I'm pretty sure Piper Gilles has a Canadian grandmother, hence her mother was a dual citizen = much easier route for Piper
2020-21 Canadian Pairs News & Updates
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I’d say Skate Canada is willing to help any athlete if they see potential and dedication.
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barbarafan
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Skate Canada does not have any push with the government. They can offer a recomendation which they did in Lubov's case. She rec'd her permanent residency at around 3 yrs and her citizenship during 4th yr. several months b4 Olympics.
Having Residency and Citizenship myself, in Canada, Britain and USA, having a purpose does help government to consider a fast track process. Being linked to an organization like Skate Canada would definitely give a person more support in the case, then a single person just choosing to immigrate to a country. But understanding each case is different.
kwanfan1818
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Her mother could reclaim citizenship from her mother (Gilles' grandmother), because, while she was eligible originally, at the time, it wasn't legal to hold Canadian and US citizenship; reclamation became possible after the laws changed. IIRC, someone here posted that Gilles herself wasn't eligible to get it through her mother, because the rules for descendants had changed multiple times, and, based on when Gilles was born plus something having to do with residency -- her mother may not have lived in Canada? -- Gilles didn't qualify through her family and had to qualify on her own. Family, though, would have been a compelling supporting argument.
Erin
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Gilles got her citizenship under the “reward services of exceptional value” section of the immigration act, the same section as Kaitlyn Weaver and Lubov Ilyushechkina:
www.google.com
It’s unlikely her family connections were a factor.
Sochi 2014: Piper Gilles lands Canadian citizenship
Pairs figure skater and partner Paul Poirier set sights on Sochi Olympics.
It’s unlikely her family connections were a factor.
That’s really interesting. Is that still available for current athletes? I know citizenship law changes every year.Gilles got her citizenship under the “reward services of exceptional value” section of the immigration act, the same section as Kaitlyn Weaver and Lubov Ilyushechkina:
Sochi 2014: Piper Gilles lands Canadian citizenship
Pairs figure skater and partner Paul Poirier set sights on Sochi Olympics.
It’s unlikely her family connections were a factor.
Also, I would imagine, given the purpose of the law, it would only be applicable for athletes that qualified for the Olympics, or maybe in Lubov’s case were the highest ranked pair going into that national qualifying event. I/M edged out D/R at Worlds that year (it was a rough year for D/R). Thank you for the post, you certainly answered the question!
Sylvia
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Cool photo of Ruest/Wolfe on outdoor ice in Lake Windermere, BC: https://www.instagram.com/p/CJmOfVRrCcR/
Colonel Green
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It's still here, Section 5(4) of the Citizenship Act:
It's an extremely broad grant of authority. As long as Marco Mendicino thinks your case fits within one of the above categories, he can grant you citizenship notwithstanding anything else in the law. Historically, being a high-level athlete with a reasonable prospect of going to the Olympics has been enough.
Though there's a notorious bad-luck streak for the skaters who just acquired citizenship, dating back to Kaitlyn Weaver getting hers and then missing the Vancouver Olympics team. We'll see if Nikolaj Sorensen can break the curse.
skatingguy
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I thought it was broken when Lubov & Dylan retired, but then when Lubov came back with Charlie so I thought the Cana-Danes were done, and now that Lubov & Charlie have split I don't know where we stand with the citizenship curse.
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Wow, how nice for these skaters that come here wanting to represent Canada. Thank you for sharing the information.
As for the bad luck, what about Piper? Didn’t seem to affect her at all!
Colonel Green
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She got her citizenship in time for Sochi, but Paul broke his ankle and then they came fourth at nationals and missed the team.
Lubov then got hers in time for Pyeongchang, then a glass door fell on Dylan, they came fourth at nationals, and missed the team.
Maybe Patricia and Steven might be better to try to represent Britain. Might prove less hazardous.
Oh no! Is there anyone who has had GOOD luck with acquiring Canadian citizenship?
Sylvia
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Dec. 10th local article that focuses on the junior pair of Lily Wilberforce and Aidan Wright (2020 novice champions and members of Team NextGen):
www.brantfordexpositor.ca
Junior pairs skaters back competing
Pairs figure skaters Lily Wilberforce and Aidan Wright are back competing, just not in the usual way.
aka_gerbil
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I was at nationals in 2014. P/I skated extremely, incredibly well that event. I think even if Paul hadn’t broken his ankle, G/P would have still been outskated by P/I.
