AASSA Award Nominations
Nomination forms are due in the AASSA office by Sunday, April 20, 2014. There are three awards that need nominations from our clubs;
Kevin Sirois Memorial Award
Bruce Jones Memorial Award
Mike Heitman Memorial Award
The other awards are results based and will be determined by the AASSA office. Full details are in the document below. Awards will be given out during the AASSA AGM Awards Luncheon in Ponoka on Saturday, May 3, 2014.
2019 Canada Winter Games
March 13, 2014 – At recent meetings, the Canada Games Council`s (CGC) Board of Directors have approved the CGC 2019 Technical Review Committee’s report that the two communities bidding to host the 2019 Canada Winter Games advance to Phase II.
“The communities of Lethbridge and Red Deer have been informed of their scoring in the technical assessment phase of the 2019 Canada Winter Games Bid Process and have been invited to submit a Comprehensive Host Community Bid Proposal,” says Paul Flaherty, Chairman of the 2019 Bid Evaluation Committee.
After the Board approval, individual reports were provided to each community outlining their results to date. Through these results, the communities have now been formally invited to develop and submit a Comprehensive Host Community Bid Proposal representing Phase II of the Host Community Selection Process. The deadline for the proposal is now June 30, 2014.
After the June 30, 2014 deadline, the 2019 Bid Evaluation Committee will assess the Comprehensive Host Community Bid Proposals, conduct site visits for Phase II and then provide a final ranking and report to the CGC Board of Directors. The final recommendation from the Board of Directors will be delivered to the Province of Alberta and then announced publicly by the Council and the Province in September of 2014.
Having hosted the 1975 Canada Winter Games in Lethbridge and the 1995 Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie, the 2019 Canada Winter Games will mark the third time the Games are hosted in the province of Alberta.
Inzell World Cup
March 8, 2014 – Gilmore Junio of Calgary captured a silver medal in the men’s 500m Saturday at the ISU Essent World Cup in Inzell, Germany. Gilmore’s time of 35.02 seconds was eclipsed only by a 34.96 from Ronald Mulder of the Netherlands. It is the 23-year-old Junio’s second podium finish this season and third World Cup medal overall, all coming in the 500m. He won a race in Salt Lake City in November, 2013 and claimed a silver in Nagano, Japan in December, 2012. Other Alberta results from Saturday: Jamie Gregg of Edmonton 16th in the 500m and 13th in the 1000m; Kaylin Irvine of Calgary 13th in women’s 500;
2014 AASSA Single Distance Championships
Full details for the 2014 AASSA Single Distance Championships can be found here; http://www.albertaspeedskating.ca/schedule.asp The $75 registration fee will be waived for skaters who can provide volunteers for all three days of the competition. Please call Wendy to sign up; 403-220-7911.
Shop the Speed Skate Cellar for all your speed skating needs. Proceeds of all sales support our skaters.
Grand Opening of the Aquatera Speed Skating Oval
January 19, 2014
The City of Grande Prairie and Peace Wapiti Speed Skating Club are excited to announce the grand opening of the Aquatera Outdoor Speed Skating Oval.
The new oval, adjacent to the Eastlink Centre, is now open for public use.
Full story here.
Silver Skate Festival - February 14-23
January 16, 2014
Although the pond is closed, the City of Edmonton has created an 8000 sq ft. ice rink for your skating enjoyment in the South East Corner of Hawrelak Park and they are getting ready for the biggest winter celebration in Edmonton. The Victoria Oval on River Valley Road will be used as a satellite site. Check out all the details; http://www.silverskatefestival.org/
Jeremy Wotherspon Donates Award Money
January 9, 2014
Calgary, AB (January 9, 2014) – Calgary’s Olympic Oval is thrilled to announce the generous donation of $3,805
to the Olympic Oval Athlete Bursary Fund by four-time World Sprint Champion, 13-time World Cup Overall Champion, 67-time World Cup winner and Olympic Silver medalist Jeremy Wotherspoon. With a highly decorated career spanning over 15 years, Wotherspoon also competed in the 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest speed skating sprinters of all time.
The Olympic Oval has a long standing tradition of awarding a Brothers of the Wind world record ring to any skater who breaks a world record on the Olympic Oval’s “Fastest Ice in the World™.” Wotherspoon holds the honor of breaking an astonishing twelve world records at the Oval; a feat that has not been accomplished by any other skater. Five of Wotherspoon’s twelve world record rings have never been ordered. Recently, the Olympic Oval approached Jeremy to begin the process, but he chose to donate the money allocated for his rings to the Olympic Oval Athlete Bursary Fund.
"The Olympic Oval has been a world leading facility as long as I've been a full time athlete. I am extremely grateful for its existence, as this facility, the people and the programs that have found a home here are responsible for my success in many ways. By giving something back to the Olympic Oval Athlete Bursary Fund, I hope young athletes who are here now can immerse themselves in sport the way I was able to when I was just starting out" said Wotherspoon during his cheque presentation on January 7th to Olympic Oval Associate Director of High Performance Sport, Marcel Lacroix.
The Olympic Oval Athlete Bursary Fund was designed to assist Oval Program athletes offset training costs associated with speed skating. Up to seven bursaries are awarded each year to athletes in the program.
