NANA SAYS LEARINING TO SKATE IS A CANADIAN TRADITION

Remembering my childhood when I learnt to skate on a little patch of ice on a driveway at a local school around 3 years of age, watching my grandchildren acquiring the skill is a happy moment. The important aspect  is balance which means the little one can stand on the skates. Skating is such a Canadian thing to do! Not everyone will become a hockey player-although street hockey and fun games occur everywhere- or a figure skater, it is a fun activity for all the family. Indoor and outdoor rinks are scattered across the country along with ponds and river surfaces. The Rideau Canal in Ottawa is the famous one. Locally we have the Mill Pond which freezes over in the winter attracting children of all ages. Since one of the grown children have a rink in the backyard, maybe even this old kid will don skates again and have a go!!