Rideau Canal Skateway not expected to open for Winterlude's 1st weekend

A senior manager with the National Capital Commission (NCC) says he doubts the Rideau Canal Skateway will be able to open for the first of three Winterlude weekends.

"We're going to be watering the ice every night this week. We want to benefit from the cold snap to work as fast as possible to open as soon as possible," said Bruce Devine, the NCC's senior facilities and programs manager, in an interview Tuesday.

"Will this be open for this weekend, for the first Winterlude weekend? I doubt it."

If the canal doesn't open forskating by Thursday and given Devine's comments, it doesn't look like it will it would make this winterthelatest opening since the NCC started clearing and managing the ice in 1971.

Ottawa has had a mild, snowy winter up until this week, which has resulted inpoor ice-making conditions. Temperatures around10 C without much snow or sun are ideal, Devine said.

"It's the up and down of Mother Nature not having a sufficient window between two snowfalls to water the ice, to get it [frozen] before the next snowfall that's been the challenge," he said.

Devine didn't want to guess when the first stretch of the skateway wouldopen, saying it depends how fast the ice can freeze and build up.

The Ottawa area is entering a cold snap, with more of those ideal temperatures (if not colder than ideal) expected through the weekend.

Then again, Sunday's forecasted high is 1 C.

Winterlude, which officially kicks off Friday, is a midwinter tourism draw for Ottawa-Gatineau. This year marks the return to a festival focused on in-person events,after the pandemic forced the 2021 and 2022 editions to go virtual.

The festival's ice dragon boat races, originally set totake place on the canalthis weekend, were cancelled late last month. Saturday's annual Winterlude triathlon has also been relocated off the canal and will now have just skiing and snowshoeing eventsat Mooney's Bay.

Awinter Pride paradeslated for Feb. 12 on the canalice is stillscheduled to go ahead.