David Wilson Calls for New Leadership at Skate Canada

[Colonel Green]

For me, what I would say is that of course Canada has every right to cancel its Nationals but it does say something to the coaches and skaters. Every comment I've ever seen from a figure in Russian skating has not been at all of the ilk of "lol ******** whatever" at all but "we can't lose the sport, we can't lose a generation of skaters, we have to find a way to give them the opportunity to compete." They were willing to try and they were willing to sacrifice and they were willing to take risks. And for that they have received a lot of abuse and insults, but to me it is commendable. When I see Lakernik and Moskvina and Mishin at these events, do I get very nervous because I care about them, of course, but they are presumably there because they care about the sport and they care about the skaters and they don't want to let it fade away.

The way they found to give them an opportunity to compete was to basically not care at all about health measures, which has resulted in massive spread of the virus throughout the skating community (not to mention God knows how many audience members), ending at least one career.

So when Orser in another interview and Wilson are frustrated in their comments, it seems to reflect that they feel like their sport isn't being valued enough for the people in charge to even try.

They did try. It wasn't workable.

 

[MsZem]

The way they found to give them an opportunity to compete was to basically not care at all about health measures, which has resulted in massive spread of the ***** throughout the skating community (not to mention God knows how many audience members), ending at least one career.

They did try. It wasn't workable.

Well, skating federations in Japan, the US, Italy and France (together with relevant authorities in each country) found a way to allow their skaters to compete without massive spread of CV. Did they try harder? Did they all have more money than Skate Canada? Were the health authorities in each country more receptive to the idea? Was the timing better? A combination of these things?

I don't think anyone will persuade anyone else that the decision to cancel skating events in Canada was wrong/right. Clearly there are differences in how people evaluate risk and acceptable risk (though I find it mindboggling that anyone would look to Russia as a positive example given what transpired there).

 

[aka_gerbil]

To sound like a broken record, I do not think it can be stated enough that local government regulations in the locations the events were to be held was a likely major factor in the events not being able to happen. Skate Canada does not have control over government to force them to let their events happen. As others have pointed out, if the events had been scheduled for elsewhere in the country than the places they were, they might could have still happened.

I keep seeing the money thing brought up and at least compared to USFS and Japan, SC does have less money. Just think about the tv contracts in North America. USFS’s contract is with NBC. SC’s is with CBC. NBC has infinitely deeper pockets than an underfunded public broadcast station.

Bottom line, the different federations located in different countries had their own different sets of circumstances to navigate at this time. I think SC was up against things they had no control over (government measures to control YNW in the locations their events were to be held) whereas these other feds had more viable options available to them.

 

[Karen-W]

Maybe the "you shouldn't comment on internal Canadian affairs" folks might keep that in mind the next time they start typing about what's going on in Russia and how it holds competitions as many have?

For me, what I would say is that of course Canada has every right to cancel its Nationals but it does say something to the coaches and skaters. Every comment I've ever seen from a figure in Russian skating has not been at all of the ilk of "lol ******** whatever" at all but "we can't lose the sport, we can't lose a generation of skaters, we have to find a way to give them the opportunity to compete." They were willing to try and they were willing to sacrifice and they were willing to take risks. And for that they have received a lot of abuse and insults, but to me it is commendable. When I see Lakernik and Moskvina and Mishin at these events, do I get very nervous because I care about them, of course, but they are presumably there because they care about the sport and they care about the skaters and they don't want to let it fade away.

So when Orser in another interview and Wilson are frustrated in their comments, it seems to reflect that they feel like their sport isn't being valued enough for the people in charge to even try.

The way they found to give them an opportunity to compete was to basically not care at all about health measures, which has resulted in massive spread of the ***** throughout the skating community (not to mention God knows how many audience members), ending at least one career.

They did try. It wasn't workable.

