport Encouragement (WISE) Fund grant. A special thanks to Gail Bouchette and John Pillar for making this happen! Please see the press release and links below.
CAAWS Announces 2012 WISE Fund Recipients
February 9, 2012 - The Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport and Physical Activity (CAAWS) announced the 12 recipients of the Women in Sport Encouragement (WISE) Fund grants, each valued at $900.
The WISE Fund was created to address an ongoing financial need and to assist members of the Canadian sport community. The annual grants primarily support female participation and leadership at all levels, as well as recognize and encourage organizations currently offering and/or creating new sport programs targeted to girls and women.
“CAAWS is honoured to acknowledge the efforts of the WISE Fund recipients and recognize the contribution they’re making to CAAWS’ vision of an equitable sport system in which girls and women are actively engaged as participants and leaders,” said Karin Lofstrom, CAAWS Executive Director. “This year’s winners are making a difference in their communities and helping girls and women find a true love of sport.”
The 2012 WISE Fund marks the ninth time CAAWS has offered the grant program. Since the program’s inception in 2004, CAAWS has now supported 104 individuals and organizations, dispersing over $93,600 to members of the sport community.
This year’s recipients include nine organizations, two coaches and one official. The following have been selected:
2012 WISE Fund Recipients
• Claire Marentette - Saskatchewan SK (Supported by Diving Canada Plongeon)
• Lisa Harlow - Saint John NB (Supported by Football Canada)
• Nicole Ban - Edmonton AB (Supported by Volleyball Canada)
• Courcelette Biathlon Club - Québec QC (Supported by Biathlon Canada)
• Girls Gone Gazelle - Dartmouth NS (Supported by Athletics Canada)
• Pacers Speed Skating Club of Ottawa - Ottawa ON (Supported by Speed Skating Canada)
• Paralympic Sports Association - Edmonton AB (Hockey Canada)
• Rebelles Espoirs Girls Hockey - Jonquière QC (Hockey Canada)
• Regina Soccer Association - Regina SK (Supported by The Canadian Soccer Association)
• Rundle Mountain Cycling Club - Canmore AB (Supported by Canadian Cycling Association)
• Smithers Junior Softball Society - Smithers BC (Supported by Softball Canada)
• Triathlon Manitoba - Winnipeg MB (Supported by Triathlon Canada)
For detailed bios of the grant recipients, please visit the CAAWS website atcaaws.ca/e/grants/wise/winners/recipients_12.cfm.
About CAAWS
CAAWS is a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating an equitable sport and physical activity system in which girls and women are actively engaged as participants and leaders. CAAWS provides a number of services, programs and resources to a variety of clients, including sport and physical activity organizations, teachers, coaches, health professionals and recreation leaders. Since 1981 CAAWS has worked in close co-operation with government and non-government organizations on activities and initiatives that advocate for positive change for girls and women in sport and physical activity communities. Visitwww.caaws.ca for more information.
Pacers Speed Skating Club of Ottawa - Ottawa ON
Sport: Speed Skating
Supported by: Speed Skating Canada  The Pacers Speed Skating Club of Ottawa intends to offer a program to introduce girls and women to the sport of short-track speed skating. Targeting girls and women who may not be involved in the sport and/or those who may not know that speed skating is an accessible sport at the recreational level, the program’s objectives are: to provide an engaging and supportive learning environment, to demonstrate that speed skating is a welcoming and accessible sport for all ages, and to provide basic skills and confidence for participants to enter the club’s regular program or otherwise pursue the sport further. Upon completing six weeks of on-ice training with female instructors, participants will have an opportunity to attend two practices in the Pacers club program free of charge and later join the club for the remainder of the season. Skates and equipment will be provided to eliminate any barriers to entry. Through this new program, the Pacers hope to raise awareness of the sport and remove entry barriers such as inaccessibility, ultimately providing opportunities for more girls and women to have fun in a new sport. The WISE Fund monies will be used primarily for promotional materials and marketing, including print and radio advertising. Funds will also be used to offset rental costs of mandatory safety equipment as well as honorariums for volunteer instructors and helpers.
|
posted Feb 8, 2012 5:02 AM by Tim Bouma
[
updated Feb 8, 2012 5:06 AM
]
Athletes are selected for the Games based on their combined 500m and 1000m times skated during the first three events of the 2011-2012 Ontario Cup short track racing series, and/or participation at the 2011 Canadian Junior Trials Short Track Competition, and/or participation at the Canadian Senior Qualifiers and Trials of the 2011-2012 season.
Only 32 male and 32 female skaters 13-18 years old are selected.
