Mild January keeping Rideau Canal Skateway closed
January’s mild weather has the Rideau Canal Skateway on thin ice.
If you mention the word ‘winter,’ and ‘Ottawa,’ in the same sentence, many will instantly think of skating on the Rideau Canal.
“It’s tradition,” says Reuben Hofmann, who is visiting his family in Ottawa from Quebec City.
He spent Tuesday afternoon skating on the rink at Landsdowne Park, along with his brother John Hofmann, who is visiting from Georgia.
“If it was open, I would definitely be on the canal,” said John. “Just the history of it, the uniqueness of it, the ‘Ottawaness’ of it.”
While the brothers could see the canal from Landsdowne, they couldn’t skate on it. The red flag is up, and the NCC reminding everyone to not venture out on the ice.
“Our teams continue their work to build the thickness of the ice and waiting for it to crystallize properly,” an NCC spokesperson said in a statement to CTV News.
“The Skateway opens to the public once the surface is at least 30 centimetres thick with good quality ice. For that to happen, we need 10 to 14 days of consecutive cold weather.”
The latest opening day for the world’s largest skating rink was Feb. 2, 2002, during the 2001-2002 skating season. With a week left in January, that date is coming up fast.
Last season, the Skateway opened on Jan. 14, 2022.
The first in-person Winterlude in three years begins on Feb 3. While the canal is the star attraction, Steve Ball, president of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, says there's still lots to do if the Skateway is closed.
“From a tourism perspective, in February, Winterlude is it and that’s why it’s important that we promote the fact that if we have a warmer than normal winter, the canal may or may not be open, but here’s a whack of activities that you can still do,” said Ball.
--With files from CTV's Michael Woods.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Bouchard lifts Edmonton Oilers to 4-3 overtime win over Canucks in Game 2
Evan Bouchard scored 5:38 into overtime and the Edmonton Oilers bounced back for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs on Friday.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.