Ottawa

Rideau Canal Skateway opens in time for New Year's

The Rideau Canal Skateway has opened before the new year after all.

44th season began at 2:15 p.m. ET

Rideau Canal Skateway opens early

11 years ago
Duration 2:27
3.2-km stretch opens for skating on New Year's Eve.

The Rideau Canal Skateway has opened before the new year after all.

The canal opened on Dec. 31, 2013 at 2:15 p.m. (Sherry Aske/CBC)

The National Capital Commission opened a 3.2-kilometre stretch of the canal between the Bank Street bridge and Concord Street at 2:15 p.m. ET.

The NCC had been going back and forth between optimism and doubt about whether it could open before New Year's Day as weather conditions changed over the last two weeks.

The last time the 7.8-kilometre long canal opened for skating before New Year's Day was in 2004, when it opened Dec. 28.

Mobile users click here to see a map of which part of the Canal will be opening.