OTTAWA, ON. Skate Canada is pleased to announce the signing of a sponsorship partnership with HomeSense, one of Canada’s leading home fashion retailers.

‘Skate Canada is extremely pleased to welcome HomeSense as our newest national partner,’ said Pam Coburn, Skate Canada CEO. ‘We hope to see the partnership continue to expand well into the future.’

Among the programs included under the partnership, which takes effect immediately and runs until September 2007, HomeSense will present the Skate Canada STARSkate program and will be the title sponsor of the National STARSkate Championships. In addition, HomeSense will grant athletic scholarships and present both the STARSkate Program Athlete Award and the National Youth Camp.

STARSkate offers opportunities for skaters of all ages in Canada to develop fundamental figure skating skills in the areas of ice dance, skating skills, free skate and interpretive skating. In the 2003-2004 season, a total of 32,143 skaters were registered in the STARSkate program. Unique to Canada, the program teaches figure skating skills in a group and/or private lesson format in a progressive and sequential manner and includes specifically designed awards and incentives. The program has a broad spectrum and appeals to all Canadians of all ages who are interested in progressing through all stages of figure skating.

‘We are delighted to be partnering with such a dynamic organization,’ said Liz MacDonald, Assistant Vice President, Marketing, HomeSense. ‘HomeSense is committed to nurturing the growth and development of young people in Canada. This partnership will allow us to provide support and opportunities for today’s youth.’ Launched in 2001, HomeSense, which is owned by the TJX Companies, Inc., offers Canadians brand name home fashions, accessories and gifts, sourced from around the world, at 20% to 60% lower than regular department or specialty store prices. Currently, HomeSense operates 40 retail stores in Canada.

Since the beginning of October, HomeSense has been conducting the HomeSense STARSkater of the Month contest. Each month from October 2004 to March 2005, 13 STARSkaters, one from each of the 13 Skate Canada sections for a total of 78 skaters, will be selected as the STARSkater of the Month and will receive a $100 HomeSense gift certificate. On November 1st HomeSense will also launch the Skating Spaces contest, in which Skate Canada members can enter themselves and a skating friend to win a $500 HomeSense gift certificate to redecorate their off ice skating space.

‘This partnership is an extremely good match between Skate Canada and HomeSense as HomeSense expands its market into new areas across Canada,’ added Coburn.

HomeSense joins Skate Canada’s national sponsor family, which includes principle partners CTV/TSN, title sponsors BMO Financial Group and MasterCard Canada, as well as Air Canada, Canadian Heritage, Centrum Vitamins, Cover Girl (Procter & Gamble Canada Inc.), Goody Products Inc., Hershey Canada and Roots Canada.

Brenda Gorman
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer
(902) 233-4777

HomeSense:
OverCat Communications
(416) 966-9970
Audrey Hyams Roomoff ext. 222/Ann Cowans ext. 226