The Ottawa Pacers would like to congratulate the following athletes selected from our club. They are: - Gabriella Arno
- Charlotte Bolger
- Jasmine Chase
- Adrienne Gaudreault
- Bethany McKinley-Young
For the complete selection list for the the Ontario Winter Games, please go to the following link.
The 2012 Ontario Winter Games, hosted by the Town of Collingwood, will take place from March 8th to March 11th, 2012 across the Georgian Bay area.
|
posted Feb 6, 2012 5:19 PM by Tim Bouma
[
updated Feb 8, 2012 5:09 AM
]
The Ottawa Pacers would like to extend congratulations to those who were selected selected to represent Ontario at the Canadian Age Class Long Track Championships! They are: - Charlotte Bolger
- Adrienne Gaudreault
- Will Harris
- Julie Tourrilhes
- Etienne Hamelin
- Kaitlin Tropper
Details on the LT Championships, to be held on Feb 11-12, 2012 can be found here.
|
posted Feb 6, 2012 5:11 PM by Tim Bouma
NEWS: Successful Canadian Open Masters Championship in Fort St. John, B.C.
Date posted: 02/06/2012  FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. – Thirty five (35) skaters participated in Canadian Open Masters Championships at the 400-metre indoor oval in the Pomeroy Sport Centre in Fort St. John, B.C. this past weekend. The Fort St. John Elks Speed Skating Club hosted the championship on behalf of B.C. Speed Skating and Speed Skating Canada.
Skaters vied for titles in the masters category for the all-round title, while five competed in the exhibition 20 to 29-plus years of age class. The category champions were as follows:
Women, 30-34: Michelle Pepin, Burnaby, B.C.
Women: 35-39: Sue Steckle, Sherwood Park, Alta.
Women, 40-44: Leela Braun, Winnipeg
Women, 50-54: Sandy Ramer, Brantford, Ont.
Women, 60-64: Ann Douglas, Fort Fraser, B.C.
Men, 35-39: Andy Wong, Vancouver
Men, 40-44: Rejean Lavoie, Edmonton
Men, 45-49: Rick Lee, Fort St. John, B.C.
Men, 50-54: John Pillar, Ottawa
Men, 55-59: Lyle Dickieson, Prince George, B.C.
Men, 60-64: Brett Arnason, Winnipeg
Men, 70-74: Werner Meyer, Calgary
Men, 75-79: Peter Blokker, Vernon, B.C.
Men, 80-84: Roy Whitney, Calgary  In addition to the championships, there were also 100-metre sprints, qualifiers and finals, as well as team pursuits and marathon races as exhibition events.
The Pomeroy Sport Centre will also be the venue for the upcoming Canadian Age Class Long Track Championships on Feb. 11 and 12. See Speed Skating Canada’s results and rankings page for complete results. Photo 1: On the podium for the 50-54 category with Barb Polehoykie, Sandy Ramer (winner) and Hilda Bilodeau. Photo 2: Werner Meyer (front), 70-74 winner, and Roy Whitney, 80-84 winner. |
posted Jan 30, 2012 4:54 AM by Tim Bouma
By Dave Brown, The Ottawa Citizen January 28, 2012
OTTAWA — Ah, the need for speed. If you’re a speedskater living around Ottawa, you know the rush of the sound of the ice as you plant one blade in front of the other and race around Brewer’s outdoor oval rink. For many, it’s truly addictive. Once you’ve experienced the thrill of strapping on long, razor-sharp blades and flying around an oval track at speeds close to 30 kilometres an hour, the rush is too much to ignore. And who doesn’t recall the excitement of watching short- and long-track races during past Olympics? And special kudos to Ottawa’s own Kristina Groves, who won four Olympic medals — three silver and a bronze — as well as 18 world championship medals. The full text of the Ottawa Citizen article can be found here:
|
posted Jan 26, 2012 5:18 AM by Tim Bouma
Link to original article:
EMC news - With winter now in full swing, the Brewer Skate Park volunteers have worked tirelessly to ensure the rinks at the community park are up and running in time for crowds of skaters to take advantage of the season.
Three rinks operate at the park, including a puddle pond, a hockey rink and the speed skating oval.
Rink volunteers had been dealing with unseasonable weather until just before Dec. 25, when the first significant snowfall of the season took place.
From there on, the volunteers worked day and night to get the rinks operational.
The park's first week proved to be the busiest Susan Townley, a longtime rink volunteer, has ever witnessed.
"Maybe it is because the canal is still closed, but this was the busiest I have ever seen," she said.
Townley, the co-ordinator for the park's rink volunteers, counted 3,866 who turned out to skate during the week of Jan. 3.
"We keep a tally for our records, this was by far more than we've ever had," Townley added.
Having volunteered at the park for nearly seven years, Townley now oversees the speed skating oval.
