OTTAWA, ON, January 13, 2022 – The National Capital Commission has just announced that The 52nd season of the Rideau Canal Skateway will begin tomorrow morning at 8 am, Friday January 14, 2022.
For the first time in over 20 years, skaters will be able to enjoy the full 7.8 kilometres of the Skateway on opening day — stretching from downtown Ottawa all the way to Hartwells Locks!
Also, thanks to the frigid temperatures this Ottawa winter and the diligent skateway crew, the canal is opening much sooner than last year when just a 2.4 km section of the Rideau Canal Skateway was opened on January 28, 2021, and fully opened on February 2, 2021.
Things are starting off great this year, and hopefully this skateway season will be longer than last year’s as the 51st season was the second the shortest in its history, lasting for just 26 excellent skating days.
Plan your visit: What you will find on the Rideau Canal Skateway
The NCC says the best tool to find your way around the Rideau Canal Skateway is the interactive map, presented by LiUNA! You’ll find ice conditions per section, access points with stairs, universal access ramps and washrooms.
- Food and beverage concession stands, skate rentals, boot cubbies and picnic tables will be available.
- Changing facilities and fire pits are currently closed until further notice.
- Masks or face coverings are recommended while on the Skateway, and mandatory inside the washrooms and in lines for the concessions.
- Watch for cracks in the ice, wear a helmet and dress in warm clothing.
The skating season on the canal typically runs from early January to early March, but it is weather dependent and this year it has taken a little bit longer for mother nature to establish a depth of 30 cm of ice, so the surface can support all all the skaters and the heavy machinery required to maintain the skateway.
So lace ’em up up Ottawa, get outside and enjoy Canada’s longest natural skating rink starting tomorrow!
by Ottawa Times staff
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