Dominic Turgeon is frequently reminded about how small the figure skating world seems from his experiences as a skater and coach.
He’s crossed paths with some skaters and coaches from previous connections in different environments many years later. The same fraternity and recognition factor landed him the job as the head coach of the Fuller Lake Skating Club, replacing Shannon McKinlay.
Turgeon, 52, just happened to be in the right place at the right time living in Saltair and wanting to get back into coaching figure skating on a more regular basis.
McKinlay indicated to Turgeon she was going to vacate the position to coach in Duncan. As a result, Fuller Lake didn’t have to advertise for a coach and Turgeon didn’t even need to apply.
He had returned to coaching in Nanaimo when he got the word.
“Shannon hadn’t told people that she was thinking of slowing down a little bit,” Turgeon pointed out. “She got in touch with me on Facebook.”
They went out for coffee and Turgeon took immediate interest in becoming her replacement.
“I had to get my certification back up,” he said. “I had officially retired from skating.”
He’s now leading a staff of eight coaches and is on the ice himself every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Fuller Lake plus Tuesdays and Thursdays in Nanaimo.
“It’s awesome,” Turgeon said. “The board is excellent. The board and the parents, I’m very happy I’m getting to experience this again. At 52, I see this as being my last gig.”
Turgeon was born and raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and became a fixture on the ice from infancy.
“First time I was even on the ice, I was two in an outdoor rink in my uncle’s backyard,” he explained.
With figure skating, “I sort of instantly knew that’s what I wanted to do,” Turgeon added. “I remember pointing to the TV set saying I wanted to do that.”
Ironically, he pointed at figure skating legend Karen Magnussen as inspiration and wound up doing some coaching with her in Vancouver many years later.
Turgeon was a provincial champion in his age group in Saskatchewan at age 11 and, by 13, he hit the road to skate at the North Shore Winter Club, Magnussen’s home club.
At 16, Turgeon spent time in Ontario amid such prestigious skating company as Brian Orser and Tracey Wainman.
“I was a very good skater, but I didn’t compete well,” he noted.
At 19, Turgeon ended his competitive skating career and got into coaching right away.
The plan had been to become a World and Olympic champion and then join a skating show before coaching, but it didn’t quite work out that way.
Turgeon passed an audition for Ice Capades but also sent out some coaching applications while awaiting word on whether he’d been accepted to tour. He didn’t hear from Ice Capades and decided to go ahead with coaching.
“A week later, I heard from Ice Capades and ‘no, I can’t go,’” he recalled telling them.
At that point, Turgeon had already signed a contract with the Calalta Figure Skating Club in Calgary.
He spent 10 years there, but always wanted to get back to B.C.
Turgeon served as head coach of the Valleyview Skating Club in Kamloops for three years and joined longtime friend Eileen Murphy during that time to coach the 1999 Canada Winter Games team from B.C. in Corner Brook, Newfoundland.
“We just had a great time,” said Turgeon.
Murphy offered him a job as an assistant coach with her in Squamish and he accepted.
“She was travelling a lot with her son at the time and needed someone to man the fort when she was gone,” Turgeon indicated.
Turgeon moved to Brittania Beach and spent eight years there, coaching in Whistler as well.
In 2008, he got out of skating altogether and bought a small health club in Squamish that he owned and operated until 2016.
Turgeon wanted to take a year off and moved to Saltair in September of 2017. He became a certified master gardener, but Nanaimo and Fuller Lake opportunities returned skating to the spotlight.
“The rink is a great place to grow up in,” Turgeon emphasized.
“With skating, especially, the kids nowadays they don’t really learn discipline and structure anymore.
“Skating’s a good metaphor for life. You fall down, you get back up again.”
With past coaches like Jan and Nancy Glerup, and McKinlay leaving such a legacy at Fuller Lake, “I’m happy to be part of that alumni to carry on that trend,” Turgeon insisted.