"It gets passed along to a parent who has a child who uses the oval," Townley explained. Her 14-year-old son is one of the speed skaters who use the oval.
Volunteers from both the Ottawa Pacers Speed Skating Club and the Gloucester Speed Skating Club help to get the oval prepared for use by the speed skaters and Townely said the conditions this year are almost comparable to an indoor surface.
The 400-metre speed skating oval at Brewer Park is the only outdoor oval speed skating track in Ottawa.
To get the rink ready, the snow is packed down by trucks dragging large pieces of wood, which serve to flatten the surface, Townley said. This year, it took 14 hours to get the rink into perfect skating condition.
The rink currently has eight inches of ice on it, enough for an ice resurfacing machine to drive on the surface.
After the rink was completed, Townley said everyone was eager to be the first one to try it out.
"It takes a lot of energy to get the rinks ready and to maintain them and when it is done everyone is proud and excited," she said.
The speed skating oval is open to the public every day at around 8:30 a.m., when Townley opens the changing-room shack.
Although Townley said she is much better with a shovel than a pair of speed skates, she invites everyone to come down and give it a try.
The city of Ottawa also will be offering speed skating classes on Sunday mornings starting in February. For more information, contact the city's recreation skating school at 613-580-2596.
To volunteer at any of the three Brewer Park rinks, residents can contact Townley at susantownley@gmail.com.
michelle.nash@metroland.com
|
posted Jan 24, 2012 4:51 PM by Tim Bouma
Hi everyone,
Here are the updated go-to parent schedules. You will notice that people are covering multiple days in development and intermediate hours and there are still gaps in advanced hour.
It would be greatly appreciated if every family could take a turn! Please forward me your availability and I will slot you in (either in an empty spot or the spot of a parent who is covering multiple nights) It is not a difficult job. I have attached the expectations below for you to review. Thanks, Rachael. _____________
As was communicated at the parent meetings Thursday, the coaches feel it is very important to have a 'go-to' parent in the stands during practices. This is a safety initiative. If there is an accident on the ice, the coaches would like to have an identified adult in the stands who can react immediately. It is important because, although rare, speed skating injuries can be very serious. It is important that the adult is in the stands, rather than the restaurant, because one: the coaches can see (and speak to) the adult, and two: the restaurant door is usually locked which means there would be a significant delay in the 'go-to parent' being able to get to the ice and hear instructions. What to do on your day ***It is logistically impossible for me to manage all three lists, so I'm leaving it up to you! If you can't make it on your assigned day please find a replacement (a spouse, swap with another parent etc) There will be an orange vest and a first aid bag in Rocky's room. Please collect these before the practice, put on the vest, and sit somewhere in the stands where you are visible to the coaches. After the practice return the vest and bag to Rocky's room or hand them off to the next parent. There is an emergency action plan posted in Rocky's room if you wish to review it. There is also a copy in the first aid bag. Responsibilities If there is an emergency you are not expected to provide first aid! You may be asked to phone 911, bring the first aid bag to the coaches and help direct emergency personnel upon their arrival On a normal evening it would also be appreciated if you could: open the door for skaters coming off the ice find parents for young children who need a washroom etc. escort skaters with equipment issues (ie a lost bolt) to Rocky's room open the door when advanced hour skaters need water
|
posted Jan 24, 2012 4:46 PM by Tim Bouma
Hello Pacers, A family skating party with a pizza party for the kids and a pot-luck supper for the adults is planned for Saturday, February 4th from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Brewer oval. Hockey skates and sticks are welcome as are all siblings and non-skating family members. Skating will be from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm. Pizza and pot-luck supper will be from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. The pizza party for kids will be in the speed skating trailer. (There will be parental supervision of the pizza party!) The pot-luck supper for adults will be held in the lounge at Brewer pool. The party is planned for the Saturday following next so time is short. Please let me (nmayer@portha.ca) know as soon as possible if you are going to attend and how many. It is very important that we know numbers. We also need to how many kids will be there for pizza. We are trying to keep the cost down so there will be a small charge per child ($5.00) for the pizza unless someone knows someone or an organization that would like to donate the pizza. Please let me know what you would like to contribute to the pizza party. Drinks (pop, juice or water - cans or juice boxes - recyclable) Veggie tray (2) Fruit tray (2) Paper plates (compostable), paper serviettes Please let me know what you would like to contribute to the pot-luck supper. Crock pots (8) Veggie tray (2) Cheese tray (2) Fruit tray (2) Baguettes, bread or rolls (4 dozen) Homemade desserts (8) Drinks (hot apple cider, Perrier, pop, water or juice) Paper plates (compostable), paper serviettes, glasses, coffee cups Let's celebrate winter . . . Nancy Mayer |
|