I think you are failing to miss the broader point that @mjb52 is trying to make, and I alluded to it myself yesterday - for whatever reasons, be it public health/government officials shutting down indoor rinks across much of the country, the unfairness to skaters who haven't had as many training options available due to the closures, or a lack of a "workable" option a la the Orleans Arena & Hotel in LV for the USFS, etc - there is a clear message being sent, not only by the Canadian government but also, specifically, by Skate Canada that the figure skating is not important or valuable enough to Canada to find a way to host their own National Championships this year. This is coming from the country that, 3 years ago, won the Olympics Team Gold. What's that say about figure skating's future in Canada? That your own government and federation are incapable of finding a way to hold a National Championships, when your federation/nation is viewed as one of the leading/most powerful/influential in the sport - to just roll over and let this happen is disturbing.

Canada is a nation with a proud skating tradition but everything I'm reading here makes me wonder how much longer they will be able to maintain that talent level - there isn't enough grassroots support at the local/provincial level to pressure authorities to make exceptions to rink closures that allow high-level athletes to train, there isn't enough money/sponsorship on the national level to pressure the federal government to reach out to provincial authorities to assist in finding a workable venue to host their National Championships which means skating is going to be off the national radar with no broadcasts of any events for at least 14 months (assuming some Canadian broadcaster has ISU rights to broadcast Worlds this year), and there doesn't seem to be the will or drive within the federation to fix either of these issues which, in the long run, will drive figure skating further into niche sports status. And, that's fine, if that's what Canadians are willing to sacrifice so that they can deal with the pandemic the way they think best, but I'm of the opinion that it's a very short-sighted response that will have long term consequences no one here is willing to acknowledge until it becomes only too apparent what damage was really done to the sport in their country - and God knows, we here at FSU will be treated to much hand-wringing over the next decade when Canadian skaters fall further and further behind their international counterparts competitively.

 

[Colonel Green]

Well, skating federations in Japan, the US, Italy and France (together with relevant authorities in each country) found a way to allow their skaters to compete without massive spread of CV. Did they try harder? Did they all have more money than Skate Canada? Were the health authorities in each country more receptive to the idea? Was the timing better? A combination of these things?

In Japan's case, they had much lower YKW incidence, so the range of what was permissible was greater.

I don't know enough about conditions in Italy or France at the time, but those countries also certainly have geographic advantages compared to Canada.

US Nationals, bluntly, was not a good idea and the federation got lucky (and also had a very lenient local government).

 

[mjb52]

Without diminishing the seriousness of Shpilevaya's situation, she became ill in July. Russia has held many events and the only one that we have heard about as a potential issue is Rostelecom and even there it is not clear how many skaters actually got the coronavirus there at all and how much of this is rumor because a bunch of people pulled out of the fifth Russian Cup as they no longer needed to participate to qualify for Nationals. And we know much more about what is going on in Russia because they are holding events. We have no idea whether any more skaters from Russia have actually gotten the coronavirus than anywhere else.

 

[Gris]

By pretending that C19 doesn't exist, which includes having a banquet with sharing plates and wearing masks on chins, RusFed surely has proved they were willing to sacrifice other people's health and career.

 

[aka_gerbil]

While I do defend the decision to not have nationals, I have long thought, years pre-YNW, that SC had stopped putting in the effort to develop skaters beyond a tiny handful of chosen ones. IMO, between 2014 and 2018 nationals, the overall depth/quality of the fields declined significantly. The very top skaters in 2018 were outstanding, but outside that group, not so much. In 2014, even the earlier groups and lower ranked skaters were still high caliber. During this time frame, I also started to notice that SC didn’t send out skaters to challengers and other internationals for experience when they could have and should have been. It’s very opposite USFS which seems to try to utilize every opportunity they can to get as many skaters as they can out in front of judges. I do think SC has dropped the ball, but it happened years ago. IMO, not having nationals this season is the one thing they’ve gotten right in recent years. Maybe the frustration we’re seeing out of people isn’t so much about not having nationals this year, but actually the result of years of SC not doing enough in the times they should have been doing more.