Gift Ideas for Skaters
December 2, 2013
The Speed Skate Cellar has great gift ideas for the skaters in your life! Call 403-220-7911.
- Skate pendant with chain (sterling silver) $45
- Skater pendant with chain (sterling silver) $50
- AASSA Buffs $30
- AASSA Toques by Swift $30
- Pennington Blackhawk Jig $240
- Viking Sharpening Stone $50
- Viking Burr Stone $8
For more ideas check out; http://atlanticlongtrack.wordpress.com/2013/12/01/gift-ideas/
Alberta Members Honored
October 21, 2013
In June 2013, Speed Skating Canada awarded the following to these Alberta speed skaters and supporters;
• Female Coach of the Year: Shawna Pearman
• Officials of Excellence Award: Rod Fisher
• Jean R. Dupre Administrator of the Year Award: Alice Humeny
• Jeremy Wotherspoon Award (male long track skater of the year): Jamie Gregg
• Rising Star for Long Track: Kate Hanly
• Gagne Family Award: The Greggs: Kathy, Randy, Jamie, Jessica, Sarah and Ryan
AASSA acknowledges the contribution of all athletes, coaches, officials and other volunteers who make speed skating better for Albertans. You are a great source of inspiration for all of us – congratulations!
Alberta Sport Plan
October 11, 2011 - Deadline has been extended to Midnight Monday, October 14th
The Alberta Government would like to know your priorities for amateur sport in the province! Your responses to the survey will contribute to the renewal of the Alberta Sport Plan which will provide direction for provincial government support to amateur sport for the next 10 years. http://albertasportplan.budgetsimulator.com/
New Oval Ice Policy
September 13, 2013
A message from the Olympic Oval - The long track NTC ice time will now be open to any Canadian speed skaters who meet the “A Group” ice time standards. These standards can be found here http://schedules.oval.ucalgary.ca/PublicHPLT.aspx; only one time standard must be met. This new policy is subject to change at any time.
Speed Skating Canada 126th AGM
OTTAWA – Speed Skating Canada (SSC) held its 126th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Ottawa this past weekend uniting membership from across the country. The AGM included a combination of formal association business, elections, educational information and discussion sessions as well as the President’s Welcome and Recognition reception, which is Speed Skating Canada’s opportunity acknowledge and recognize the dedicated volunteers who contribute to making the sport of speed skating so successful.
Board members elected to the SSC Board of Directors include Tony Main, Treasurer (Vancouver); Jim Elliott, Director (Ottawa); David Gilday, Director (Yellowknife); Jean R. Dupré, Director (Montreal). They will join Marie-Claire Rouleau, President (Montreal); J.F. Monette, Athlete director (Montreal); Susan Auch, Director (Winnipeg); Jim Allison, Director (Abbotsford). SSC wishes to thank Michelle Casoni, who stepped down as Director, for her work.
SSC also elected members to the High Performance Long Track Committee, including Derek Auch (Calgary); Annie Perrault (Montreal). Gaétan Boucher (Rosemère) was elected to the High Performance Short Track Committee to replace outgoing member Tom Overend.
Every year, at SSC's Annual General Meeting, awards are presented to deserving individuals in a number of categories, in recognition for their achievements during the season or lifetime involvement. The following Alberta members were honoured:
- Kate Hanly (Calgary), Long Track Rising Star Award;
- Jamie Gregg (Edmonton), Jeremy Wotherspoon Award - Male Long Track Skater of the Year;
- Alice Humeny (Calgary), Jean R. Dupré Award - Administrator of the Year;
- Rod Fisher (Calgary), Officials of Excellence Award;
- Shawna Pearman (Red Deer), Coach of the Year – female;
- Gregg Family: Randy, Kathy, Jamie, Jessica, Sarah and Ryan (Edmonton); Gagne Family Award (Family that has made an outstanding contribution to the development of the sport of Speed Skating in Canada):
- Gabrielle Waddell (short track), Peter Williamson Memorial Trust Fund Bursaries
The 2014 SSC AGM has been scheduled for June 27-29th in Ottawa.
Wotherspoon in the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame
Red Deer's Jeremy Wotherspoon, possibly the greatest long track speed skating sprinter in history, was honoured by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame this past Friday, May 24, 2013 in Red Deer at the Sheraton Hotel. Wotherspoon was one of 11 individuals to be inducted into the Sport Hall of Fame this year.
Wotherspoon has had 67 career victories and 13 World Cup titles and is Canada’s most decorated male speed skater of all-time. He also set or reset 10 world records, skated the four fastest laps in history (the fastest 24.32 seconds) and currently holds the 500-metre mark of 34.03 seconds, set November 8, 2007 in Salt Lake City.
The four-time Olympian won silver in the 500m in the 1998 Games. He also won four world sprint championships and was Canada’s speed skating male athlete of the year from 1998-2005 and in 2008. The award was changed to the Jeremy Wotherspoon Award. Jeremy was also inducted in the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.
Congratulations Richard Starke!
Dr. Richard Starke, former coach with the Lloydminster Border Blades, has been named the new Minister of Tourism in Premier Redford’s cabinet;
http://alberta.ca/NewsFrame.cfm?ReleaseID=/acn/201302/33622A65E314C-A68F-3A4F-62E7408F09A097D9.html
