Ottawa’s Rideau Canal is now fully open for ice skating, the National Capital Commission (NCC) says.
The NCC, which manages the iconic skateway, said on its website Monday the full 7.8-kilometre path opened as of 8 a.m. Monday. The Patterson Creek skating area will remain closed for the season due to rehabilitation work, the NCC said in a post on X Sunday.
On New Year’s Eve, a 3.4-kilometre section between Somerset West access point and Bank Street Bridge opened for skaters.
The Rideau Canal skateway is known as the world’s largest rink — though conditions haven’t always been great for skating in recent years.
The skateway — a UNESCO World Heritage Site — stayed closed in 2023 and barely opened at all in 2024 because it was too warm.
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The NCC said on its website the skating season typically runs from January to early March, but it is weather-dependent.
According to the NCC, the skateway can only open to the public once the surface is at least 30 centimetres (12 inches) thick with good quality ice. And to get there, the NCC ice experts need about 10 to 14 consecutive days of temperatures between -10°C and -20°C.
When open, the skateway is free and accessible at all times, the NCC said.
— with files from Saba Aziz and The Canadian Press
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