What a warm, snowy winter means for Rideau Canal’s skating chances

Preparations are ongoing to reopen the Rideau Canal for skating, but with a warm, wet and snowy winter in the cards, officials are keeping their fingers crossed yet again.

Preparations are ongoing to reopen Canada’s iconic Rideau Canal for skating this winter, but with a warm, wet and snowy season in the cards, officials are keeping their fingers crossed — yet again.

The canal in the nation’s capital, Ottawa, saw its shortest skating season last winter, lasting just 10 days, after not opening at all the previous year due to mild winter conditions.

While this winter is not forecasted to be as warm as the last, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, above-normal temperatures are expected across much of the country, particularly northeastern Canada.

Each year, the timing of when the Rideau Canal Skateway opens depends on the weather but it typically runs from January to early March.

The National Capital Commission (NCC) that manages the Rideau Canal’s operations is hoping for many days of cold so skaters can get on the ice next month, but they’re also looking to adapt to climate change.

“I’m quite enthusiastic and optimistic to have a good opening in January. Let’s keep our fingers crossed,” Bruce Devine, senior manager of facilities and programs at NCC, said in an interview with Global News.

According to the NCC, the Rideau Canal skating rink can only open to the public once the surface is at least 30 centimetres (12 inches) thick with good quality ice. And to get there, the NCC says its ice experts need about 10 to 14 consecutive days of temperatures between -10°C and -20°C.

Last winter, the Skateway opened at slightly under the 30-cm benchmark, Devine said, but public safety is their first priority.