My Skating Career 

 by Margo A. Knowles Wittick

My love of skating started in my back yard when I lived in Timmins, Ontario. We had really cold winters and fantastic ice.

Realizing my interest, my parents put my sister and I in skating lessons at the McIntyre Arena in Schumacher, about a mile north of Timmins. To note, the Arena was a replica of the Maple Leaf Gardens. And we were fortunate, in 1947, to skate on heated ice.

I started out taking group lessons and won my first small competition which made me want to be much better. So, I asked my parents if I could take private lessons which, with their support, I took both winter and summer, having the opportunity to join the McIntyre Summer Skating School. My first professional coach was Hans Gershwiller from Switzerland. At that time, he was known in the skating world being a 1948 Silver Medalist. He did amazing foot work. He was very strict and sometimes I thought, do I really want to do this! But, he gave me a solid base and discipline …. I really thank him for that!

A few years later we were fortunate to have a new coach come and teach at the McIntyre Arena from England, Denis Silverthorne. I took to Denis’ teaching skills and passed my 1st to 6th test in four years.

In 1953, I was awarded the Raeburn Trophy. This trophy was presented to the skater who showed the most progress at the McIntyre Figure Skating Club for that season.

In 1954, I won the Northern Ontario Junior Ladies Championship and, in 1955 won the Senior Dance Championship with my partner, Albert Dwyer.

At age 18, having finished high school in Kapuskasing, Ontario, I acquired a job teaching skating in the small northern town of Marathon. There, I worked as a teller at the Toronto Dominion Bank until 4 pm and then taught figure skating in the evening. I did this for the winter season and then, in the Spring took figure skating lessons at the Stratford Figure Skating Club.

After this, I went back to Kapuskasing and was hired by Spruce Falls Power & Paper Mill to work in their Woods’ office leaving at 4 pm to work as Head Pro at the Kapuskasing Figure Skating Club.

At 21 I was offered a figure skating job at three clubs down South, Belleville, Cobourg and Whitby. This worked out very well, as my sister Jackie was attending the Ontario Ladies College in Whitby, allowing us to visit.

One day I heard the Ice Follies was holding auditions at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto and I decided to try out. Auditioning at the Gardens was exciting in itself and, I was really excited when I made it. So, off to San Francisco I went. After 3 months of learning the new show, skating the last year’s show every night and, constantly being on a diet, I decided not to sign up for the three years. The Ice Follies was an amazing experience as it taught me how to put together skating carnivals. But, at this point, I realized now that my heart was totally into teaching figure skating and putting on carnivals, which the various clubs required.

So, back to Kapuskasing I went where I met my husband David Wittick. Dave was teaching music at the Kapuskasing High School and had a 100 voice choir. I went back to teaching skating and successfully passed my 7th test.

After 5 years and 2 children (1967), we moved to Barrie, Ontario where Dave became the first Head of Music at a new school, Eastview Secondary School.

Once settled, I was fortunately hired to teach skating at both the Barrie & Midland figure skating clubs. In Midland, I taught a very young enthusiastic lad, Brian Orser, who wanted to show you everything he tried. He loved skating. He still to this day calls me, Mrs. Wittick, my first teacher”. Brian has a great career and I am very proud of being a small part of it.

I then went to teach in Elmvale which was most enjoyable. One of my students was Michelle Simpson who moved on to train with Doug Leigh. Both Brian and Michelle have become successful International Olympic Coaches.

After 6 years in Elmvale, I heard of a new arena opening up in Oro called Guthrie Arena. So, I looked into the possibility of starting a new skating club as it would be closer to home. There, I taught power skating and figure skating. Thankfully, the Principal of Guthrie Public School, Harry Hughs, arranged for my students to be bused to the arena.

My life of figure skating has given me considerable fulfillment and enjoyment ….. I would love to do it all over again! You know, I think I could still skate at the age of 84. In fact, I did on February 20th, 2023, Family Day, at the Sadlon Arena in Barrie and loved every minute of it!

Margo A. Knowles Wittick
Horseshoe Highlands
Oro-Medonte, Ontario
February 2023

Memories of the Elmvale Figure Skating Club

Submitted by Margo (Knowles) Wittick
June 2017

In the early seventies I was hired as Club Professional of the Elmvale Figure Skating Club and taught therefor six enjoyable years.

The parents of my students were most supportive and were willing to help on any suggestions.  I found the children a pleasure to teach as they seemed so willing to learn.

With the help of two young ladies who I taught at the Barrie Figure Skating Club, Debbie Chappel and Mary MacPherson we managed to create group lessons were we taught figures (which are now abolished), free skating and dance (the fun part of skating).  We would prepare the students for tests that were judged at the end of the year.  I was so proud of the skaters as they did very well on their tests.

Every year we would put on a skating carnival.  This consisted of picking a theme, deciding who was to do the solos, pairs and group numbers.

A guest skater was invited and one year we were fortunate to get Brian Orser.  My first encounter with Brian was when I taught in the Midland Skating Club.  He was a very enthusiastic young lad who wanted you to watch everything he did and was fun to teach.  I can see him today saying Mrs. Wittick watch my shoot-the-duck.  He certainly has come a long way.  Now I watch him with his students on TV.   Brian was meant to skate and so much determination for the sport.  He accomplished his goal in life with a lot of hard work and dedication.

Back to the carinal, music had to be picked, routines planned and taught to all the skaters.

In my early years with the Ice Follies in San Francisco we would train for the new show every day for the coming season and skate the old shows every night.  This gave me training on how to put a carnival together.

I would design the costumes for each number and the parents costume committee did a wonderful job of making sure every skater had a costume.  This committee made things happen.  I sure could count on them.

Another committee put the backdrop together and supplied the props which was so helpful.

My husband who was a music teacher would help me with the preparing of the music for the show.  We spent a lot of hours getting it just right and putting it on a master tape.

I wrote a script for the announcer and had to find somebody with a sense of humour to announce the different numbers.

Opening night the skaters would be bustling about and I would be running around making sure they got out on time.  They never let us down and we were so proud of them.

When you are teaching you are always rewarded when you find that special person that grasps what you are trying to teach them. I was so fortunate that Michelle Simpson was one of those gals.  She was shy, hardly said two words but I found the major potential in her.  She was like a little sponge that absorbed everything you showed her.  I got her through her preliminary and first figure test and with the support of her parents I called Doug Leigh of the Mariposa School of Skating to come and observe her.  He agreed to take her on as a student.

Should I say the rest is history as Michelle became a great skater and an exceptional coach and life goes on.

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