Canada

Entirety of Rideau Canal Skateway officially open

By
Adam Beauchemin

Updated: 

Published: 

All 7.8 kilometres of the Rideau Canal Skateway are now open, and as CTV’s Dylan Dyson reports, it’s the earliest end-to-end opening since 2014.

Ottawans have even more room for skating on the Rideau Canal, as the skateway’s full 7.8 kilometres of ice opened to the public early on Monday.

According to a post on social media from the National Capital Commission (NCC), the ice on the Rideau Canal Skateway fully opened from Rideau to the Carleton University Library at 8 a.m. on Jan. 5.

This is the earliest full-length opening since 2014, when the skateway fully opened on Jan. 4.

A 3.4 kilometre stretch of ice between Somerset Street and the Bank Street Bridge opened to the public on Dec. 31, the first time the skateway opened in December since 2018.

An additional 800 metres of ice extending from Somerset Street to the Rideau rest area opened to the public on Saturday.

The NCC says the Patterson Creek area will remain closed to skating this season, due to rehabilitation work.

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Food and beverage options are available along skateway, with BeaverTails locations at Fifth, Bronson and Concord, and the Snack O’Shack and Guylaine Café also open at Fifth.

Another BeaverTails is set to open at Rideau, though no opening date has been given.

Dominion City, 3Brothers and Dunrobin Distillery locations are not yet open.

More information on the hours of operation for the business on the skateway can be found here.

Ice Conditions

Skaters may want to bundle up as the cold weather is expected to continue on Monday, with the forecast predicting a high of -13 C and an overnight low of -14 C. However, the weather will warm slightly throughout the week and by Thursday, temperatures are expected to reach 0 C.

The previous skating season began Jan. 11, 2025 and ended on March 10.