(May 23, 2007)

Barbara Ann Scott cuts ribbon in the presence of Skate Canada President Benoît Lavoie and Skate Canada CEO William Thompson

Officially named the Barbara Ann Scott building at the 2006 BMO Financial Group Canadian Championships held in Ottawa, Skate Canada’s national office received the special visit of Barbara Ann Scott this morning for the special dedication of the building.

“What a special day this is for me being here in Ottawa and at Skate Canada,” said Scott.

Close to a hundred friends, special guests and fans gathered outside the Barbara Ann Scott building on 865 Shefford Road for the ceremony where Barbara Ann Scott’s contribution to figure skating was remembered and celebrated.

“We are so lucky to have people like Barbara Ann Scott as part of our history and she means so much to figure skating in Canada,” said Skate Canada’s President Benoît Lavoie. “In spite of all the world acclaim and attention she has received throughout her career, Barbara Ann has never forgotten her roots. She is an ardent supporter of Skate Canada and is a proud Canadian citizen.”

Here are some pictures of this morning’s ceremony:

Barbara Ann Scott and her husband Tom King		Benoît Lavoie, Barbara Ann Scott, and William Thompson
Barbara Ann Scott and Abe Renaud, member of the 1948 RCAF Flyers hockey team, which won the gold medal at the 1948 Olympic Games in St. Moritz, where Barbara Ann Scott was crowned Olympic champion. Abe and his teammate Pete Leichnitz lifted Barbara Ann Scott on their shoulders at the 1948 Olympic Games, which created the famous picture in the background
Barbara Ann Scott and Canadian Olympic Committee President Michael Chambers		RCMP officer Réjean Ouellette, Skate Canada President Benoît Lavoie, Skate Canada CEO William Thompson, Skate Canada Director of Marketing and Sponsorship and Olympic medallist Debbi Wilkes, and Barbara Ann Scott
Barbara Ann Scott met with Skate Canada staff members

Barbara Ann Scott will be in Montreal tomorrow for the opening of Skate Canada’s Annual Convention and General Meeting. She will be back in Ottawa Saturday for a special ceremony at which she will donate her father’s Silver Cross to Foot Guards medal to his former regiment, now the Governor General’s Foot Guards. The medal will be displayed at the Cartier Square Drill Hall’s military museum. Barbara Ann Scott’s father, Clyde Rutherford Scott, was wounded at the First World War battle at Ypres in 1915 and was believed to have died, when in fact he was injured and taken prisoner of war. He returned to Canada and had a successful career with the Department of National Defence. He died in 1942 when he was 49-years-old.

Click here for a summary of Canada’s sweetheart’s life, Barbara Ann Scott.