Barbara Ann Scott, Queen of the Ice, was the subject of the Historical Society of Ottawa’s first Zoom presentation of 2026, which was held on the evening of January 14, 2026. We were joined that evening by Ryan Stevens, an award-winning author and noted figure skating historian. Ryan runs the Skate Guard Blog, has written for a number of leading skating magazines and his expertise are sought out by both journalists and museums. Ryan is the author of a number of books, including: Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice .
Ryan gave us a wonderful account of Barbara Ann’s life and her many accomplishments.
Barbara Ann was born on May 9, 1927, in Ottawa, the daughter of Clyde Rutherford Scott and Mary (née Purves). She asked Santa Claus for her first pair of skates when she was 3. Receiving a pair of double runner skates, not what she was hoping for, she begged for real skates, and on getting them, loved them so much that she took them to bed with her.
She began her formal skating at the Minto Skating Club on Waller Street, under the guidance of Melville Rogers, himself an Olympic skater and Otto Gold, a Czechoslovakian coach.Ryan gave us a quick timeline of her early career: 1939 - youngest skater at the Minto Skating Club to pass the Canadian First Class test; 1940 – Canadian Junior Ladies Champion; 1941 – Canadian Senior Ladies Silver Medalist; 1944 – Canadian Senior Ladies Champion; 1945 - North American Champion; 1947 was her breakthrough year internationally.
Barbara Ann won the European Championship in 1947. She followed this soon after by winning the World Championship in Stockholm. The competition was held on outdoor ice, a disadvantage for Canadians who did most of their training indoors. It was the first World Championship after the Second World War and Barbara Ann was the first North American skater to win the World Championship. She was welcomed by a huge crowd on her return to Ottawa, was the first skater honoured by the House of Commons and was presented with a canary yellow Buick convertible, with the license “47-U-1”, by the City of Ottawa. Barbara Ann had to return the car to retain her amateur status and so be eligible for the 1948 Olympics.
In 1948, Barbara Ann became the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in any sport.She was “Canada’s Sweetheart”, adored by the nation. On her return to Ottawa her train was met by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Mayor Stanley Lewis. Over 150,000 well-wishers, about 2/3 the population of the city, packed her parade route. She had also had tea with Princess Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace and would later meet President Truman in the White House. She got her car back, this time licensed “48-U-1”.
Ryan explained that this fame came with a dark side.She was in the papers almost daily, rumours were reported as fact, nothing getting in the way of a good story. Unbelievable today, her address and phone number were published in the newspaper, leading to stalking incidents and police assistance being required.Barbara Ann had no manager or media training. She and her mother were left to the wolves.
Following her Olympic victory, Barbara Ann turned professional, making her debut in December 1948. A charitable organization had been set up as her employer and a large portion of her earnings went to the St. Lawrence Foundation for Crippled Children. Later she led the Skating Sensations of 1950 tour that played across Canada, not only in the major cities but in many small towns that had never experienced such a performance.
There was, of course, merchandizing associated with Barbara Ann. The most famous of these was the Barbara Ann Scott doll, produced by the Reliable Toy Company between 1948 and 1955. Each year featured a different skating costume, shoes as well as skates, and a letter from Barbara Ann. They quickly became collector’s items.
She retired from skating in 1955, married Tommy King, a retired basketball player & businessman, and moved to Chicago. She was a torch bearer at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, marking the 40thanniversary of her Gold Medal performance. She also participated in the ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She continued her life-long association with figure skating, frequently serving as a judge and always encouraging younger skaters. She was also an experienced equestrian. Barbara Ann died on September 30, 2012 at age 84, having received many honours including being a member of the Order of Canada.
Ryan’s presentation, which includes film clips of Barbara Ann skating, can be viewed on our YouTube channel. The presentation was followed by many interesting questions and personal memories that are well worth hearing.
