Yes, there’s been a serious chill in the air recently.
But it’s still nowhere cold enough to permit a skate, or even a stroll along the
Rideau Canal Skateway
.
“Do not go onto the Rideau Canal ice surface,” the NCC Skateway posted on the social media site X on Friday morning as temperatures hovered around -20 C.
“The presence of work crews on the canal in the coming days should not be taken as a sign that the ice surface is stable.
“The Rideau Canal Skateway team are professionals who know how to manage the risks associated with their work. Respect the barriers and signage in place.”
The NCC has frequently explained that a medium to long cold period is required to freeze the canal into a safe skating site for tens of thousands of people.
Officials have also explained that water circulating beneath ice surface along the Skateway route can range from about one metre to more than four metres.
“The Rideau Canal Skateway will open when the ice is deemed of good quality, suitable and safe for the general public,” the NCC says firmly on its website.
While the weather’s been frigid, the medium-term outlook is for highs ranging from -6 C and 1 C Saturday, to low single digits next week, making for pleasant walks on dry land but potentially dangerous conditions on the canal.
Flurries are also predicted almost daily for the next week. Snow cover can insulate the water surface, delaying complete freezing.
Users were spoiled a little last year, when the Skateway registered a
whopping 52 days of gliding
(and tumbles) from Jan. 11 to March 10, with more than 1.1 million visits.
There’s still time to beat that record.
But wait for the freezing magic.
