The Rideau Canal Skateway, which is a 7.8-kilometre long (5-mile) stretch of frozen water and is an iconic tourist place as well as a mode of transport in the capital city of Canada, is likely to remain closed for the first time since it was built in 1971.
Ottawa is seeing unusually warm weather as temperatures soared as high as 10C (50F) in Ottawa which led to occasional puddles and cracks above the patch of ice, which usually remains strong to handle around 20,000 skaters a day.
“I’m devastated,” Barbara Hyde said, as she strolled along the canal’s sidewalk, where usually she would skate around 10 to 20 times in a normal season. “I can’t believe I’m not skating. It’s ridiculous,” she said.
The closure of the skating rink will deprive visitors and residents of a unique feature of one of the coldest capital cities in the world. The place not only brings tourism dollars during the Winterlude festival in February, but it is also a key part of the city’s fabric.
Ottawa Tourism’s spokesperson Jantine Van Kregten said, “As an Ottawan it’s sad; that’s the best word I can use. If you had asked me whether it was possible that we could go a winter without opening I would not have believed it.”
With the closure of the frozen canal, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the organisers of the winter festival were forced to become creative. The ice dragon boat, the hockey matches and the annual curling were cancelled.
WATCH | WION Climate Tracker | How climate crisis is hurting our health?
The Winterlude Triathlon, in which people usually skate, run for a combined 19 kilometres and cross-country ski switched their skis and snow shoes this year. Early in the festival, ice sculptures along Sparks Street were carved near Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office, however, they did not last long in the heat.
(With inputs from agencies)
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.
