Skate Canada’s shunning of Alberta sets a precedent for other sports groups

Premier Danielle Smith’s outrage shows why the sporting organization’s decision is such a big deal

Skate Canada has announced that it will no longer hold major events in Alberta due to the province’s anti-trans legislation, setting a large precedent going forward for other sporting organizations. 

In late 2025, the national governing body of competitive figure skating in Canada announced that it will no longer hold major events in Alberta following the enactment of the province’s Fairness and Safety in Sport Act, which permits only athletes assigned female at birth to compete in women’s sports.

“Skate Canada has determined that we are unable to host events in the province while maintaining our national standards for safe and inclusive sport,” the organization said in a mid-December statement

Skate Canada actually has a long history of being queer- and trans-inclusive. Back in 2022, it changed its competitive definition of “team” to refer to “two skaters” as opposed to a man and a woman. The organization also allows trans skaters to compete in their chosen gender category, and skaters are not required to disclose if they are trans. 

Alberta premier Danielle Smith—the lead booster of her province’s anti-trans policies—was predictably unhappy with the move, calling it “disgraceful” and demanding that Skate Canada apologize. 

We break down why this sets a precedent, from local sports organizations all the way to the Olympics.

Cody Corrall is Xtra's Social Video Producer. Their work has appeared in BuzzFeed News, TechCrunch, the Chicago Reader, CINE-FILE, Thrillist, Paste Magazine, and other places on the world wide web. He lives in Chicago and speaks English.

Senior editor Mel Woods is an English-speaking Vancouver-based writer, editor and audio producer and a former associate editor with HuffPost Canada. A proud prairie queer and ranch dressing expert, their work has also appeared in Vice, Slate, the Tyee, the CBC, the Globe and Mail and the Walrus.

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