Canadian skating legends Kurt Browning, Elvis Stojko and Kaetlyn Osmond are among those anticipating that live sports and entertainment, with spectators, will return by the fall.
Stars on Ice, the skate revue featuring Winter Olympics and world championship medallists, announced it will perform its annual show at Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre on Oct. 26.
鈥淚鈥檓 extremely excited. I鈥檝e really missed performing,鈥� said Osmond, by phone from Edmonton.
鈥淭his announcement feels like it鈥檚 a positive outlook for the future. It鈥檚 a sigh of relief.鈥�
The Olympic gold, silver and bronze medallist from Pyeongchang 2018 and Sochi 2014 has had 鈥渧ery little ice time鈥� the past year. With most gyms also closed, she took up running for the first time in her life. The 2018 world singles champion is eager to return to the ice and listed the Island among her favourite places to skate on tour.
鈥淲e always get such a great crowd in Victoria and it is very knowledgeable and reactive,鈥� said the 25-year-old native of Marystown, Newfoundland.
The tour is in its 34th year. Victoria has been a regular stop since the Memorial Centre opened in 2005. The Island performance is usually held in May. The 2020 tour was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The 12-city 2021 tour begins Oct. 8 in Halifax and will hit Ottawa, Laval, Que., Toronto, Hamilton, London, Ont., Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria before concluding Oct. 26 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.
The new production will be titled Journey and will be an 鈥渙n-ice visual exploration of the myriad of feelings experienced over the past year,鈥� said the tour, in a statement.
鈥淓veryone has had a journey through this pandemic, to say the least,鈥� said Osmond.
鈥淏ut everyone鈥檚 journey has been different. I鈥檓 interested to see how the [choreographers] reflect in the show on how we can all come together after this.鈥�
The cast will include Osmond, two-time Olympic silver-medallist and three-time world champion Stojko, four-time world-champion Browning, Olympic gold, silver and bronze-medallist Meagan Duhamel, Olympic bronze-medallist and world champion Jeffrey Buttle, Olympic silver-medallist Dylan Moscovitch, Olympians and three-time world medallists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny.
Tickets go on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. at www.starsonice.ca and www.selectyourtickets.com.