They’ve heard it all before.
Winterlude becomes ‘waterlude’ as a blast of warm weather takes its toll on the annual winter festival.
Following record warm weather earlier this week, the NCC has announced the Rideau Canal skateway will remain closed all this weekend. And some snow and ice sculptures are a little worse for wear.
But the show, as they say, must go on.
Winterlude activities that were slated for the canal will be moved to City Hall, including the annual bed races, the Sens Alumni shinny hockey game, and the Giant Tiger Zone.
As for those ice carvings, many were covered with tarps and insulation during the day to slow the melting process. And ice carvers are constantly making new ones throughout the course of the festival.
As of Friday, all activities at Confederation Park were a go for the weekend, including ice carving competitions and the outdoor concert series. The Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques Cartier Park in Gatineau is also expected to be open, with at least some of the ice slides in operation.
Temperatures on the weekend are expected to be warmer than average but not record warm, which could actually encourage more people to come out than in the past few years. “It it's minus 40 you'll shorten the period of time you're outside, says Winterlude spokesperson Katherine Cyr. “Now it's a bit warmer so it's good for attendance."
Organizers encourage you to check the Winterlude website before you head out to see what is closed, relocated or rescheduled.
