'See you next winter': Rideau Canal Skateway closed for the season
The red flag is flying on the Rideau Canal Skateway for the rest of the winter, following the shortest skating season in the 54-year history of the skateway.
With record-breaking warm temperatures in the forecast this week, the National Capital Commission closed the world's largest skating rink on Sunday evening.
"Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the Skateway, and a shout out to our concessions and hard-working crews who made the most of challenging weather conditions," the NCC said on social media.
"See you next winter!"
The Rideau Canal Skateway was open for a total of 10 days this winter, making it the shortest skating season on record – excluding last year when the skateway didn't open at all.
"It honestly sucks," Laura Prieto said Sunday afternoon. "I moved to Ottawa and had skated on the canal before and I was looking forward to that every year and I haven't been able to until now."
"It's kind of sad to be honest. This season is becoming shorter but I hope next year it's going to be longer," Ethan Sung said.
Guylaine Nantel has been a vendor at one of the Rideau Canal Skateway concession stands for 24 years.
"The days we were open, it's been very good. (NCC) has done their max to have this open, they really worked hard at it," Nantel said.
In 2016, the Skateway opened for just 16 days. In 2022, the entire 7.8-kilometre length of the skating rink was open for 41 days.
The NCC opened the skateway on Jan. 21, and closed it again on Jan. 24 due to mild temperatures and freezing rain. Cold temperatures allowed the NCC to reopen the Rideau Canal Skateway on Feb. 18 and 19 for the final days of Winterlude.
With the mild temperatures through the winter, the NCC was only able to open stretches of the Rideau Canal Skateway, mainly between the Pretoria Bridge and Bank Street. The section of the skateway between Waverley Avenue and Pretoria Bridge opened for a few days last week.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Kimberley Fowler, Toula Mazloum and Ted Raymond
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Biden and Harris call the Israeli strike killing Hezbollah’s Nasrallah a 'measure of justice'
The Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah was a 'measure of justice' for victims of a four-decade 'reign of terror,' U.S. President Joe Biden said Saturday.
'I think he needs to go serve a few more meals:' Ottawa Mission CEO fires back at Ford encampment comments
The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.
Why Will Ferrell wanted a doc about his friendship with a trans woman to release before the U.S. election
Will Ferrell said in an interview with Variety that it was important for him to release his documentary, 'Will and Harper,' before the U.S. election so people could have conversations about trans people.
At least 56 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across U.S. southeast
Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 56 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power.
SpaceX launches rescue mission for 2 NASA astronauts who are stuck in space until next year
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
LGBTQ2S+ minister Pascale St-Onge to make history with parental leave
Canadian Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge is set to make history by becoming the first openly lesbian cabinet minister to take parental leave when her wife gives birth in the coming weeks.
They hit it off on vacation but then he went silent. So she decided to pick up the phone
When a few weeks passed and Nana Prempeh still hadn’t heard from the guy she met on vacation, she turned to her friends for advice.
What is open and closed this National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
Sima Sistani, who embraced Ozempic, is out as CEO of WeightWatchers
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.