Path forward for Canadian figure skating

[Lemonade20]

SC charges $45/yr per skater stepping on any club ice across Canada. There are 130,000 skaters per year registered. There are over 5800 coaches paying over $100 a year to register. And the only real benefit any of them see is accidental insurance coverage. On top of that, they get a cut of all club competitions held across the country AND everything is basically run by volunteers. So I have a really hard time understanding why they don't have funds...

Ice rental & maintenance can eat up a lot of that cost. But yeah, definitely not managed well at all.

 

[manhn]

It only costs skaters $45 per year to visit a skating club? Is that right? That is less than a monthly gym membership.

 

[Dave of the North]

The financial statements are here:

https://skatecanada.ca/portfolio-item/financial-statements/

They had 7 million in net income in 2021 but a lot of that is Investment Income, which they don't realize until they cash in the investment, and increased government support related to YKW. Membership revenue was down 50% from 2020.

This will be a tough year unless they get membership back up.

 

[Lemonade20]

It only costs skaters $45 per year to visit a skating club? Is that right? That is less than a monthly gym membership.

I doubt it's per year.

 

[shutterbug]

It only costs skaters $45 per year to visit a skating club? Is that right? That is less than a monthly gym membership.

That's only the fee to participate in a Skate Canada program. Ice and coaching fees have to be paid on top of that.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I have read of a number of top skaters who watched figure skating during the Olympics as a child and felt an instant connection. Movement to music and all the other things that set figure skating apart will always appeal to some. Skate Canada has to refigure out how to find these kids and open up a path for them.

With Canada winning the Team Gold in 2018 versus this year when they were off the podium, I would be curious to know how many Canadian children signed up for skating lessons after each of those games.

Since girls are the bread and butter of the sport, a huge negative this year is that the increased technical content needed to compete at the highest level puts skating out of reach for anyone with dreams of a gold medal.

 

[MacMadame]

I doubt it's per year.

It is. It's the yearly membership fee that goes to SC. It's not the club's yearly membership dues that are on top of that.

 

[Frau Muller]

I really enjoyed Maddie Schizas. And Gilles and Poirier.

Keegan too (as skater and fan in the stands, with jumbo flag)!

 

[Yyzskater]

It only costs skaters $45 per year to visit a skating club? Is that right? That is less than a monthly gym membership.

Ice rentals are paid by individual clubs. The $45 skate canada membership fee is just the fee that all skaters pay to Skate Canada regardless of club. So the 130,000 skaters all pay this membership fee to SC. It does not cover ice fees or anything like that.

 

[Sonata]

Skate Canada skate Ontario- those at the top…..mostly care about their salary, and it’s power. Imagine being paid and compensated over 1/4 million dollars annually to travel the world as an official congratulator as skaters come off the ice.

I have made the wrong life choices.

 

[screech]

I don't know how accurate this is, but here's a list of some Skate Canada executives salaries, from 2014. Just these 9 salaries alone totalled almost 1.5 million, and have definitely gone up since then.

#	NAME	POSITION	SALARY	YEAR
1	DAN THOMPSON	Chief Executive Officer	$267,402	2014
2	MARK HALLIDAY	Chief Marketing Officer	$172,269	2014
3	PATRICIA CHAFE	Chief Sport Officer	$140,969	2014
4	BETHANY TORY	Chief Operation Officer	$140,969	2014
5	BARBARA MACDONALD	Communications Director	$135,577	2014
6	MICHAEL SLIPCHUK	High Preformance Director	$133,692	2014
7	ROBERT DILLMAN	Finance & Operations Director	$119,149	2014
8	MARTY HENWOOD	Producer	$115,762	2014
9	JEFF PARTRICK	Skating Development Director	$113,048	2014

 

[clairecloutier]

Those salaries don’t seem too out of line, if anything a bit low compared to the corporate world in the U.S.? You could maybe look at the number of high-level positions, and is there significant overlap or redundancy. But this structure doesn’t look too atypical.

The trouble with the federations is we expect or want them to be run as professionally as a company, yet the financial basis is not like a company necessarily.

