Rideau Canal closes for skating once more amid rain, warmer temperatures

After only a few days of being open, the Rideau Canal Skateway will once again close down until further noticed starting Wednesday evening.

In a media release, the National Capital Commission (NCC) announced that it will close starting at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 24 “in support of ongoing maintenance efforts and to help protect the ice surface from excessive damage during the forecasted warmer temperatures and rain.”

The commission said that the skateway will reopen as soon as ice conditions are safe and weather permits.

The skateway’s brief return comes after last year’s unseasonal warmth kept it closed for the entire winter for the first time in its history.

The NCC opened the skateway on Sunday, Jan 21, three hours after it’s original grand re-opening was planned because it said the ice needed more time to fully freeze after overnight flooding.

Since the re-opening, more than 60,000 visitors have used the skateway, according to the NCC.

“The NCC’s Rideau Canal Skateway team thanks the public for their patience and collaboration,” wrote the commission in a statement.

Temperatures are expected to swing between 3 C and -4 C until Sunday morning and afternoon, according to Environment Canada.

Then temperatures drop to -20 C overnight Sunday before hovering around -9 C Monday morning.