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Louis Rubenstein (September 23, 1861, in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
– January 3, 1931) was a Canadian
figure skater Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the 1908 Olympics in London. The Olympic d ...
, sportsman and politician. Rubenstein is considered the "Father of Canadian Figure Skating." After retirement from skating in 1892, Rubenstein became involved in the sports of bowling, curling, and cycling. He was elected president of the Canadian Bowling Association in 1895, president of the International Skating Union of America in 1909. He was alderman in St. Louis ward in Montreal from 1916 until 1931.


Biography

Rubenstein was born and raised in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
, Canada East. His parents were
Polish Jews The history of the Jews in Poland dates back at least 1,000 years. For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jews, Jewish community in the world. Poland was a principal center of Jewish culture, because of the long pe ...
who had fled Russian rule. He was coached by
Jackson Haines Jackson Haines (1838–1875) was an American figure skater and roller skater who is regarded as the father of modern figure skating.World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships are an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union (ISU). The first World Championships were held in 1896 in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and they have been held e ...
, in St. Petersburg, Russia. Although being subject of a great deal of antisemitism there, he won the
gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have b ...
. He is the only skater from North American known to have competed at a major European competition before
World War 1 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
other than the
1908 Olympics The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were originally schedu ...
, due to the time and money traveling required at the time. Rubenstein helped organize the
Amateur Skating Association of Canada Skate Canada (Canadian French: ''Patinage Canada'', lit. "Skating Canada") is the national governing body for figure skating in Canada, recognized by the International Skating Union and the Canadian Olympic Committee. It organizes the annual C ...
, now known as Skate Canada. He served as the organization's president from its foundation until 1930. He was President of the International Skating Union of America 1907–09, President of the Canadian Wheelmen's Association for 18 years, and President of the Montréal Amateur Athletic Association 1913–15. Rubenstein was inducted into the
International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (IJSHOF) () is the international hall of fame for Jewish athletes and special contributors to the world of sport. The purpose of the IJSHOF is to honor Jewish individuals, worldwide, who have accompli ...
in 1981 and the
World Figure Skating Hall of Fame The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame serves as a repository for the sport of figure skating. The World Figure Skating Hall of Fame is where the greatest names in the history of the sport are honored. It is located at the Broadmoor Resort in Co ...
in 1984. There is a memorial water fountain dedicated to Rubenstein in
Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...
at Parc Jeanne-Mance at the corner of
Park Avenue Park Avenue is a boulevard in New York City that carries north and southbound traffic in the borough (New York City), boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the wes ...
and
Mount Royal Avenue Mount Royal Avenue (officially in ), once named Tannery Road (), is a street in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The main part of the street transects the borough of Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, from Park Avenue at the foot of Mount Royal, for which the road ...
s. Rubenstein served as a Montreal
alderman An alderman is a member of a Municipal government, municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denotin ...
for 17 years. In 2016, he was named a
National Historic Person Persons of National Historic Significance (National Historic People) () are people designated by the Canadian government as being nationally significant in the history of the country. Designations are made by the Minister of the Environment on the ...
.Louis Rubenstein (1861-1931), Parks Canada backgrounder, Feb. 15, 2016
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See also

* List of select Jewish figure skaters *
Victoria Skating Rink The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor ice skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Opened in 1862, it was described at the start of the twentieth century to be "one of the finest covered rinks in the world". The building was used du ...


Notes


References

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External links


Jewish Sports bioCanadian Encyclopedia bioJews in Sports bio"Louis Rubenstein's story recounted on film," The Canadian Jewish News, 6/3/04
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rubenstein, Louis 1861 births 1931 deaths Canadian male single skaters Figure skaters from Montreal Jewish Canadian politicians Montreal city councillors Jewish Canadian sportspeople Canadian people of Polish-Jewish descent Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)