Bronsard and Laprise were honoured during this past weekend’s World Short Track Championships in Montreal
MONTREAL, QUEBEC – Stéphane Bronsard and Anick Laprise – the duo at the helm of international short track events in Montreal for the past several decades – were inducted into Speed Skating Canada’s Hall of Fame at last weekend’s ISU World Short Track Championships, the final event of their respective careers.
The pair were surprised with this well-deserved honour during a dinner Saturday evening that brought together representatives from the International Skating Union, Speed Skating Canada and Patinage de vitesse Québec. A sold-out crowd at the Maurice Richard Arena – the first since the World Championships back in 2018 – was on hand the following afternoon to learn the news and congratulate them with a loud ovation.
First established in 1965, over 100 individuals are currently enshrined in the Speed Skating Canada Hall of Fame. Bronsard and Laprise join the likes of administrator Robert Dubreuil, official Jacques Gregoire and coaches Marcel Lacroix and David Gilday as recent inductees in the Builder category, which is defined as a person who has demonstrated meaningful long-term involvement and made exceptional contributions to the development of speed skating in Canada.
Bronsard will be retiring at the end of this season after a 30 year career as an employee of Patinage de vitesse Québec. Over the past 25 years, he was involved in planning more than 30 international events across the province, holding both sport technical and event management roles. He took over leadership of the volunteer organizing committee in Montreal nearly 15 years ago, alongside Laprise.
Stéphane Bronsard“My journey in this sport began in 1978, first as skater for five seasons, then as a coach for 11 years rewarding years. I joined Patinage de vitesse Québec in 1996 and am honoured that this work has led me to be inducted as a builder in Speed Skating Canada’s Hall of Fame. It is with immense pride that I accept this homage.”
A human-resources and event management consultant, Laprise was also taking part in the last international event of her distinguished career this past weekend. Initially hired to help organize the 2006 ISU World Short Track Team Championships in Montreal, she was so well received that she remained involved for 20 years, bringing creativity and positive energy to each subsequent competition she helped deliver.
Anick Laprise“My first mandate came about somewhat by chance, and I accepted all subsequent ones purely for pleasure, simply trying to do my best. Over these 20 years, I have been fortunate to meet passionate people who have enriched every step of this adventure. Receiving such and honour surpasses anything I could have imagined, and I am deeply surprised and touched. I joyfully share this recognition with my friend and colleague, Stéphane Bronsard. And I want to say that, without the exceptional commitment of all the dedicated volunteers, none of this would have been possible. Their presence and devotion make all the difference.”
Over the course of their careers together, Bronsard and Laprise have helped cement Montreal’s position as a hosting powerhouse in the world of short track speed skating, delivering memorable, world-class competitions both on-ice and off-ice for athletes and spectators alike.
Alongside a dedicated organizing committee and hundreds of selfless volunteers, the pair have helped organize five World Championships, two Four Continents Championships, and countless World Cups stops. They also hosted the first-ever ISU Short Track World Tour event, working alongside the ISU to launch this revamped competition circuit ahead of the 2024-25 season.
There were also several hosting challenges along the way, which in recent years included navigating the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and dealing with last-minute event cancellations and relocations.
Bronsard, Laprise and the rest of the local organizing committee stepped up with less than a week’s notice to host a second consecutive World Tour stop in Fall 2024, after the ISU announced the competition could not be hosted in Salt Lake City as planned due to compliance issues with the safety padding at the Utah Olympic Oval.
It was an equally complex situation during the World Short Track Championships in 2022, one of the first amateur sporting events hosted in Montreal following the COVID-19 pandemic. Initially relocated to Europe due to pandemic related entry restrictions into Canada for visiting athletes, the Russian war on Ukraine caused the ISU to reverse course and reallocate the event to Montreal only six weeks out. Once that decision was made, it took an all-hands-on deck approach to successfully pull it off, an accomplishment that led the event to be named International Event of the Year at Sport Tourism Canada’s annual PRESTIGE Awards in 2023.
Bronsard and Laprise have build a tremendous event hosting legacy in Montreal and they will be missed around the rink by their tight-knit family of volunteers.