Seven-year-old girl embraces new home in Kingston, Ont. by teaching herself to skate

Even with tight restrictions, many parents and kids are looking for ways to get out and active during the holiday break.

For Ceily MacDuffy, that’s the time she’s taking to learn the new skill of skating.

The seven-year-old is teaching herself at Springer Market Square, where she’s been almost every day for two weeks, since school let out.

It may be one of her first times on the blades, but still, she says it’s a thrill.

“I just kind of like falling down? I don’t know why,” she says in an interview with CTV News Ottawa.

“I push off and for a second I’m just standing… I’m not moving but I’m moving at the same time. It has a nice feeling about it.”

Her diligent dad Allen MacDuffy brings her every day and can be found taking it all in from the sidelines. He says the family is spending their first winter in Canada, after moving here from Pennsylvania earlier this year.

He says COVID-19 has meant not returning to the United States for Christmas, and with case counts keeping many things closed, bringing his daughter here has been important to him.

“We want to fill the time and make new kinds of memories,” he says. “Do things that she’ll remember, as a way to kind of counteract some of the isolation and all the things that are going on.”

To meet Ontario’s COVID-19 guidelines, only 25 people are allowed on the rink at any one time. The gear that is needed is not just skates and helmets. You need to bring a mask, too.

People can only skate for 15 minutes at a time, and that means skaters must line up and wait their turn.

But Ceily says that’s all part of the fun.

“When I’m standing in the line I see people go by with cool tricks and I’m like, ‘When I get on the ice I’m going to try that,’” she says. “Sometimes I succeed but usually not.”

Dad says he’s happy that she wants her to embrace her new home.

“She’s got such a good attitude,” he says. “She keeps falling and getting back up and never complaining. It’s really nice to see.”