Full 7.8 kilometres of Rideau Canal Skateway open
Posted Jan 5, 2026 09:44:43 AM.
Last Updated Jan 5, 2026 09:49:04 AM.
The country’s largest skating rink officially opened in the nation’s capital on Jan. 5.
The Rideau Canal welcomed eager skaters at 8:00 a.m., and the whole length was available for people. From Rideau to Library, 7.8 kilometres (including Dow’s Lake) is fresh and ready for the skateway’s 56th season.
In a social media post, the National Capital Commission (NCC), which oversees the canal, announced that the Patterson Creek portion of the skateway will be closed for the season due to rehabilitation work.
This part of the canal is not included in the 7.8-kilometre length that the skateway is known for. It is a small loop area with a bridge between Monkland and Hazel access points.
Those not looking to lace up skates can still enjoy the canal through a snow-packed walking lane.
Ice conditions on the Rideau Canal
Rideau to Bank: Conditions are very good. Swept and flooded on Monday morning
Bank to Bronson: Conditions are considered poor. Swept and flooded on Monday morning
Bronson, Dow’s Lake loop to Library: Conditions are fair. Swept and flooded on Monday morning
The canal opened on Dec. 31, 2025, with a 3.4-kilometre stretch. December openings are becoming rarer for the famed skateway. A portion of the rink opened in December just five times since 2000, with the most recent December launch in 2018.
The UNESCO World Heritage Site has faced uncertainty in the last several years as weather impacts made it unable to open in 2023, and for a brief period in 2024.
This year’s success is a mixture of early cold weather which created ideal conditions for maintaining the ice, as well as new mitigation efforts adopted by the NCC through partnership with Carleton University.
“Ottawa is a true winter capital, and its cold season is unparalleled,” Tobi Nussbaum, Chief Executive of the National Capital Commission, said in a press release. “Everyone is invited to come to the skating rink, soak up the holiday spirit, and enjoy a quintessentially Canadian activity – right in the heart of the nation’s capital.”