 

[Yyzskater]

Those salaries don’t seem too out of line, if anything a bit low compared to the corporate world in the U.S.? You could maybe look at the number of high-level positions, and is there significant overlap or redundancy. But this structure doesn’t look too atypical.

The trouble with the federations is we expect or want them to be run as professionally as a company, yet the financial basis is not like a company necessarily.

It seems excessive for ceo and management to make that for a non profit that doesn't require charitable fund raising. All that money coming in from fees and such doesn't need alot of effort. However, with a 50% drop in membership since 2020 (as per someone else said here), hopefully they will be working hard for their salaries to gain back their membership base. Or they will be in big trouble considering they had difficulties prior to 2020.

 

[screech]

Mike Slipchuk is the 'face' of the Skate Canada executives IMO so to me it makes sense for him to be getting a decent salary.
The difference for me with SC compared to the corporate world is that relatively SC is working with peanuts for money. And the money the executives are making compared to how much they take in and how much seems to be put back into the actual skating itself...
If in 2021 Skate Canada had an income of 7 million, and 8 years ago just 9 executives made 1.5 million, that seems disproportionate. Especially since that 1.5 milllion is likely now closer 2 million - meaning that almost 30% of all income is going to just 9 people. Considering how many more executives there likely are, who are getting salaries directly from that 7 million that SC takes in, it seems like a disproportionately small amount is actually going to developing the skating itself.

 

[puglover]

Let us hope these type of conversations are being sought after throughout the sport and being listened to. I used to hear it said that a major reason Canadian women did not generally fare well was because they did not have the successful skaters in their own country as examples to believe it was possible. Not too many years ago, Alaine C., Gabby, and Kaetlyn were all having some success at the World level. Meghan D. has lots of suggestions as to what could help pairs. The powers that be need to realize that although some of this slump may be beyond their control (injury/too tall) that things do need to change.

 

[Seerek]

Seeing the list made me sad, remembering (COO) Beth Tory passing away a few years ago at only 45 years of age.

But back to the subject at hand, there are a couple factors to consider as per future revenue flows.

• Own the Podium Milan Cortina cycle - it was $6,677,500 the last cycle. How will Beijing's performance affect this number?
• SC received about $2.2 Million in assistance in 2020 (Wage Subsidy and Sport Canada) due to impacts of YKW. Not sure about 2021's amount and assuming payments will have stopped by now.

And as per Mike Slipchuk's HP Director salary - that's actually on par.
You'll see some Canadian university HP athletic directors/Coaches for certain sports make just as much.

 

[livetoskate]

Meagan Duhamel is being interviewed right now on a youtube live show set up by Skate Ontario!

Skate Ontario Presents #3Turn3 with special guest Meagan Duhamel

Skate Ontario Presents: #3Turn3 is happening at the usual time – Fridays at 10am ET. As we wrap up what happened at the Olympic Games we are delighted to wel...

www.youtube.com

 

[MacMadame]

It seems excessive for ceo and management to make that for a non profit that doesn't require charitable fund raising.

They aren't though. They are in line with what other C-level executives running sports federations in North America make. Any lower and SC wouldn't be able to attract strong talent.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

I don't know how accurate this is, but here's a list of some Skate Canada executives salaries, from 2014. Just these 9 salaries alone totalled almost 1.5 million, and have definitely gone up since then.

I dunno, I think I could do a much better job of communications for Skate Canada than the person currently doing so for $135K, for a lot less $. Mind you, I work in the criminally underpaid "cultural sector," so what do I know?

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

I dunno, I think I could do a much better job of communications for Skate Canada than the person currently doing so for $135K, for a lot less $. Mind you, I work in the criminally underpaid "cultural sector," so what do I know?

Maybe you should send your CV to Skate Canada. Can't hurt, right?

 

[overedge]

SC laid off a bunch of staff over the last few years to cut costs. Unfortunately some of those were staff that did a really good job of staying connected to the clubs and some of the programs. So I'm not sure how much of a cost savings this is if it results in less efficient operations.

