The Rideau Canal Skateway is an iconic Canadian Landmark. Each winter a section of the 202 kilometre canal, which connects Ottawa to Lake Ontario and the Saint Lawrence River, is transformed into a massive ice rink. A few years ago, we had the opportunity to skate the 7.8 kilometres of frozen canal and it was such a fun and unique experience. If you’re currently in Ottawa or planning a future winter getaway in the Canadian capital, we highly recommend bundling up, lacing up a pair of skates and hitting the ice.
As you plan your adventure, check out these cool and interesting facts about the Rideau Canal Skateway:
- The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- The Canal was originally constructed for military purposes in the 19th century to help Britain defend the Colony of Canada against the United States.
- It is the only North American canal built during that time that is still operational today.
- It was once considered an eyesore and there was talk of paving it and turning it into an expressway.
- In the early 1970s, the National Capital Commission proposed turning the frozen canal into an ice rink and the skateway we know it as today was born.
- It’s the largest naturally frozen ice rink in the world.
- The skating surface is the same size as 90 Olympic-size hockey rinks.
- The ice must be 25-30cm (10-12 inches) thick for skaters to be allowed on it.
- It usually takes about two weeks of consecutively cold temperatures (-15°C or colder) for the ice to achieve the necessary thickness.
- The average number of skating days per year is 50, but the record goes to the winter of 1971-1972 with 95 days. The shortest season was only 26 days in 2000-2001.
Did any of these facts surprise you?
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