It’s too warm: Rideau Canal remains closed to skaters
Nicholas Leroy and his family travelled to Ottawa from France this week hoping to strap on some skates and glide their way along the world’s largest outdoor skating rink.
They will fly home Sunday disappointed.
Leroy, his wife and their two daughters were only able to look at the canal from afar because Ottawa’s winter is not co-operating.
The National Capital Commission said it still can’t open the Skateway this week because the weather has simply been too warm.
Before this year, the latest the canal has ever opened to skaters since its first season in 1970 was on Feb. 2, 2002.
Leroy said he and his family planned their trip in February specifically because they knew that the ice had been opening later in recent years.
The mercury was well above freezing Thursday for the third day in a row, after hitting 9 C on Wednesday, a day that felt more like late March in the region.
While the temperatures are forecast to drop to more normal levels by the middle of next week, there are still fears the canal might not be open at all this year.
Toby Leon Moorsom and his wife, who are currently working outside the country, returned home to the Ottawa area hoping their son could experience a Canadian winter.
“He’s never learned to skate yet and he is Canadian, so it was a priority to try and give him a chance to experience ice skating,” said Moorsom.
He said knowing the closure is likely due to climate change is hitting him hard.
The Rideau Canal is one of the showpieces of the national capital tourism industry and the winter skating rink is a big draw. Since 1970, it has grown to a 7.8-kilometre stretch through downtown Ottawa.
Jantine Van Kregten, a spokeswoman for Ottawa Tourism, said not having the Skateway open does change the city’s image, but the closure might not be permanent.
“I still feel that skating on the canal will continue to be an option in years to come,” she said.
“Just because we had a mild winter in 2022-2023, that doesn’t mean that next winter is going to be mild.”