By: Pj Kwong

The future of Canadian figure skating will be on display this summer as Skate Canada’s 2026-27 NextGen Team gathers for one of the first major events of the season.

The national program features 35 of the country’s most promising young athletes across women’s, men’s, pairs, and ice dance disciplines. Designed to create a sustainable pathway to international success, the NextGen program helps emerging skaters develop the technical skills, competitive experience, and support systems needed to excel on the world stage.

“The primary purpose of the NextGen Competition in July is to give skaters a better idea of where they are in the development this season, based on the goals they established and against the competitive landscape.  Skaters should walk away from this competition with clearer priorities and timelines in which they desire to achieve,” said Skate Canada’s NextGen Director, Andre Bourgeois.

Olympic and World ice dance medallist and newly established coach Piper Gilles believes opportunities from this upcoming NextGen Competition are invaluable for young athletes.

“I wish there had been more events like this when I was coming up,” said Piper. “These early kinds of experiences go a long way to helping create confidence in competing. It’s not just the programs that go on the ice, it’s the learned behind-the-scenes preparation that is essential.”

Delivered in partnership with provincial sport organizations, Own the Podium, and Canadian Sport Institutes across the country, the NextGen program provides athletes and their coaches with access to training, resources, and performance support. The goal is to develop world-class athletes who can strengthen Canada’s presence at future international events like the World Championships and Olympic Games.

For Skate Ontario’s Director of Sport Christopher Mabee, who is a former national and international medallist, the advantages of NextGen competitions are numerous. “When I was competing, you didn’t really know where you stood nationally until you showed up at Challenge or Nationals or saw international assignments and figured it out in real time. An event like this would have changed that completely.”

Ontario continues to play a leading role in that developmental journey. This season, 19 of the 35 athletes selected to the national NextGen Team call Ontario home, representing communities from Toronto and Oakville to London, Brampton, Barrie, Tillsonburg, and beyond.

Former World medallist, Olympian and Canadian pairs champion, and Hamilton Skating Club Skating Director Bryce Davison has two athletes named to the women’s roster this season and sees tremendous value in the event.

“I think this event is a great opportunity for the skaters who usually don’t get to see the best of their competitors this early in the season,” said Bryce. “It is also so important to be able to get feedback from top-level judges at this point in the season to be able to frame what to work on and see if you’re on the right track.”

By discipline, Ontario athletes account for:

• Women: 6 of 11 skaters
• Men: 5 of 8 skaters
• Pairs: 1 of 3 teams
• Ice Dance: 3 of 5 teams

The numbers reinforce Ontario’s position as one of Canada’s premier development hubs for elite figure skating talent, with more than half of the country’s NextGen athletes training and competing within the province.

“We are incredibly proud to see Ontario athletes so well represented on the NextGen Team,” said Lisa Alexander, Skate Ontario’s Executive Director. “These young skaters are the next generation of Canadian excellence, and their success reflects years of hard work by athletes, coaches, clubs, and families throughout the province. We look forward to cheering them on as they continue their development and represent Ontario and Canada on the national and international stage.”

According to Skate Canada, “the NextGen Competition brings NextGen Team members and additional junior-level skaters together from across Canada to compete and be evaluated for selection to junior international events.”

This year’s NextGen competition will take place from July 16-19 at the Slush Puppie Centre in Gatineau, Quebec, providing an early opportunity for Canada’s rising stars to showcase their progress and set the tone for the season ahead.

“The Next Gen event is a chance for Ontario athletes to demonstrate that they’re ready for the next level, and I’m excited to see who rises to that,” said Chris. Who isn’t?

As always, we are #SkateOntarioProud.

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