NCC trying to re-open Rideau Canal, update expected Saturday
After being closed since January, the National Capital Commission (NCC) is working to have Rideau Canal open over the Family Day weekend, with an update expected Saturday evening.
“After last night’s snowfall, crews flooded the Skateway this morning to thicken the ice,” the NCC wrote on social media on Friday. “We expect the water to continue to freeze overnight and will assess the ice tomorrow to determine whether we have sufficient thickness and quality.”
On Saturday, the NCC shared the next step in their plans to try and re-open the Skateway.
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“Our team’s work from the last few days has allowed the ice to continue to thicken,” the NCC wrote. “Crews will be flooding the Skateway today to improve the quality of the ice surface, to safely welcome skaters.”
An update is expected at 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Rideau Canal was closed to the public on Jan. 24 after a roughly one-kilometre stretch was briefly open. The canal was closed in 2023 because of unseasonably warm winter weather.
This winter, temperatures have also been much warmer than usual. Typically, the average is -8.5 C but this February has seen an average of -2.2 C.
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The NCC says the skateway generally only opens to the public once the surface is at least 30 centimetres thick with good quality ice. That usually takes 10 to 14 days of weather between -10 C to -20 C.
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