 

[MacMadame]

Who knows if Skate Canada would even be able to get a good deal like that.

Seriously? You don't think there are hotels in Canada that are full of empty rooms and eager to host a big competition? I find that hard to believe. In fact, I will state categorically that it would have been possible to hold Canadian Nationals in another location without SC losing their shirts.

If the event be held safely, and the organization hosting has the financial resources to do so then fine, go ahead, but Skate Canada really doesn't have those resources.

So Skate Canada has fewer resources than FFSG? Or any of the smaller European NGBs that put on a Nationals?

If so, that's another reason their leadership has failed.

Those of you outside Canada who really don't know about all of the conditions in each of the provinces (or regions within provinces) across this great country should, perhaps, limit your comments... [just a polite Canadian suggestion ]

I look forward to your lack of comments about Russia, Japan, the US, and any other country you don't live in.

Nationals was scheduled to be held in a
Province that most likely was not going to allow it to happen no matter what.

Exactly. So was US Nationals. (It was to be held in my area and we're one of the most cautious in the US.) And guess what USFS did? They moved it ahead of time to a place that was less likely to cancel on them. The fact that SC did nothing except wring their hands and cancel at the last minute because "they had no choice" even though they had many choices but just didn't pursue them does not speak well of their leadership.


I am somewhat amused by the idea that USFS is rolling in dough compared to SC btw. USFS is not a rich organization. They are a largely volunteer organization with few paid staff just like SC. SC has sponsors just like USFS and could have worked with them just like USFS. You say that USFS gives more money to its elite skaters but USFS puts a lot less money into recreational skaters compared to SC. Who pays the expenses for their synchro teams doesn't say which organization has more money only what they prioritize.

I am also not that impressed with how Canada (or Australia for that matter) is handling C19 now. Yes, they shut down early and hard and I approve of that. But after you get the v1rus under control, you are supposed to open up and then control outbreaks with contact tracing and quarantining. Both of these countries say they are only trying to suppress but they are pursuing a de facto strategy of elimination. Which is only possible if the entire world is doing that or you close your borders to anyone for a long, long time like years.

There are way more ways to handle a pand*mic wrong than right. You can not shut down enough in the beginning (or at all) like Sweden, Russia, and a lot of the US. You can shut down hard but then open up too early (California). You can shut down hard but not open back up when cases are low and can be handled via quarantines (Canada and Australia). And probably a few other ways to screw up that I'm not thinking of.

There are a few countries that shut down hard, built up contact tracing and other resources, and then opened up and when there is an outbreak they are on it like white on rice and everyone impacted gets quarantined so it doesn't spread. Those countries are now having large gatherings without everyone being vaccinated and their economies are chugging along. The rest of us are screwed.

 

[Colonel Green]

What's that say about figure skating's future in Canada? That your own government and federation are incapable of finding a way to hold a National Championships, when your federation/nation is viewed as one of the leading/most powerful/influential in the sport - to just roll over and let this happen is disturbing.

The government isn't in the business of arranging sporting events, no matter the sport. Sports are responsible for meeting the necessary health standards, or not. The NBA and the MLB have both been turned down over that in the last year; that's why the Raptors are playing their entire season in Florida, and the Blue Jays didn't play in Toronto either. And it goes without saying that baseball and basketball generate a lot more money than figure skating.

 

[Colonel Green]

Exactly. So was US Nationals. (It was to be held in my area and we're one of the most cautious in the US.) And guess what USFS did? They moved it ahead of time to a place that was less likely to cancel on them. The fact that SC did nothing except wring their hands and cancel at the last minute because "they had no choice" even though they had many choices but just didn't pursue them does not speak well of their leadership.

