As Ottawans bundle up and grumble over this week’s freezing temperatures, Ottawa Tourism and the National Capital Commission (NCC) are all smiles. Following 2024’s mild winter, which spelled trouble for the Rideau Canal Skateway and Winterlude’s other ice-dependent activities, this week’s sub-zero temperatures are exactly what Ottawa needs.
“These cold temperatures that we find ourselves in right now are excellent for freezing ice,” says Catherine Callary, vice-president of destination development at Ottawa Tourism, which is the promotional service for Winterlude. “So as much as some of us are wishing away the cold weather, here at Ottawa tourism, and no doubt at the NCC, we’re all cheering on this cold weather and looking forward to having a skateway this year.”
The NCC manages and operates the skateway and while it hasn’t yet released an opening date for the skateway, the cold temperatures are helping.
In a social media post, the NCC said “building thick, high-quality ice takes time”, typically requiring 10-14 consecutive days of cold weather. The NCC teams have been out on the ice “periodically”, said Callary, flooding, preparing and monitoring the ice.
“The Skateway is one of those iconic wintertime experiences for Ottawa, and it is very much something that is on people’s bucket lists, especially in our key markets” said Callary. “People will come because they want to skate on the largest naturally-frozen skateway in the world.”
That said, the weather does not always cooperate. In response to climate change and milder winters, Canadian Heritage, which hosts Winterlude, has been “diversifying” its attractions, Callary said.
“We still have ice sculptures, and we still have the Snowflake Kingdom and those things that are that do better when we have a nice, cold winter, but we also have a lot of indoor experiences that are part of Winterlude,” she explained. “We’ve got the mini Powwowwo at the Museum of History, the Big Bang Festival at the National Arts Center, and we’ve got a number of outdoor experiences that aren’t necessarily weather dependent, that are along Sparks Street and the ByWard Market.
“So there’s been a real effort over the last few years to ensure that Winterlude has some climate resilience built into it,” she added. “The nice thing for us at Ottawa Tourism is that we have a lot to promote.
“So (the Canal) is something that we promote very much when the conditions are right and when the winter participates in wanting to provide a skateway for us, but regardless of the skateway, here in Ottawa, we’re very lucky to be such a vibrant destination in the winter time.”
