The 2022 kilt skate season is shaping up to be a curious hybrid. On the one hand, plans for a community kilt skate have been made in more cities than ever before — 15 so far, including the first-ever community skates planned for Canada’s Maritime provinces..

But as Rabbie Burns might have said, the best laid plans of mice and kilt skaters gang aft agley. The rise of the Omicron virus has forced many organizations to reconsider whether to bring people together. Some organizers have opted to promote the “Home Edition” of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate. It was launched last year in response to the pandemic, but it’s now one of those pandemic innovations that was such a good idea that now it’s here to stay.

One of the first “Home Edition” photos of the new kilt skate season came from Austin, Texas, showing once again how the phenomenon of showing one’s Scottish heritage by skating in tartan has grown beyond Canada’s borders.

In fact, the creation of the “Home Edition” last year led directly to the large increase in the number of community events planned for this year. Many Scots-at-heart discovered kilt skating for the first time in the 2021 Home Edition. From their back yard ice, their local outdoor rinks, and the frozen ponds, rivers and canals they sent photos and video for inclusion in the kilt skate Gallery. Many realized this would be a wonderful way to host a larger mid-winter party, and several approached the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) for guidance on how to join the nation-wide family that has emerged as the Great Canadian Kilt Skate..

But while the SSO was working with these organizations, the Omicron numbers continued to rise. The SSO itself was the first kilt skate partner to announce that, in response to their public health concerns and the province’s and city’s protocols, they would cancel their community event (scheduled for January 8) in favour of promoting a Home Edition kilt skate again this year.

Celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2022, the Scottish Society of Ottawa had big plans for their annual OttScot Festival, but the arrangements for in-person celebrations for Hogman-eh!, Burns Celebration and Ottawa edition of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate all were pivoted in response to the public health protocols. An online version of Hogman-eh! went brilliantly on December 31. The virtual Burns celebration will go live on January 25 on SSO’s Facebook page, YouTube channel, and webpage. The webpage will also post Home Edition photos and videos of this year’s Great Canadian Kilt Skate.

The communities that have informed SSO of their interest in organizing a kilt skate gathering include:

CANADA

• Halifax NS

• Glenaladale PEI

• Moncton NB

• Montreal QB

• South Glengarry ON

• Ottawa ON

• Russell ON

• Toronto ON

• Fergus ON

• Penetang ON

• Winnipeg MB

• Saskatoon SK

• Lethbridge AB

• Calgary AB

USA

• New York NY

For information updates on plans for kilt skates in these communities, check the the Scottish Society of Ottawa website or www.kiltskate.com. So tartan up and send us your photos to #TartanUp, #kiltskate2022, and kiltskatemedia@ottscot.ca.