On December 15, 1956, the sectional structure became effective. The Eastern Canada Section encompassed Eastern Ontario and the Province of Quebec, late 1968 a major restructuring took place; by early 1969 the Eastern Ontario Section (EOS) was formed with A. Roy Haines as its first chair (Judge, Data Specialist, Referee and Minto SC Administrator). EOS was made up from clubs that were previously members of the Eastern Canada and Central Ontario Sections; the boundaries of the Eastern Ontario Section were extended to include Oshawa and Peterborough to the west and Deep River to the North.
Eastern Ontario Section Skating Assocation became incorporated in February 1995, but the name Eastern Ontario Section continues to be used. Today EOS is made up of clubs in Ontario, southeast of a line from Severn Bridge to Point Alexander on the Ottawa River, following the Ontario border along the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario, thence to the eastern boundary of Ajax and north to Atherly and Severn Bridge. The section's clubs (90+) offers a variety of programs to their members (over 10,000) ...Learn to Skate & Recreational programs - CanSkate, CanPowerSkate; Figure Skating - STARSkate, CompetitiveSkate, Skating Development, CollegiateSkate; Adult Skating - AdultSkate; Synchronized Skating: Festival SynchroSkate - the clubs showcase their skaters with Carnivals, Ice Shows, and Exhibitions which are normally held at the end of the skating season. The section hosts competitions, offers seminars, clinics and camps for the skaters as well as training for coaches, judges & officials.


In Canada, what was then called "fancy" skating began to develop a strong following in the 1860s, in part inspired by Haines, who toured eastern and central Canada in 1864. Exhibitions were staged at the opening of new rinks, and gala balls and carnivals were frequently held at the Victoria Rink in Montréal. F. Perkins, of Toronto, was the leading skater of this period and won the Gold Medal of Canada in 1867. That same year, the Montreal Skating Club offered a championship cup for amateurs, "open to the world."

The most important Canadian figure skater in the late 1800s was Louis Rubenstein, who won the unofficial world championship in St Petersburg, Russia, in 1890. He also won the United States amateur title in 1885 and 1889. George Meagher of Montréal won an open competition in 1891 that was claimed as the world championship. Figure skating grew in popularity during the next decades, and in 1903 the Minto prizes were presented by Governor General Lord Minto to encourage the development of skilful performance in figures.

In 1914, figure skating was recognized as a separate sport, distinct from speed skating, with the formation of the Figure Skating Department of Canada as a section of the Amateur Skating Association of Canada. Louis Rubenstein was the first president, and the membership consisted of the Minto Skating Club of Ottawa and the Earl Grey Skating Club of Montréal. In 1939 the department became the Canadian Figure Skating Association, which became autonomous in 1951 with direct affiliation to the International Skating Union.

The Canadian Figure Skating Association (CFSA), the association responsible for amateur figure skating in Canada, is the largest of its kind in the world. From 2 clubs in 1914, it grew to a membership of 360 in 1967 and 1410 in 1986. There were 185 000 skaters registered with affiliated clubs in 1998. The CFSA offers programs for skaters of all ages and skill levels, including CANSKATE (the learn-to-skate program), CANPOWERSKATE and CANPRECISIONSKATE, as well as Test and Competitive programs. Only skaters registered with a CFSA-affiliated club may try official tests. The CFSA also operates courses for amateur and professional coaches. In 2000, the members of the Canadian Figure Skating Association voted to change the name to Skate Canada.

Skate Canada provide standards and rules for the figure skating activities of our members. The Association qualifies and appoints judges, referees and other officials, conducts training seminars for skaters and coaches, provides financial support to national team athletes and disseminates information concerning figure skating to the general public. Skate Canada also promotes the National Coaching Certification Program and organizes free skating and synchronized team skating competitions and the annual Skate Canada International. From time to time Skate Canada also hosts selected ISU skating events.

To make organization and administration easier, Skate Canada is divided into 13 Sections roughly equivalent to the Canadian provinces. The exception is Ontario which is broken down into four Sections because of its size. Yukon Territory is administered by the British Columbia Section and Nunavut and Northwest Territories are administered by the Alberta Section. The chairman of each Section has a seat on Skate Canada's Board of Directors.