One of the main reasons for wanting to go to Ottawa, Ontario in mid-January was the chance to skate on the Rideau Canal. I’ve already taken to the ice in Jasper, but the Rideau Canal is the largest naturally frozen skating rink in the world. Pretty impressive.
Rideau Canal Skating in downtown Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Photo: City of Ottawa.
Right on cue, four days before I arrived, the canal officially opened for its 40th year. Excited as a little kid, I ran down to the entrance at the National Arts Centre and grabbed a pair of rental skates (although the canal is free, if you need to rent skates it’ll set you back a whopping $16).
I had been warned all day that the conditions on the waterway were horrible. The temperature had been fairly warm for the last few days and the ice was incredibly rough. Usually they flood the canal regularly, which smoothes it out, but it was too warm to do this. (Actually, as I write this, I see on the website that the canal has been closed all day due to rain and temperate weather.)
Regardless, as soon as I stepped onto the canal, I found myself smiling. There was a group of school kids from Quebec having a blast. A cameraman from a local station ended up capturing them on film skating and laughing, doing what is so typical to do in Ottawa during the winter.
Skating on the Rideau Canal in downtown Ottawa, Ontario (Canada). Photo: City of Ottawa.
But enough watching; off I went down the canal. The ice was choppy enough for me to keep my hand covering the camera around my neck in case I fell. No need, though, as I was told I skated 5 km of the canal without a plunge.
Another emblematic thing to do on the canal is to grab a BeaverTail Pastry. These things are delicious and available all along the waterway. I’m told it’s really just fried bread (and topped with cinnamon, sugar and any number of sugary toppings). Rest assured, they’re made from whole wheat :) The name comes from the fact that BeaverTails are made in the shape, of, well, beaver tails.
BeaverTail Pastry Kiosk in the ByWard Market in Ottawa, Ontario (Canada).
Did the Rideau Canal live up to the hype? I had a blast buzzing on top of it, watching the cars drive past on the roads above and people of all levels making their way along it.
But the thing that made it worth the hype for me was walking by the canal at all hours of the day and evening to see people out there having a good time. Some locals skate to work or school and I love that such an emblematic Canadian fixture, a frozen waterway, is so beloved by the public.
For those who won’t be in Ottawa anytime soon, you can still see the Rideau Canal in action on the Saturday January 30, 2010 CBC broadcast of Hockey Day in Canada. The Ottawa Senators alumni will be playing shinny at 12:30 pm (EST) and Terry Waldorf will sing the national anthem. Game on!
Copyright 2010 Lori Henry
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