The NCC's secret weapon to get the Rideau Canal Skateway open

An early winter thaw has put a damper on the start of the Rideau Canal Skateway season in Ottawa but the National Capital Commission (NCC) is turning to a new secret weapon to combat milder temperatures: the slush cannon.

"The ultimate objective is to see how we could extend the Skateway season," says Bruce Devine, senior manager of facilities and programs at the NCC.

The slush cannon works by shooting freezing cold slush onto the surface of the canal, helping to build up a thicker layer of ice. The Rideau Canal needs at least 30 cm of ice thickness before it's ready for skaters, which means the Skateway is still at least a couple of weeks from opening.

The Rideau Canal Skateway is a major attraction for Ottawa's winter season, with people coming from all over Canada to skate on the largest skating rink in the world, but it is dependent on the weather.

"When Mother Nature cooperates, and when the Skateway opens, we're very lucky geographically to be close to large population centers like Toronto and Montreal," says Jantine Van Kregten, Ottawa Tourism’s communications director. "So that works in our favor. And we hope that that comes very, very soon."

Carleton University is monitoring the slush cannon pilot project, and early results show it is helping.

"We did some testing last December for three nights and the early results look promising," says Devine.

Over the past five years, the canal has typically opened in mid-January, and with temperatures set to drop soon, the NCC expects this year to be no different.

"We're not panicking," says Devine. "It looks like in a week or so it's starting to drop, so maybe a good window for us to start preparing ourselves to build the ice."

The slush cannon is used during late night hours as part of the efforts to freeze the world's largest skating rink.