Professional skater and TikTok star takes first 'twirl' on Uptown rink
Professional figure skater Elladj Baldé laced up his skates Wednesday to give the new holiday rink at Saanich’s Uptown Centre a try.
Baldé was the first Black Canadian male figure skater to join the cast of Stars On Ice. Now, he travels the world to share his talent, athletic ability and passion for the sport of figure skating.
He says by showing his skills in public places, like the rink at Uptown, he hopes to inspire others to put on a pair of skates.
“It was hard for me to fit into a mold that didn’t feel like myself,” said Baldé. “Growing up, I didn’t have a lot of representation in the sport and so part of what I do is to be the representation for the next generation of Black, Indigenous and people of colour to see that they can be part of the sport.”
With more than 1.5 million followers on his TikTok and Instagram accounts, Baldé says he has a massive platform to share his message to encourage young people to try figure skating.
“I’ve always loved sharing my art and my passion with people when I performed for audiences,” said Baldé. “Now, it feels like I can do that on a whole other level because I’ve been given this platform to continue to share what I do and inspire others to pick up a pair of skates and believe they can be part of the sport.”
The rink at Uptown is just one of the holiday-themed activities the Saanich shopping centre has in store for its shoppers.
At almost 16 metres in height, a Christmas tree with thousands of lights towers over the square. Illuminated igloo-like domes line Uptown Boulevard offering a cozy place to warm up after shopping or skating on the more than 18-metre synthetic rink.
The cost to skate on the holiday-themed rink is $5 and Uptown is donating half of the admission fee to Victoria’s 1-Up Single Parent Resource Centre.
“We chose the single parent resource centre as our charity because we feel they do amazing work,” said Uptown General Manager Kristy Lowes. “They’re such an instrumental part to helping so many people by gathering donations and we wanted to do something nice for them to give back.”
The rink opens to skaters on Dec. 7 and will stay open until March 2022. For information on the rink visit the Uptown website.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW From yearning for a change to cost of living, why some Canadians have left or may leave the country
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.