There isn't anywhere in Canada that would have allowed Skate Canada to hold a nationals in February (or March). There are literally only four of thirteen jurisdictions that don't have quarantine procedures for anyone traveling in from out of province/territory, and all have hard caps on public gatherings and require bubble conditions for sporting events of this sort.

You can shut down hard but not open back up when cases are low and can be handled via quarantines (Canada and Australia).

Canada was quite open for a while, in most of the country. Hence, the second wave and all the closures we're currently in the midst of.

 

[skatingguy]

So Skate Canada has fewer resources than FFSG? Or any of the smaller European NGBs that put on a Nationals?

If so, that's another reason their leadership has failed.

I don't know about fewer resources, but putting on a national competition in Canada is going to be more expensive than putting on a competition in France, or any of the smaller European countries. Travel costs alone would be quite a bit higher, and air travel in Canada is expensive at the best of times.

 

[skategal]

Exactly. So was US Nationals. (It was to be held in my area and we're one of the most cautious in the US.) And guess what USFS did? They moved it ahead of time to a place that was less likely to cancel on them. The fact that SC did nothing except wring their hands and cancel at the last minute because "they had no choice" even though they had many choices but just didn't pursue them does not speak well of their leadership.

I'm glad you read part of my post. But the next part said that it is almost impossible to move Nationals because:

1. Hockey teams, which are attached to all major arenas in Canada, are not going to move out of their arenas on short notice for a skating event in a year where their season has already been screwed to the max because of CV.

2. No time because Skate Canada would have to submit plans to hold the event safely and get it approved by another Public Health Authority in another province who are all up to their eyeballs approving plans to safely and fully re-open schools, restaurants, bars, retail, kids athletics and everyone else under the sun that wants to ease restrictions.

I don't know why you are so sure Skate Canada didn't try to do something.

Do you have insider information that we don't have? If so, please share.

And no Health Authority in Canada has said that they are pursuing an elimination strategy for CV.

They have all said that they are suppressing it to the point that the hospitals/health system are not overwhelmed.

As soon as space becomes available in the hospital, restrictions ease. This has always been the case since Day 1 in Canada.

 

[MsZem]

So Skate Canada has fewer resources than FFSG? Or any of the smaller European NGBs that put on a Nationals?

If so, that's another reason their leadership has failed.

Nathalie Pechalat getting stuff done and she also published a book and is having another baby.

I think perhaps the most impressive feat was holding Four Nationals in December (only Three Nats this year, as no Hungarians). It's an international Nationals, none of the federations involved are awash in money or sponsorships, yet they still managed it. I think Brezina made a virtual appearance from California?

 

[Karen-W]

I'm glad you read part of my post. But the next part said that it is almost impossible to move Nationals because:

1. Hockey teams, which are attached to all major arenas in Canada, are not going to move out of their arenas on short notice for a skating event in a year where their season has already been screwed to the max because of CV.

2. No time because Skate Canada would have to submit plans to hold the event safely and get it approved by another Public Health Authority in another province who are all up to their eyeballs approving plans to safely and fully re-open schools, restaurants, bars, retail, kids athletics and everyone else under the sun that wants to ease restrictions.

I don't know why you are so sure Skate Canada didn't try to do something.

Do you have insider information that we don't have? If so, please share.

And no Health Authority in Canada has said that they are pursuing an elimination strategy for CV.

They have all said that they are suppressing it to the point that the hospitals/health system are not overwhelmed.

As soon as space becomes available in the hospital, restrictions ease. This has always been the case since Day 1 in Canada.

Because the major NHL arenas are the ONLY possible venues that could host Canadian Nationals. And yet... London, Kitchener, Kamloops, Hamilton all have arenas large enough to host major internationals and no NHL teams there to fight for ice time.

