Rideau Canal Skateway won't open this winter

The Rideau Canal Skatewaywill not open this winter, making this season the first one ever without the popular pastime and tourist draw.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) said Friday afternoon the closure is disappointing, but the weather didn't co-operate.

"This winter's higher-than-average temperatures, snow and raincontributed to a thin and porous ice surface," it tweeted.

"The latest ice tests show that the ice surface remains unsafe. Any further efforts are unlikely to yield a different result."

This winter in Ottawa has been one of thewarmest in decades, with more than 250 centimetres of snow falling as of Fridayweather conditions poorly suited to the formation of thick, smoothice.

The NCC first dispatched a team of workers armed with brooms and shovels to clear a short section of the frozen waterway for skating in 1971. This year is the first timethe skatewayhasn't opened since then.

The capital's annualWinterludefestival, which endedMonday, also did not haveone of its major attractionsfor the first time ever.

Until now,the shortest skating season on the canalwasin 2016, when the skateway was open for just 18 days. The latest opening datewas Feb. 2, 2002.

Last winter, the entire 7.8-kilometre length of the skatewayopened in mid-Januaryand lasted 41 daysuntil early March.

The NCC bills it as the world's largest skating rink, calling it "an iconic and beloved attraction" as it closed the door on its chances for the season.

"We already look forward to welcoming visitors to the world's largest skating rink next winter."

Canal's future on thinice

As winters in Ottawa growwarmer and wetter, the NCC has beenexperimenting with new ice-making methods,and has alsoupdatedand bolstered its climate change strategy.

"This year taught us a great deal about the effects of milder winters on the Skateway [We] remaincommitted to applying what we learn going forward," it said in Friday's news release.

According to a long-term risk assessment commissioned by the NCC, the warmer weather has shortened the average skating season on the UNESCO World Heritage siteby about four days per decade, typically at the start of the season.

According to the report, February starts could become the norm, while skating seasons of 40 days or more will become the exception by 2050. (The report's authors didn't dwell on the possibility that the skateway might remain closed altogether.)

"In the long term, the NCC should determine the threshold for which investing in maintaining the ice surface will exceed the benefits provided, and consider diversification of winter programming surrounding the canal," the report said.

It mentions the possibility of hosting concessions and other winter activities such as cross-country skiing next to the canal on the NCC's pathways and Queen Elizabeth Driveway.