Figure skaters celebrate 70 years
Night of surprises, colourful performances at the Peterborough Figure Skating Club’s 70th anniversary gala show.
Sentimental Journey was more than just the name of the song Arlene Deck chose to skate to at the Peterborough Figure Skating Club’s 70th anniversary gala ice show.
As the 80-year-old moved around the Memorial Centre ice in front of about 700 spectators Friday night, every stride brought back a memory. She was 11 when her parents Ernie and Ruth Ferguson founded the club.
“It’s very overwhelming,” said Deck, choking back the emotion. “To think that the beginning was in the curling rink that was so small and for it to grow to what it is today is just wonderful.”
She was one of several original PFSC members to be honoured in a red carpet ceremony prior to the show. She was joined by her brothers Ernie Ferguson Jr. and Wayne Ferguson, 92-year-old Lillian Crocker and Carol Gibson. Also in attendance were Jack and Joan Martin.
Asked what she thought her parents would think of the club celebrating 70 years, Deck said: “They would be thrilled. That’s one of the reasons I skated tonight, to honour them.”
“This is wonderful, just wonderful,” Crocker said. “I just wished everybody who started this was here tonight to be with us.”
She’s proud to see the club still going strong from the modest beginnings on the Trent canal before moving indoors to the former Peterborough Curling Club on Charlotte St.
“They had trouble with watering the pebbles so they asked if they could get some skaters to come in and skate so it could wear the ice down,” Crocker said. “That’s how it all got started.”
Gibson was 12 that first year and remembers their first carnival being held on the outdoor rink at Quaker Park. Many years later her granddaughter Kylie Gibson skated for the club.
“It’s wonderful they’re still continuing with their figure skating. We were proud to be a member when we were kids,” Gibson said. “We had a lot of enjoyment out of it.”
In addition to PFSC skaters the gala featured three special guests including a surprise performance from former Olympian Gary Beacom as well as professional skater Violetta Afanasieva and Canadian national junior champion Aurora Cotop.
Afanasieva, well known for her role in the CBC-TV hit Battle of
the Blades, is married to skating partner Peter Dack who got his start at PFSC. It was her first performance in 18 months and since the birth of their eightmonth-old son Trystan.
“To come back to such a loving crowd really helped,” said Afanasieva, who was called out for a curtain call after a rousing skate.
“This is a special show I prepared three months for. I wanted to do my best just knowing it was important to Peter and his family and to everyone we know. It’s like skating with a big family. This is one of the very touching shows I’ve ever done. The 70th anniversary is an amazing run for the club and I congratulate them.”
PFSC president Tara Paul said it was a real treat to have Beacom volunteer to skate after hearing through Donald Jackson the club was celebrating its anniversary. Jackson, a former world champion, will be guest speaker at the PFSC’s anniversary open house 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Peterborough Navy Club.
“Gary said he’d like to come and do the show for free so there was no cost to our club which is amazing,” Paul said. She said it was a special night. “Our original print was 450 tickets and they were gone by Tuesday so it’s a lot more than we expected,” Paul said. “This is probably double, maybe triple our last carnival.”