@MacMadame pointed out, correctly, that the USFS pivoted, very quickly, in late October in the host location for US Nats from San Jose (where restrictions were rigid and were, surely, going to make hosting the event there in January impossible) to Las Vegas. Skate Canada could have done the same, given that the BC government has acted very similarly (one might even say in concert or at least cooperatively) with the Washington, Oregon and California state governments over the course of this pandemic. It wasn't hard to guess that Vancouver in January or February was simply not a viable option and then looked at other, more centrally located options that could provide a venue.

Worse case scenario, Skate Canada could have reduced the size of their Nationals - for example: 2 flights in each of the disciplines, seniors only, postpone juniors until later in the spring, and held the event over the course of 2 days somewhere in the country.

 

[Colonel Green]

@MacMadame pointed out, correctly, that the USFS pivoted, very quickly, in late October in the host location for US Nats from San Jose (where restrictions were rigid and were, surely, going to make hosting the event there in January impossible) to Las Vegas. Skate Canada could have done the same, given that the BC government has acted very similarly (one might even say in concert or at least cooperatively) with the Washington, Oregon and California state governments over the course of this *********. It wasn't hard to guess that Vancouver in January or February was simply not a viable option and then looked at other, more centrally located options that could provide a venue.

Worse case scenario, Skate Canada could have reduced the size of their Nationals - for example: 2 flights in each of the disciplines, seniors only, postpone juniors until later in the spring, and held the event over the course of 2 days somewhere in the country.

They did reduce the size of nationals.

As I noted above, there is no jurisdiction in the country that would have allowed a nationals right now, so Skate Canada sticking with its original host choice did not matter.

 

[skategal]

Because the major NHL arenas are the ONLY possible venues that could host Canadian Nationals. And yet... London, Kitchener, Kamloops, Hamilton all have arenas large enough to host major internationals and no NHL teams there to fight for ice time.

I'm not talking about only the NHL.

I'm talking about all the way down to midget.

Every arena big enough to hold Nationals with the volunteer capacity to implement safeguards has a competitive hockey team or two there.

They don't leave their arenas easily.

Certainly not this year on the spur of the moment. Not happening.

 

[Judy]

Maybe the "you shouldn't comment on internal Canadian affairs" folks might keep that in mind the next time they start typing about what's going on in Russia and how it holds competitions as many have?

For me, what I would say is that of course Canada has every right to cancel its Nationals but it does say something to the coaches and skaters. Every comment I've ever seen from a figure in Russian skating has not been at all of the ilk of "lol ******** whatever" at all but "we can't lose the sport, we can't lose a generation of skaters, we have to find a way to give them the opportunity to compete." They were willing to try and they were willing to sacrifice and they were willing to take risks. And for that they have received a lot of abuse and insults, but to me it is commendable. When I see Lakernik and Moskvina and Mishin at these events, do I get very nervous because I care about them, of course, but they are presumably there because they care about the sport and they care about the skaters and they don't want to let it fade away.

So when Orser in another interview and Wilson are frustrated in their comments, it seems to reflect that they feel like their sport isn't being valued enough for the people in charge to even try.

You are more than welcome to talk to our govt. We aren’t exactly involved in the decision making either as citizens.

I have absolutely no idea what’s going on in Russia or elsewhere.

 

[Parsley Sage]

I'm not talking about only the NHL.

I'm talking about all the way down to midget.

Every arena big enough to hold Nationals with the volunteer capacity to implement safeguards has a competitive hockey team or two there.

They don't leave their arenas easily.

Certainly not this year on the spur of the moment. Not happening.

The Ontario Hockey League isn't currently playing. They are still working with the government and public health on a return to play plan.

 

[Colonel Green]

Yeah, I'm sure they could have found a rink in Ontario without it being occupied. The issue there was that Ontario wouldn't have allowed them to actually host the competition.

 

[Judy]

Seriously? You don't think there are hotels in Canada that are full of empty rooms and eager to host a big competition? I find that hard to believe. In fact, I will state categorically that it would have been possible to hold Canadian Nationals in another location without SC losing their shirts.


So Skate Canada has fewer resources than FFSG? Or any of the smaller European NGBs that put on a Nationals?

