Blades on! Rideau Canal Skateway set to open Sunday at 9 a.m.

The open section will extend 1.9 kilometres from the Pretoria Bridge to Bank Street.

Published Jan 20, 2024 • Last updated 3 hours ago • 2 minute read

A file photo from 2022, the last season the Rideau Canal Skateway was open to the public … until Sunday! Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA

It’s finally time for Ottawa skaters to lace up their blades for one of the city’s signature sites.

The Rideau Canal Skateway will open Sunday at 9 a.m. for the first time since March 2022 after remaining closed last year, the first inactive season in its storied 53-year history.

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The National Capital Commission made the long-awaited announcement Saturday afternoon, saying the 54th skating season would kick off Sunday, with the opening of a 1.9-kilometre section between the Pretoria Bridge and Bank Street.

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After a mild start to this winter, the NCC said, colder temperatures over the past two weeks and “excellent work by our team” produced a good-quality ice surface with sufficient thickness for safe public skating.

“We appreciate everyone’s patience and are thrilled to welcome skaters and visitors to the world’s largest skating rink in the heart of the nation’s capital,” the NCC said in a statement.

The NCC asked skaters not to venture onto closed sections of the skateway while crews “work relentlessly to open more sections as soon as ice conditions are safe.”

According to the NCC, mild conditions earlier this winter “proved challenging” for skateway operations and maintenance, and the agency is continuing its partnership with Carleton University to identify strategies to adapt operations to the impacts of climate change.

Visitors will see a weather station collecting data on the physical environment of the skateway. That data will be used to calibrate numerical models predicting climate change effects on the skateway’s performance and resilience, the NCC’s statement said.

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“We are thrilled to launch the 54th season of the Rideau Canal Skateway and welcome residents and visitors to enjoy this iconic experience,” NCC CEO Tobi Nussbaum said in the statement.

“Our team learned a lot from the challenges we faced last year and were able to put measures in place, helped by more seasonal temperatures, to make it happen this year. I want to acknowledge and thank our crews for their tireless effort and Carleton University for their collaboration in studying and adapting the skateway to the effects of a changing climate. Here’s to a wonderful season!”

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