Skate Ontario is pleased to introduce our August Member Spotlight, winner of the 2024 Skate Canada National Club Award, The Char-Lan Skating Club! The CLSC was founded in 1974 in South Glengarry, Ontario, and has operated out of the Char-Lan Recreation Center in Williamstown since its inception.

According to the CLSC, “In the Fall and Winter, the Char-Lan Recreation Centre is the heartbeat of the community. The strength of our club is a testament to the exceptional community in which we are honoured to be a part of.”

Check out the video below to learn more about the CLSC:

Char-Lan is looking forward to jumping into the 2024/2025 season and continuing to build on the success they had last year. In 2023/2024, CLSC saw more successful assessments completed by STAR skaters than in any previous season of their club’s history! How did they do it?

According to the club, using a team-based coaching approach has been key. All of their skaters work with every member of their coaching staff, benefiting from the strengths and expertise of the entire team.

The club also utilizes group lessons and innovative formats for STAR sessions, enabling skaters to be under the guidance of a coach for almost the entirety of their ice time. Increasing coach-directed time has had enormous benefits for participants, and they love working in a team with their fellow skaters.

As a true testament to the results of their program, last season the CLSC had a Pre-Juvenile Ice Dance team, Elise Boileau and Oliver Phypers, qualify and compete at the Skate Ontario Provincial Championships, a first for the club. Everyone was incredibly proud of this up-and-coming pair, who skated beautifully.

The CLSC has an outstanding group of experienced Program Assistants on their CanSkate sessions, many of whom also volunteer in the STAR 1-2 program. The club hopes to turn these talented and eager PAs into coaches when they turn 15. Several of the CLSC’s long-term coaches were skaters at Char-Lan themselves, and this has created a very strong community atmosphere within the club.

Char-Lan’s CanSkate session has continued to excel this season, operating under the guidelines of the CanSkate Excellence program, in which they have received the “Exceeds Standards” designation.

Inclusion is a top priority at the CLSC. At this club, sledge skaters skate alongside the rest of the CanSkate and Adult skaters, and mobility aids of any kind are permitted on the ice. Their affordably priced programs help to keep skating accessible to families in their community. By offering a wide range of programs suitable for skaters of all abilities, and keeping program fees reasonable, the CLSC has worked hard to alleviate barriers to participation at their club.

These successes, and many more, lead to Char-Lan SC being named the winner of the 2024 Skate Canada National Club Award. The very first Skate Ontario Club to do so! According to Stephanie, President of the CLSC, winning this award was a, “huge honor and a testament to how hard our club has worked over the past few seasons to operate at the highest level of operational excellence, as well as making sure our on-ice programs are efficient, equitable and fun for everyone.”

Stephanie credits this award to the the dedication and hard work of Char-Lan’s entire club community. She notes that a focus on organizational excellence, including the use Skate Ontario programs such as President’s Club Meetings and the Member’s Portal, have been instrumental to keeping their club running smoothly. Hear more from Stephanie here:

To cap off an incredible season, the CLSC celebrated their 50th anniversary in March with a spectacular ice show, hosted by the legendary Elizabeth Manley. Check out the entire event on their Youtube channel here:

Looking ahead, the CLSC is busy getting ready for another season in which they will strive to achieve an “Exceeds Standard” designation in the brand-new STAR 1-5 excellence program.

Skate Ontario is incredibly proud of the Char-Lan Skating Club for their achievements, and for representing our sport so beautifully in their community. We are delighted celebrate Char-Lan SC for being a truly exceptional club, as well as our second-ever Member Spotlight.

#SkateOntarioProud