If so, that's another reason their leadership has failed.


I look forward to your lack of comments about Russia, Japan, the US, and any other country you don't live in.


Exactly. So was US Nationals. (It was to be held in my area and we're one of the most cautious in the US.) And guess what USFS did? They moved it ahead of time to a place that was less likely to cancel on them. The fact that SC did nothing except wring their hands and cancel at the last minute because "they had no choice" even though they had many choices but just didn't pursue them does not speak well of their leadership.


I am somewhat amused by the idea that USFS is rolling in dough compared to SC btw. USFS is not a rich organization. They are a largely volunteer organization with few paid staff just like SC. SC has sponsors just like USFS and could have worked with them just like USFS. You say that USFS gives more money to its elite skaters but USFS puts a lot less money into recreational skaters compared to SC. Who pays the expenses for their synchro teams doesn't say which organization has more money only what they prioritize.

I am also not that impressed with how Canada (or Australia for that matter) is handling C19 now. Yes, they shut down early and hard and I approve of that. But after you get the v1rus under control, you are supposed to open up and then control outbreaks with contact tracing and quarantining. Both of these countries say they are only trying to suppress but they are pursuing a de facto strategy of elimination. Which is only possible if the entire world is doing that or you close your borders to anyone for a long, long time like years.

There are way more ways to handle a pand*mic wrong than right. You can not shut down enough in the beginning (or at all) like Sweden, Russia, and a lot of the US. You can shut down hard but then open up too early (California). You can shut down hard but not open back up when cases are low and can be handled via quarantines (Canada and Australia). And probably a few other ways to screw up that I'm not thinking of.

There are a few countries that shut down hard, built up contact tracing and other resources, and then opened up and when there is an outbreak they are on it like white on rice and everyone impacted gets quarantined so it doesn't spread. Those countries are now having large gatherings without everyone being vaccinated and their economies are chugging along. The rest of us are screwed.

Well you are making a lot of assumptions. Canada shut dow hard then did a colour zoned reopening that is different for each province. Of course contact tracing has and is being done. We have opened schools with very strict rules and guidelines as of September. Everything has restrictions.

It would be far easier to contain the virus if it wasn’t being spread before people know they are sick. But it isn’t completely controllable until we have vaccines.

I honestly don’t understand why people are upset with Canada not competing this year. the sport is not going to die here.

 

[skategal]

Yeah, I'm sure they could have found a rink in Ontario without it being occupied. The issue there was that Ontario wouldn't have allowed them to actually host the competition.

We have had hockey here for awhile in various forms (practice allowed, then games against other teams allowed) including our Quebec Major Junior Team.

It has been a real with getting hockey up and running here with people still not happy that it isn't 100% back to normal.

But yeah, not a chance Public Health would have allowed Nationals to happen here even if the hockey team would have vacated (which was never going to happen.)

Between Public Health restrictions and Hockey teams, I don't think there was anywhere to move Nationals.

 

[4rkidz]

Well that is not entirely true. To enter you need a clean ********* test and quarantine for 14 days. If you can’t safely quarantine then the govt will put you up in specific hotels to safely quarantine for 14 days. Everything paid for by govt including food. You also can’t leave the room and there is a guard at the elevator.

But athletes are not part of that they are exempted like the speed skaters returning from Europe or the Ski teams returning from Sweden.

 

[overedge]

There's two separate issues here, which IMO David Wilson's statement has mixed up. (1) Skate Canada's leadership, and (2) SC's decision to cancel Canadian nationals. As others have pointed out, with rink closures/restrictions in different parts of the country, the decision to cancel Nationals was probably the right one.