Another thing, related to what @pat c mentioned, is that a considerable amount of SC members belong to smaller clubs in smaller communities outside the large urban centres. These clubs have very few coaches and are basically restricted to offering whatever the coaches are capable of teaching. If SC had more non-competitive programs like theatre on ice, solo dance, adult skating, etc., that would give those clubs more programming options to retain skaters longer. But with everything funnelling into the competitive stream, the skaters in those clubs either have to move to train, when they go as far as the coach can take them, or they drop out of skating entirely.

Those clubs also used to be a good source of revenue from tests, because tests gave the skaters something to work toward and make progress on if they weren't competing. But with the tests becoming Starskate "assessments" that's ended too.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Maybe you should send your CV to Skate Canada. Can't hurt, right?

I think I might be a little too foul-mouthed to work for wholesome Skate Canada

 

[overedge]

If in 2021 Skate Canada had an income of 7 million, and 8 years ago just 9 executives made 1.5 million, that seems disproportionate. Especially since that 1.5 milllion is likely now closer 2 million - meaning that almost 30% of all income is going to just 9 people. Considering how many more executives there likely are, who are getting salaries directly from that 7 million that SC takes in, it seems like a disproportionately small amount is actually going to developing the skating itself.

The financial statements for SC are on page 8 of the 2021 annual report:

https://skatecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AnnualReport2021.pdf

Salaries, benefits, and professional development cost $4,281,407, and total revenue for the year was about $17.5 million.

There's no breakdown of the salary cost by position, but the SC website lists 10 "executive management" and "management" positions. I know there are also staff positions, but there isn't any info on the SC website (or anywhere else I could find) as to how many of those there are.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

I think I might be a little too foul-mouthed to work for wholesome Skate Canada

Mr. Moir might appreciate it.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

The financial statements for SC are on page 8 of the 2021 annual report:

https://skatecanada.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AnnualReport2021.pdf

Salaries, benefits, and professional development cost $4,281,407, and total revenue for the year was about $17.5 million.

There's no breakdown of the salary cost by position, but the SC website lists 10 "executive management" and "management" positions. I know there are also staff positions, but there isn't any info on the SC website (or anywhere else I could find) as to how many of those there are.

I took a quick look at the profiles of the various execs listed previously in this thread. They all look like the most, boring uptight, unimaginative, straight, white people who ever lived. I suggest replacing them all with Asher Hill & Elladj Baldé and perhaps Skate Canada would have a chance to be relevant in 21st century multicultural Canada.

 

[overedge]

FWIW the Skate Canada page on LinkedIn lists the company's size as being between 11 and 50 employees (in LinkedIn's categories for employee numbers).

 

[mackiecat]

I took a quick look at the profiles of the various execs listed previously in this thread. They all look like the most, boring uptight, unimaginative, straight, white people who ever lived. I suggest replacing them all with Asher Hill & Elladj Baldé and perhaps Skate Canada would have a chance to be relevant in 21st century multicultural Canada.

You looked up the profile of Dr SHAE ZUKIWSKY and deduced that he is boring, uptight, unimaginative and straight.??? Really??

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

You looked up the profile of Dr SHAE ZUKIWSKY and deduced that he is boring, uptight, unimaginative and straight.??? Really??

Shae wasn’t listed above in Screech’s chart. Shae’s super cool (and an ice dancer!) so obviously he’s in the “more of that please” category.

 

[mackiecat]

Well here is the current executive management

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT​
DEBRA ARMSTRONG, Chief Executive Officer
MARY ELLEN MCDONALD, Senior Director, Operations
TERRY SHEAHAN, Senior Director, Marketing and Events
SHAE ZUKIWSKY, Senior Director, Performance Excellence

MANAGEMENT​
ANDRE BOURGEOIS, NextGen Director
EMMA BOWIE, Director, Safe Sport and Strategic Communications
MONICA LOCKIE, Skating Development Director
JEFF PARTRICK, Corporate Services Director
NORM PROFT, Competition Services Director
MIKE SLIPCHUK, High Performance Director

 

[mackiecat]

Here is the high performance committee

HIGH PERFORMANCE DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE​
Darlene Joseph, Chair
Lee Barkell
Jennifer Beauchamp
Marie Bowness
Pascal Denis
Jeff Lukasik
Bruno Marcotte
Joanne McLeod
Ravi Walia
Cynthia Benson