Lucille Lisowski grew up on ice, and shared that love with her students through the Barrhead Figure Skating Club (BFSC).
Lisowski started her skating career in Saskatchewan, and later moved with her family to British Columbia, where she could skate year-round.
“I think I probably started when I was four or five,” Lisowski said, adding that it was in Nelson BC that she began skating in summer schools.
“Skating was a big deal,” she said.
In 1955 her family moved back to Saskatchewan where Lisowski finished her high school education, and auditioned for the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I had tried out for the Ice Capades, and I had gotten in… but my parents wouldn’t let me go because I had to get an education first,” she said.
The Ice Capades was something that seemed to draw Lisowski, and was hard to turn down.
“It was exciting because they went to Europe once every two years, and it was going to be great,” Lisowski said. “My mother convinced me to teach instead and save my money and go on my own.”
Lisowski began teaching while in college, from 1959 to 1962, and moved to Alberta with her parents and continued her teaching career in Edmonton.
“For some reason I put an application in for Barrhead,” Lisowski said, adding that she accepted the position as a skating instructor.
“Barrhead had just a great group of people, they were just out for looking after the kids,” she said.
In 1965 Lisowski recommended that the BFSC join the Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA), so that her students could take the required testing.
“That’s the time when I had taught there maybe a couple of years… and then they are suddenly ready to take tests and we didn’t belong to the CFSA, and it’s sort of a must, so we went through that and we joined,” Lisowski said.
Lisowski spent her Friday nights teaching in Barrhead, and was billeted by families involved with the club.
“I taught there Friday nights, and they would billet me out so I was always staying with different people,” Lisowski said.
Saturday mornings were dedicated to the ice, with several hours spent teaching.
“I think we used to skate from seven until noon, we had a lot of kids and a lot of things ongoing,” Lisowski said.
It was shortly before their skating testing that Lisowski recommended the students enroll in a summer skating program in Edmonton.
“I said, they have to start coming to summer school or they are never going to pass their test,” Lisowski said, adding that the parents were against sending their kids into the city.
“I explained how many hours you put on in the summer,” Lisowski said, adding those full days provide the students with approximately five hours a day of ice time.
After consideration, the club decided the best solution was to start their own spring program.
“That was the greatest formula there was, because the kids really polished up for their tests and they passed their tests,” Lisowski said.
Being a part of the BFSC provided an opportunity for Lisowski to meet those living in the area, one of the largest impacts the club has had on her life.
“I just met so many good people, it was a very good experience,” she said.
In the 1980’s Lisowski resigned from her teaching position in Barrhead and began working full-time in Edmonton, but still thought about her students from the area often.
Seeing the club reach 50 years is an accomplishment that Lisowski is happy to celebrate, she said, adding that the carnival and alumni banquet will allow her to see them all again.
“I have often thought about them and wondered about this one and I wondered about that one, but you never do see them because they are in Edmonton or they are in Barrhead,” Lisowski said.
Students learn valuable skills not only in relation to skating when they are a part of a skating club, Lisowski said.
“There is so much for kids to learn with figure skating, you learn discipline, you learn heartache, and you learn everything. There are hard-knocks and there are good-knocks,” Lisowski said, “I don’t think you will find a figure skater who is not a strong person.”
It’s the community as a whole that benefits from having clubs available for youth, Lisowski added.
“This is a physical activity and it is an organized sport, it’s very organized and very competitive,” she said.
The CFSA is recognizing the BFSC for reaching the 50 year milestone, and on March 21, the club will be hosting their yearly carnival, where all are welcome to join the celebration.