However, there are long-standing problems with Skate Canada's leadership. They made the right decision in this case, but that doesn't mean they do a great job the rest of the time. Yes, the president does live in another country (Switzerland: https://skatecanada.ca/portfolio-item/board-of-directors/) but that's the least of its problems. From what I understand, not unlike other federations, in the upper ranks of Skate Canada "you get along by going along", i.e. the culture discourages dissenting opinions, and those who express them are marginalized and not taken seriously, even when what they have to say is important.

As others have pointed out, too, in the last decade or so SC has not invested seriously in developing the grassroots, which is where the elite skaters of tomorrow are going to come from. IMO this is partly in response to the Canadian federal government's sports strategy, which focuses on Olympic and Worlds placements/medals as measures of success. Federal funding is based on those measures, so Canadian sports organizations are forced to build their athlete development toward those outcomes. But SC has focused on this at the expense of building long-term participation in the sport in all sectors and demographics, not just the elite competitors. With the p*nd*m*c shutting down rinks and programs all across the country, SC is going to take a really big hit, and it's going to affect participation/finances in the sport for years to come. If SC had built a broader base of programs to encourage all types of skaters to stay in the sport, the impact wouldn't have been as bad as it's going to be.

Finally, and again SC is not alone in this, but it's very difficult to make change within the SC structure. If a local club has a problem or issue, that has to go through the section and/or region, and then probably to a national subcommittee, and then to the annual general meeting. It's really hard for clubs to work together or to get things to change when nearly everything has to go through that much bureaucracy to be heard at a national level. It's really no surprise that the motions at the AGM usually pass with minimal opposition, because the motions don't get there without the SC leadership approving of them already.

 

[4rkidz]

I think Wilson makes some interesting points, although logistically I don’t believe under the current leadership it could have happened. Sponsors have also walked away so maybe they do need to take a hard look at themselves. It was reported they spent two million on strategic planning and the President of the organization doesnt live in Canada? They have laid off staff but still receive Sport govt funding? I hope someone does a report on this to validate if its even true?

 

[Judy]

But athletes are not part of that they are exempted like the speed skaters returning from Europe or the Ski teams returning from Sweden.

Not according to this.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/olympic-travel-restriction-exemptions-1.5907821

 

[overedge]

I think Wilson makes some interesting points, although logistically I don’t believe under the current leadership it could have happened. Sponsors have also walked away so maybe they do need to take a hard look at themselves. It was reported they spent two million on strategic planning and the President of the organization doesnt live in Canada? They have laid off staff but still receive Sport govt funding? I hope someone does a report on this to validate if its even true?

The link to the President's bio is in my post above. She lives in Switzerland.

SC was laying off staff prior to the pandemic, although they may have laid off more recently. But I think other sport organizations are doing the same thing and also receiving funding.

The $2 million on the strategic plan was for the plan that ended in 2018. The expenditure was listed in the financial statements for preceding years.

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

Phil Hersh agrees with Mr. Wilson:

https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1360710554470518790

However,the Canadians here resolutely disagree with David Wilson's opinion. Perhaps the more pertinent question is when will the government and Canadian federation permit Canadian skaters to compete domestically? Is it not a disservice to hardworking Canadian skaters? They aren't allowed to compete,while their rivals in other nations do so.

-BB

 

[overedge]

What part of "most of the rinks in Canada are closed or operating under restrictions" is so difficult to understand? You can't have a competition without a rink that can accommodate it. And you can't have a fair competition if skaters across Canada have had limited or no access to rinks they could train at.

 

[Carolla5501]

Oh come on. The government has already announced that athletes will be exempt. As for other travelers, they will be required to book a hotel room of their choosing for up to 3 days, and charged the rates that they negotiate with the hotel

LOL
Maybe you better wake up and start paying attention

Canada's COVID-19 isolation hotels: complaints of secrecy, poor communication

International travellers staying at federally appointed COVID-19 isolation hotels have complained about lack of communication and an environment of secrecy.

www.google.com

And apparently they are not going to be exempt from spending three days imprisoned in the hotel but they might not have to pay for it.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cbc.ca/amp/1.5907821