By: Pj Kwong

The Junior and Senior Skate Ontario Sectional Championships are happening on the weekend. They are a crucial qualifying event that determine which skaters advance to the Skate Canada Challenge, serving as an essential step on the pathway to national and international competition.

Lucy Hancock & Aiden Dotzert

Skate Ontario’s Director of Sport Christopher Mabee, a former Ontario Senior competitor, understands better than most that this event is an important moment in a skater’s career. “Competing at Junior/Senior Sectionals is the first big step on the road to the National Championships. It’s where athletes get the chance to put their programs out there, see how they stack up, and get valuable feedback from the judges. That feedback becomes a key part of the training plan — helping skaters and coaches fine-tune things so they’re set up for success when they hit the national stage.”

Hitting the national stage is front and centre for most skaters at this level. It’s what they are focused on week after week at the rink and beyond.

The Sectional Championships is a ‘first things first’ kind of moment. New Senior ice dance team, Amanda Urban and Peter Beaumont have only been training together for a matter of weeks and are making their debut at the Skate Ontario Sectional Championships. The Sectionals milestone is significant as it marks their official entry into the highest domestic level of competition and hopefully an eventual appearance at the National Championships in early January 2026.

According to Christopher Mabee: “With Sectionals being their debut event, the main goal should be to put out solid performances you can build on and start creating some momentum. It’s about learning more about your partnership and what it feels like to be out there together — understanding how each other responds under pressure, getting feedback, and using that experience to set yourselves up for even better performances moving forward.”

It goes without saying that this debut provides valuable experience performing under national-level judging standards, allows them to establish their technical minimums for advancement, and offers visibility within the Canadian ice dance community. It’s an important opportunity to showcase their potential, gain feedback, and build confidence as they begin competing among the country’s elite teams.

“The Skate Ontario Sectional Championships are such a special time for our skating community,” said Lisa Alexander, Executive Director of Skate Ontario. “We’re so proud to see skaters from every corner of the province come together to share their passion and hard work on the ice. It’s a celebration of dedication, friendship, and the joy of skating that unites us all.”

Alec Guinzbourg

If you’re a skating fan, you’re going to want to be in Rockland to watch the Skate Ontario Juniors and Seniors put their best foot forward. For more information, visit https://skateontario.org/event/2025-junior-and-senior-sectional-championships/

If you can’t make it, there’s always our live stream. Visit here for more information: https://skateontario-streaming.memberlounge.app/resources/sectional-series-november

As always, we are #SkateOntarioProud.