Rubenstein, Louis National Historic Person
Montréal, Quebec
Louis Rubenstein, Montréal, 1893
(© Wm. Notman & Son / Musée McCord Museum / II-99947)
Address :
2070 Peel Street, Montréal, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2014-11-12
Life Date:
1861 to 1931
Other Name(s):
-
Rubenstein, Louis
(Designation Name)
Importance:
A pioneer in the sport of “fancy” or figure skating and Canada’s first world champion in the sport.
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 2070 Peel Street, Montréal, Quebec
Rubenstein led the early development of figure skating, cycling, bowling, and other amateur sports in Canada. Born in Montréal to Polish-Jewish immigrants, he and his brothers joined the Victoria Skating Club. He had already won several Canadian and American titles by 1890, when he took gold at the first international figure-skating competition, held in St. Petersburg, Russia. He later led sports organizations, including the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association, and was the long-time president of the Young Men’s Hebrew Association of Montreal. From 1914 to 1931, he was a prominent alderman in the city.