Does Canada’s citizenship test require that you “ski a black run, gallop a horse, catch a fish, drive a tractor, skate in a hockey match and chop down a cedar?”

Uh, no.

But as Jo Ollive writes in a recent Globe & Mail essay entitled “New to Canada and determined to skate,” learning to skate can be a rite of passage for many newcomers to this country.

Ollive, an expat who relocated from England to British Columbia, decided that skating should be part of her immigrant experience, too. Describing her learn-to-skate lessons, she writes, “Only one of member of my class was made in Canada. Apparently, you were all born with skates attached.”

If you weren’t born attached to your own personal pair of skates, here’s where you can get started with Canada’s national winter pastime:

In Vancouver: Vancouver Park Board

In Toronto: Toronto/East York, North York District, Scarborough District, Etobicoke York

In Ottawa: City of Ottawa Recreational Skating School

In Montreal: Club de patinage artistique de Lachine

In Calgary: City of Calgary Recreation

In Edmonton: City of Edmonton arenas

In Quebec City: Indoor rinks and outdoor rinks

Search for “<town name>” and “skating lessons” to find more learn-to-skate opportunities in your new Canadian community.

Photo ©Carolyn B. Heller