Rideau Canal Skateway to open Saturday
Announcement marks earliest opening since December 2018
A portion of the Rideau Canal Skateway will open Saturday, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced Thursday afternoon.
It's the earliest opening since December 2018, and follows a string of disappointing seasons including one in which the skateway didn't open at all — a first in its more than 50-year history.
Starting at 8 a.m., the skateway will open a 3.6-kilometre stretch from Bank Street to Somerset Street, the NCC said. That's nearly half of the skateway's entire length of 7.8 kilometres.
If weather conditions allow, the NCC is expected to open more sections over the coming days. People are asked to stay off the ice until the official opening.
Last season a portion of the skateway opened on Jan. 20, but remained open only intermittently before closing Feb. 25. In 2022-23 it didn't open at all for the first time since the NCC started clearing the ice in the early 1970s.
Those were the two shortest skating seasons on record, restricting access to a favourite winter pastime, a significant tourism draw and an important source of income for local businesses.
Ice dragon boat races were also cancelled those years, and are not planned this year. A winter triathlon was also relocated.
WATCH | How the canal looked Thursday:
A warming climate worldwide, including the two mildest years on record in 2023 and 2024, has prompted the NCC to adapt its skateway strategy. It commissioned a 2021 report that recommended the NCC consider a wider array of programming around the canal.
The ice needs to be at least 30 centimetres thick before the skateway can open safely — and even thicker if the quality is poor. The NCC slightly lowered its thresholds last season and indicated it was prepared to do so again this year.
NCC senior manager Bruce Devine told CBC on Jan. 6 the forecast was looking "fabulous" for ice-making this January, but did not predict an opening date.
The last time the skateway opened earlier than Jan. 11 was Dec. 30, 2018, just in time for New Year's Eve.
