Patricia Jackson is the first to admit she was never much of a figure skater.
ìThe only time I did figure skating was for a clown act that we put on for the ice show. I had never worn figure skates before,î said Jackson. ìThose picks just really made me clown up.î
But she adored the sport's artistry and beauty, and this propelled her to action to share her love of the sport with the community. With the help of others Jackson was instrumental in forming the Innisfail Skating Club in 1964. She became the club's first president.
Last Saturday she was one of hundreds at the Innisfail Arena who came to celebrate the club's 50th Anniversary Ice Show. She marvelled at the fact that when the club began there was just six skaters. Today the club has a membership of around 120.
Not only was Jackson thrilled to see how far the club has come over the past half-century, she watched her granddaughter Kennedy Jackson skate to Hunger Games in the show.
ìIt makes me feel proud that Innisfail has supported the club all the way through these years, as well as all the people who have worked diligently to help the children to skate, have costumes, and getting up early in the morning and going through all those exercises,î said Jackson. ìI just think the kids, the boys and the girls, are doing a wonderful job.î
The afternoon ice show featured 22 performances, with the music representing the distinctive styles in each decade over the past 50 years.
And while Jackson was an honoured symbol of the past for the 50th anniversary celebration, Mary Mountain, one of its first skaters and later a coach in the 1970s, also attended to salute the hard work and sacrifice of citizens who helped make the club a success.
ìIt is wonderful to see all the adults in the crowd, some of whom I coached and some I tested, but they are adults now,î said Mountain. ìI liked the size of it when we started. There was barely 2,500 people in town but that is when you had such good participation from the moms. They were the go-getters. They were the ones that got us going because it was such a tiny place and it was all new.î
Linda Pare, the club's current president, said while the annual season-ending ice show at the arena is always an important event for the club, this year was extra special ñ not only because it was the 50th anniversary but because organizers seized the opportunity to show the community how much the club has served young athletes and benefited the community year in and year out.
ìIt is very special. It is amazing. Through the years there has been thousands and thousands of skaters since we started in 1964,î said Pare. ìIt is so good for all the people to come together and have all the skaters over the years show up.î
