Winterlude's outdoor activities resume today after an extremely cold start to the festival
Winterlude's outdoor winter attractions opened to the public on Saturday, one day after the extreme cold weather forced the cancellation of all outdoor activities on the opening day of the winter festival.
Hundreds of people packed Winterlude sites in Ottawa and Gatineau for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I got to do the obstacle courses, snow tubing, paint my face," said Claudia while at Jacques-Cartier Park.
"Maple taffy, got to have it every time we come here," said another person.
The Winterlude National Ice-Carving Championship kicked off on Sparks Street at 10 a.m., while the Snowflake Kingdom and all activities in Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau at 12 p.m.
Winterlude returns to Ottawa and Gatineau this weekend for the first time in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the festival got off to a cold start, with temperatures of -27 C forcing organizers to close the Snowflake Kingdom and postpone all outdoor events on Friday.
Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA's CFRA Live with Andrew Pinsent on Saturday morning, Canadian Heritage spokesperson Melanie Brault said cancelling outdoor events on Friday was a difficult decision.
"We had to make some pretty tough decisions yesterday but I think, in the end, it's really about health and safety," Brault said.
The ice-carving will go from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and continue Sunday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
With events resuming Saturday, Brault reminded visitors that there are ways to stay warm.
"We have a huge refuge (at Snowflake Kingdom), like a heated, huge space, so families can take breaks in there throughout the day whenever they come to visit us at Jacques Cartier Park," she said.
Besides the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park and the ice sculptures on Sparks Street, you are also invited to the free tours of the RCMP Musical Ride Stables on Saturday, the interactive light features in the ByWard Market, Snowphy Trophy in the Glebe and activities at the Canadian Museum of History and the National Arts Centre.
"We didn't know it was going to be this cold," said a woman on Sparks Street. "It's been fun. We've never been to Ottawa before."
"It's cold for the first half hour, and you get used to it," said another man.
Brault says Canadian Heritage is hoping Mother Nature will co-operate for the opening weekend.
"By Sunday, the weather is going to be so much better. Come on down to Sparks Street, you can see live carving," Brault said. "There will be 13 duos that will be carving for 20 hours, and the theme this year is Creatures of the Sea."
The Rideau Canal Skateway remains closed, and the National Capital Commission has said it will not open for the opening weekend of the Winterlude.
Winterlude runs until Feb. 20.
With files from CTV News Ottawa's Leah Larocque.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.