PIERREFONDS, Que.: For Anika Carruthers, the 2026 Quebec Summer Championships marked the beginning of a new chapter on the ice.
Carruthers teamed with Matthew Roberts of the St. Margaret’s Bay Skating Club for their first competition together in the novice pairs division at the Quebec Summer Championships, held Aug. 6-9 in Pierrefonds, Que.
The event brought together skaters from across Canada and served as the season-opening competition for athletes competing at the pre-novice through senior levels.
Carruthers and Roberts were entered in the novice pairs event, skating both a short program and free program.
For the young pair, however, the weekend was about much more than a placing.
It was their first time competing together, and they had only a couple of months of training as a pairs team before stepping onto the ice in Montreal.
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The competition also provided an opportunity for the pair to gain experience against established novice pairs from several Canadian regions.
The official Quebec Summer Championships entry list included eight novice pairs, with Carruthers and Roberts representing the St. Margaret’s Bay Skating Club.
Carruthers is no stranger to high-level competition.
Earlier this year, she finished second in the juvenile women’s event at the 2026 Atlantic Canadian Skating Championships, representing the Bedford FSC.
The weekend represented an important first step for the Beaver Bank skater and her new partner as they look toward the 2026-27 season.
