Speed Skating Canada – Ottawa, February 8, 2016 – Intact Insurance Company, Speed Skating Canada’s major sponsor, announced today that the Cambridge Bay (Cambridge Bay, NT), Les Satellites d’Alma (Alma, QC), Linaria (Westlock, AB), Mission Racers (Mission, B.C.), Sudbury Sprinters (Sudbury, ON), and Saint-Constant Speed Skating Clubs were each awarded a $1,000 bursary as part of the 2015-2016 Podium Tracker program.

Last weekend, Canadian skaters won a total of six individual medals at the ISU World Cup Short Track in Dresden, Germany.

Charles Hamelin and Marianne St-Gelais both won two gold medals in the 500m and 1000m, while Sasha Fathoullin won a silver medal in the 1500m and Charle Cournoyer, a bronze medal, in the 1000m.

Canada also won a silver medal in the men’s relay event.

The Intact Podium Tracker Program tracks individual medals won by Canadian short and long track speed skaters in World Cups and World Championships. Each time an athlete steps onto the podium, Intact Insurance donates $1,000 to a local speed skating club in Canada.

So far this season, Intact Insurance Company gave a total of $54,000 in donation to 54 clubs, representing the 54 individual medals won by Canadians in World Cups and World Championships events.

Since the inception of the Intact Podium Tracker Program during the 2010-2011 season, Intact Insurance has donated a total of $215,000 to Canadian speed skating clubs.

“We are proud of the strong showings from the Canadian team,” said Anna Rajpat, Intact Insurance’s Vice President of Brand Development and Customer Experience. “Through the Intact Podium Tracker Program, we hope to support more young skaters and skating clubs across Canada in their training and racing needs, further promote speed skating in Canada and help build future Olympians in the sport.”

Here is the list of the recipient clubs so far this season which were each awarded a $1,000 grant from Intact Insurance (*: new clubs added this week):

ALBERTA
-Border Blades Speed Skating Club (Lloydminster, AB)
-Ichi-Ban Speed Skating Club (Calgary, AB)
*-Linaria Speed Skating Club (Westlock, AB)
-Medicine Hat Kinsmen Speed Skating Club (Medicine Hat, AB)
-Peace Wapiti Speed Skating Club (Grande Prairie, AB)
-Rocky Mountain House Speed Skating Club (Rocky Mountain House, AB)

BRITISH COLUMBIA
-Dawson Creek Speed Skating Club (Dawson Creek, B.C.)
-Fort St. James Speed Skating Club (Fort St. James, B.C.)
-Kamloops Long Blades Speed Skating Club (Kamloops, B.C.)
-Kelowna Speed Skating Club (Kelowna, B.C.)
*-Mission Racers Speed Skating Club (Mission, B.C.)
-Port Coquitlam Speed Skating Club (Port Coquitlam, B.C.)
-Prince George Blizzard Speed Skating Club (Prince George, B.C.)
-Salmon Arm Ice Breakers Speed Skating Club (Salmon Arm, B.C.)
-Williams Lake Speed Skating Club (Williams Lake, B.C.)

MANITOBA
-Eastman Speed Skating Club (Eastman, MB)
-Winnipeg Speed Skating Club (Winnipeg, MB)
-River Heights Speed Skating Club (Winnipeg, MB)

NEW BRUNSWICK
-Codiac Cyclones Speed Skating Club (Dieppe – Moncton – Riverview, N.B.)
-Restigouche Comets (Restigouche, N.B.)
-St. Croix Blades Speed Skating Club (Saint Andrews, N.B.)

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
-Fort Simpson Speed Skating Club (Fort Simpson, N.W.T.)
-Norman Wells Speed Skating Club (Norman Wells, N.W.T.)

NOVA SCOTIA
-Northside Blade Speed Skating Club (Sydney Mines, N.S.)
-Nova Scotia Masters Speed Skating Club (Halifax, N.S.)

NUNAVUT
*-Cambridge Bay Speed Skating Club (Cambridge Bay, NU)
-Iqaluit Speed Skating Club (Iqaluit, NU)

ONTARIO         
-Barrie Speed Skating Club (Barrie, ON)
-Kitchener-Waterloo Sertoma Speed Skating Club (Kitchener-Waterloo, ON)
-Markham Speed Skating Club (Markham, ON)
-Milton Speed Skating Club (Milton, ON)
-Niagara Speed Skating Club (Niagara Falls, ON)
-Oakville Speedsters Speed Skating Club (Oakville, ON)
-Quinte Blades Speed Skating Club (Belleville, ON)
*-Sudbury Sprinters Speed Skating Club (Sudbury, ON)
-Thunder Blades Speed Skating Club (Thunder Bay, ON)

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
-Speed Skate PEI (Charlottetown, PEI)

QUEBEC
*-Club de patinage de vitesse Les Satellites d’Alma (Alma, QC)
-Centre régional courte piste – Laval (Laval, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Drummondville (Drummondville, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Laval Ste-Dorothée (Laval, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Lévis (Lévis, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Mirabel (Mirabel, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Pointe-aux-Trembles (Montréal, Rivière-des-Prairies – Pointe-aux-Trembles borough, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse Les Rapidos de Baie-Comeau (Baie-Comeau, QC)
*-Club de patinage de vitesse de Saint-Constant (Saint-Constant, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse Montréal-Gadbois (Montréal, arrondissement Sud-Ouest, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse Trois-Lacs (Vaudreuil-Dorion, QC)
-Club de patinage de vitesse de Victoriaville (Victoriaville, QC)
-Tornades de Châteauguay (Châteauguay, QC)

SASKATCHEWAN
-Nipawin Speed Skating Club (Nipawin, SK)
-Regina Speed Skating Club (Regina, SK)
-Saskatoon Lions Speed Skating Club (Saskatoon, SK)

YUKON
-Whitehorse Rapids Speed Skating Club (Whitehorse, YK)

More information can be found on Speed Skating Canada’s website at www.speedskating.ca or on the Podium Tracker Program at www.podiumtracker.ca/en/index.html. 

About Speed Skating Canada

Speed Skating Canada (SSC) is the governing body for competitive long track and short track speed skating in Canada. Founded in 1887, the association is comprised of 13 provincial and territorial branches representing more than 14,000 individual members, and counting. SSC believes that sport is an apprenticeship for life and prizes respect for others, integrity, excellence of effort, as well as a safe, healthy environment. SSC recognizes and values its outstanding volunteers who give freely of their time and expertise. It also celebrates the 63 Olympic medals won by Canadian athletes since 1932, as well as the coaches, officials and other dedicated individuals who helped them on their journey. 

SSC is proud to be affiliated with partners that share the same vision and values including our premium sponsor Intact Insurance, as well as our funding partners, the Government of Canada, Own the Podium, and WinSport Canada.

About Intact Insurance
Intact Insurance is Canada’s largest home, auto and business insurance company, the choice of more than four million consumers. Its coast-to-coast presence and its strong relationship with insurance brokers mean the company can provide the outstanding service, comfort and continuity customers deserve. Intact Insurance (www.intact.ca) is a member company of Intact Financial Corporation (TSX: IFC), the largest provider of property and casualty insurance in Canada (www.intactfc.com). 
 

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For information:

Patrick Godbout

Communications & Media Relations Manager

Speed Skating Canada

Email: pgodbout@speedskating.ca

Phone: (514) 213-9897

Website: www.speedskating.ca  

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SSC.PVC

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SSC_PVC