Colonel Green
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Whether or not you think the ankle injury played into it, the overarching point remains that they missed the Olympics even though they’d been on the podium the preceding two years.
barbarafan
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It was in full force with Lubov & Dylan..after getting 6th place at worlds which allowed Canada 3 spots for 2018 Olympics he had a freak accident a few wks before Nationals involving broken bones and many stiches and concussion so although they competed at nationals Dylan (was not ready at all and still badly injured)they did not make team, missed the Olympics and retired. So it is up to the Danes to break the mold.
Sylvia
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Skate Canada Challenge Junior & Senior Pairs starting order/streaming time sheet for Friday, January 8 as of Jan. 4th: https://noticeboard.skatecanada.ca/...3.-Junior-and-Senior-Pair-Short-Timesheet.pdf
10 Junior and 9 Senior teams are listed (2020 silver medalists Walsh/Michaud and Ruest/Wolfe are not listed).
ETA:
NextGen Junior pair team listed as WD in the starting order: Ashlyn Schmitz / Tristan Taylor SK
10 Junior and 9 Senior teams are listed (2020 silver medalists Walsh/Michaud and Ruest/Wolfe are not listed).
ETA:
NextGen Junior pair team listed as WD in the starting order: Ashlyn Schmitz / Tristan Taylor SK
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So they are out another season as there have been no retirement announcements from either one.
Also, there is a battle of the twists on Instagram, lol. Technology is not my gift, I don’t know how to post the links here. However, DanielEarl posted a photo of M/M twist and Deanna Stellato posted a photo of S/D twist! Deannas and Maxime’s twist is HUGE! Someone please post links! Whose is higher, lol? I say S/D! In general though, yay Canada!
Sylvia
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McIntosh/Mimar (3 photos by Danielle Earl): https://www.instagram.com/p/CJrGkJ_rKzu/
Stellato/Deschamps' twist ("Really hoping I can continue to fly into 2021 and our rink doesn’t close!
I have so much more to give and want to compete again and finish the season!"): https://www.instagram.com/p/CJreMNDrpri/
Skate Canada posted this 3-minute video (Moore-Towers/Marinaro "spill the beans about their first celebrity crushes and much, much more in this fun Q&A") today: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJq_XpqFrws/
Stellato/Deschamps' twist ("Really hoping I can continue to fly into 2021 and our rink doesn’t close!
I have so much more to give and want to compete again and finish the season!"): https://www.instagram.com/p/CJreMNDrpri/Skate Canada posted this 3-minute video (Moore-Towers/Marinaro "spill the beans about their first celebrity crushes and much, much more in this fun Q&A") today: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJq_XpqFrws/
Sylvia- you are a gift!McIntosh/Mimar (3 photos by Danielle Earl): https://www.instagram.com/p/CJrGkJ_rKzu/
Stellato/Deschamps' twist ("Really hoping I can continue to fly into 2021 and our rink doesn’t close!
Skate Canada posted this 3-minute video (Moore-Towers/Marinaro "spill the beans about their first celebrity crushes and much, much more in this fun Q&A") today: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CJq_XpqFrws/
mackiecat
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Walsh was injured. Back on ice but wasn’t jumping at time of filming
I heard there were a lot of injuries. Half of the teams apparently. W/M will go to nationals no matter what so they didn’t have to compete, but everyone else did apparently.
Who are the three teams? Besides W/M? Only one team will not qualify.
Colonel Green
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M/M are theirs as well, I don't know about the third.
Andrew/Adcock a newly joined senior team and train with Purkiss, not expecting to see all the tricks from them this weekend.
And Seniors Mcintosh/Mimar who train with Evans, with arenas closed I hear they are all training together.
I would be curious to see them all compete at Nationals, assuming (only because they are training together) they are being coached by both coaches this month.
Colonel Green
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This has been a season of relatively little to talk about for Canadian skating, but I remain amused that the pairs thread has more pages than the other three disciplines' threads combined.
