Big void left by the closure of the Rideau Canal Skateway

“In a perfect world, on a day like today, I would probably get together on the Canal with my pals.”

Published Jan 27, 2024 • Last updated 5 hours ago • 4 minute read

A layer of water lies on the closed ice surface of the Rideau Canal Skateway on Saturday. Photo by Ashley Fraser /POSTMEDIA

A light snow was falling downtown at times Saturday, but Ottawa’s signature winter destination was once again closed.

The Rideau Canal Skateway continued to be a victim of Mother Nature’s fickleness.

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Thousands of skaters who would have taken advantage of the world’s largest skating rink were out of luck. So, too, were businesses that are again losing out on the additional weekend blade traffic.

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What a difference a few degrees made. The hope that came with the brief opening of a stretch of the skateway between Bank Street and the Pretoria Bridge last Sunday — a bright light after it didn’t open at all last winter for the first time ever — was gone again.

Alongside the Canal, activity included a steady stream of joggers, dog-walkers and the odd cyclist, all dodging puddles on the pathways next to Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive.

“With that new (Flora foot) bridge and with the lights out, it’s Wonderland when you can watch people skating all the time, day and night,” said Stewart Slater, who was walking his black lab, Betty, near the entrance to Lansdowne Park. “But it’s very reminiscent of what happened last year. I don’t hold out much out much hope. It’s like a gem of Ottawa, but it’s just not happening. And it’s costing a lot of money. It’s so sad. It’s so well-run and beautiful when it’s open.”

At this point, the National Capital Commission is crossing its fingers that it can offer at least a partial re-opening of the skateway for the start of Winterlude next weekend. The advance weather forecast calls for lows of -12 C on Tuesday, -13 on Wednesday, -8 on Thursday and -10 on Friday, but daytime highs will rise above zero.

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For now, the NCC is moving numerous events away from the ice so that Winterlude is not Canal-centric.

Skaters are seeking other options.

“In a perfect world, on a day like today, I would probably get together on the Canal with my pals,” said Renaud Vigras, who instead opted for a morning skate on the Lansdowne Park skating court. “Some of my friends have younger kids and they tag along sometimes. On a day like today, you could skate all day on the Canal. Grab a coffee, have a chat, catch up on things.”

Sarah Borell, Andreas Borell, Aria Borell and Annalise Borell opted to skate at City Hall’s Rink of Dreams on Saturday but would have preferred to try out the Rideau Canal Skateway. Photo by Ken Warren /POSTMEDIA

Nine-year-old Harper Scrim Caldwell, who was receiving a skating lesson from coach Erika Ehrenberg at Lansdowne, was still disappointed because a planned school field trip to the Canal skateway earlier in the week had been cancelled.

Ehrenberg, a former member of the Carleton University Ravens hockey team, said the closure of the skateway was a big deal.

“For a lot of students, when they’re thinking about coming to Ottawa, it’s, ‘Oh, I can skate on the Canal,’” Ehrenberg said. “That makes Ottawa so unique, and so it’s disappointing when that doesn’t happen. I’m from Hamilton, and Hamilton certainly doesn’t have anything like the Canal. I teach lessons at Carleton, and, if you ask people why they want to skate, it’s for the Canal.”

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That’s also old news to Carleton physics prof Avery Berman, who was at the Lansdowne rink on Saturday with three-year-old son Bramwell.

“My dream was to drop this guy off at day care and then hop on the Canal and skate in to (Carleton),” said Berman, who moved to the Glebe two years ago. “The bus is fine, and you can ride a bike if it’s not too slushy, but I was actually counting (on the Canal) as a means of transportation. It would almost be door to door.”

Berman, who is from Winnipeg, said he was amazed at the efforts of volunteers in Ottawa who keep so many outdoor rinks going.

Avery Berman and 3-year-old Bramwell skated at the outdoor rink at Lansdowne Park on Saturday. Photo by Ken Warren /POSTMEDIA

Fewer skaters also means fewer visitors to restaurants.

While the Local Public Eatery in the Landowne complex receives much of its winter business from live sports and entertainment at TD Place — including Ottawa 67’s and PWHL games — a manager said foot traffic from the Canal “probably brings in an extra quarter of our business.”

Kalil Saikaley, manager of the Canal Ritz at the intersection of Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Fifth Avenue, offered a similar assessment.

“We gain 20-25 per cent from the Canal,” Saikaley said. “We have our regular clientele, but we’re missing the people that who might come in for lunch while they’re skating.”

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Saikaley is an optimist, choosing to take a Canal is half-full approach.

“Well, definitely the traffic is much lower, but it will open up. If they do open up (next weekend), the Canal will double up. The people that lost (skating) this weekend will come back next weekend. We’re keeping our fingers crossed, but it kind of balances out,” Saikaley said.

The biggest on-ice hit is to the iconic BeaverTails, which typically has four outlets along the 7.8-kilometre skateway and is often an attraction in itself. Uncertainty about the weather always makes it difficult to figure out when or if to hire serving staff.

The company wasn’t completely off the map Saturday, though. The outlet in front of Ottawa City Hall, home to the Rink of Dreams, was doing a steady business.

Again, though, the Rink of Dreams was a secondary choice for Andreas and Sarah Borell and their daughters, Aria and Annalise. Given a choice, they would have rather been on the Canal.

“This is good, but, with the Canal, it’s the ambiance,” Sarah Borell said. “You can skate straight all the way. It’s a main attraction of Ottawa, a big part of the culture.”

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